Meal worm colony

kupo969

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 20, 2007
Messages
948
Ok so I started a meal worm colony with normal sized meal worms, plastic shoe box from walmart, oat substrate, potato slices for moisture on top of a small piece of paper towel. Edit: I've seen them eating the paper, should I worry? o.o

My questions:
Should I have started with giant meal worms?
What moist food do you guys use?
What do you guys use to put the moist food on?
What should the humidity level be (I mist them once a day, lots of ventilation though)?
Would water gel work?

Sorry for all the questions but some of them aren't covered on the usual care sheets.
 

brothaT

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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Aug 10, 2008
Messages
143
I started very much in your situation a month ago, and my meal worms look like they're ready to pupate any time. I use a plastic shoe box with about 2 inches of oats. I started out using potatoes but I changed to carrots because they don't mold, and that has worked fine so far. Occasionally I throw in an apple or potato slice to mix things up a bit though. I don't put them on anything I just throw them on the oats. I also don't mist or use a lid, and I live in a desert area with little humidity and they haven't seemed to suffer the ill effects of dessication. Hope that helps a bit.
 

inverts

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 22, 2008
Messages
373
Here are some answers to your questions (basically the same answers brothaT gave).

-Carrots work well for a source of moisture.
-You can place the carrots directly on the bedding.
-No misting is required.

Here is an informational page about How to Raise Mealworms.
 

kupo969

Arachnoangel
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Joined
Jul 20, 2007
Messages
948
Alright I have to stop making this seem hard, it's so easy 0.0.

Thanks for the links (especially the super worm guide, wanted to try those too).

Potatoes: Yep they mold quickly, about 24hrs for me then I gotta replace.

As for the carrots, do you need to skin them (Too much food network o.o)?

Yeah I never put the moist food directly on my bedding because I want to prevent mold.
 
Last edited:

Hedorah99

Arachnoprince
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May 2, 2005
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1,863
Superworms are a whole other thing to try and raise. Its really involved because the larvae/adults will eat the eggs/pupae. I have a meal worm colony that I raise in wheat bran inside a tupperware bin with a screened lid. They get fed once a week with soaked cat food. they seem to be doing just fine.
 

kupo969

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 20, 2007
Messages
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Anyone know where to get meal worm bedding in bulk for cheap (I've tried my "local" Farm/Feed store and don't sell bran)? I'm paying $1.24 for 18oz of oats at Walmart :\.
 

ShellsandScales

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
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Jun 20, 2008
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502
Here is what I have been doing for years and it has always worked and never had a problem. 5 gal bucket. (Start with 1 gal if you have just a small colony.) Alfalfa pellets (go to tractor supply or anywhere that sells the cheapest rabbit food you can find) works great as a substrate. When you only have a small colony, if your getting moldy potatos, use less. They should eat it all before it goes moldy. Plus keeping them on alfalfa NO MISTING will help keep mold at bay as well. So bucket, pellets, worms. 2 or 3 times a week, throw in whatever fruit or veggie trim/scrap you have on hand. If you don't use that many fruits and veggies then keep a bag of carrots or potato on hand for in between. They will get all of the water they need, even from one fresh food item per week. Just give an appropriate amount for the size of your colony. You'll get the hang of how much is enough as the colony grows. I use egg crate in the bucket just to give the beatles a place to climb out of the subsrtate. Some people will remove the beatles every week or two and put them in a new set up. Unless you have thousands of meal worms and are trying to provide for more than just your own private collection its not really worth all the extra space and time. IF you have any questions feel free to PM me. These things are practically bullet proof just don't mist them.
 
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