# Mealworm Substrate



## Snipes (May 2, 2005)

I have been keeping and breeding mealworms (I believe their scientific name is something like Tenebrio monitor or something along those lines) for 6 months or so. I have been very succesful at it, but i have trouble with the substrate. I have heard to get bran oat, but the closest thing to it i could find was Quaker instant oat bran, and it costs about 3.50 per box. I need two boxes per 2 months or so. Can any1 recommend a cheaper and equally better, or superior substrate that costs less. Also something i could buy at Safeway or some other store like that?


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## David_F (May 2, 2005)

Any oatmeal should work.  There's gotta be something cheaper than Quaker around.


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## mo_2 (May 2, 2005)

I use wheat germ and oat bran mixed together.  I buy it at safeway in the baking goods section (I am in Canada so I don't know if our Safeway's are the same).  I only have a small colony so a bag of each lasts a long time but it costs me about 3 bucks total.


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## stonemantis (May 2, 2005)

Snipes said:
			
		

> I have been keeping and breeding mealworms (I believe their scientific name is something like Tenebrio monitor or something along those lines) for 6 months or so. I have been very succesful at it, but i have trouble with the substrate. I have heard to get bran oat, but the closest thing to it i could find was Quaker instant oat bran, and it costs about 3.50 per box. I need two boxes per 2 months or so. Can any1 recommend a cheaper and equally better, or superior substrate that costs less. Also something i could buy at Safeway or some other store like that?


I go to the dollar store and buy whatever cheap oatmeal I can find and then I mix it with a little flour. costs me 2.50 for the oatmeal and flour.


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## Snipes (May 2, 2005)

Thanks!   Im gonna try to get some of those things.


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## packer43064 (May 2, 2005)

I just use cheerios and rice krispies. It have worked well for mealworms and superworms. The superworms have bred and now I have alot of tiny superworms and the mealworms have bred but I have no more beetles left of them because I fed them all to my american toad.


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## Mattyb (May 5, 2005)

Where i work, we use corn cob and they seem to like it.



-Mattyb


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## Snipes (May 5, 2005)

yeah, i have hundreds of beetles, but few feedable worms. Can i put beetles in the fridge? I want to make it so feedable mealworms are available all the time instead of a lot at one time, and not at another.


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## stonemantis (May 5, 2005)

The mealworms growth can be slowed in the refrigerator. So I think the beetles can too


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## Mattyb (May 5, 2005)

stonemantis said:
			
		

> The mealworms growth can be slowed in the refrigerator. So I think the beetles can too



How? lol



-Mattyb


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