Breeding Mealworms.

[TGod]

For the past few weeks I have been trying to reproduce my own mealworms. I so far I've got many healthy looking adult beetles. They don't seem to be reproducing tho. I've been siving their substrate and don't seem to see any life at all. I started with store bought mealworms, could they have been given some sort of sterilisation? Anyone here had success?

 

[exokappa]

Hello!

I just created a working mealworm farm, it took around one month for the beetles to lay some eggs and the larva are growing slowly

Here some notes:

Don't keep the eggs with the beetles.
Sometimes the adults start to eat the eggs/larva

Create a two floor enclosure
keep a grid/mesh between the two floors, in this way the eggs/larva will go down to the bottom floor and the beetles can't reach them

It take time
After one month the first larva hatched from the eggs, and they are really small to spot

Here my last video about it:

 

[darkness975]

Also keep them well hydrated.

 

[exokappa]

Also keep them well hydrated.

Exactly, I use the carrots as food because contain water

 

[darkness975]

Exactly, I use the carrots as food because contain water

Have you ever had issues with carrots causing problems? I heard through unconfirmed sources that they can be a problem for some species. But it's all supposedly anecdotal.

 

[exokappa]

Have you ever had issues with carrots causing problems? I heard through unconfirmed sources that they can be a problem for some species. But it's all supposedly anecdotal.

for the moment no problems, and I'm using carrots all the time.. even with my Gryllodes sigillatus (Short wing crickets).

 

[darkness975]

for the moment no problems, and I'm using carrots all the time.. even with my Gryllodes sigillatus (Short wing crickets).

I meant for the animals being fed. I recall some talk floating around the cosmos before of certain animals having issues with crickets or meal worms fed carrots but never found any actual documentation of that.

 

[Dry Desert]

I meant for the animals being fed. I recall some talk floating around the cosmos before of certain animals having issues with crickets or meal worms fed carrots but never found any actual documentation of that.

I've also seen mentioned here in the UK that feeding carrots continuously can cause problems when the feeders are fed to certain species of lizards.
I can't recall the species though.

 

[darkness975]

I've also seen mentioned here in the UK that feeding carrots continuously can cause problems when the feeders are fed to certain species of lizards.
I can't recall the species though.

Yeah it is strange. Will see if I can do some digging and find something.

 

[Introvertebrate]

I meant for the animals being fed. I recall some talk floating around the cosmos before of certain animals having issues with crickets or meal worms fed carrots but never found any actual documentation of that.

There is evidence that carrot fed crickets can cause pass a potentially fatal disease to mantids. I don't know that anyone ever got to the bottom of it. Most mantis keepers just steer away from carrots. The smart ones steer away from poorly reared crickets altogether.

 

[darkness975]

There is evidence that carrot fed crickets can cause pass a potentially fatal disease to mantids. I don't know that anyone ever got to the bottom of it. Most mantis keepers just steer away from carrots. The smart ones steer away from poorly reared crickets altogether.

I've heard of this too. It's why I also stay away from them.

 

[exokappa]

Ouch, I'm feeding my mantis with "carrot" crickets, I will switch to apple!
Thanks

 

[Introvertebrate]

Ouch, I'm feeding my mantis with "carrot" crickets, I will switch to apple!
Thanks

It’s all anecdotal. If it works for you, great. It may have a lot to do with neglected pet store crickets.

 

[Braden]

Soooo easy lol. Threw some beetles in a box with oats. Gave them carrot or cucumber to east, they also ate the oats obviously. They bred like crazy nonstop. Not much later a bazillion eggs and baby mealworms in there. Unfortunately had a mite infestation so I had to scrap it lol