Superworm colony help (Zophobas morio)

[jaw6053]

I have read all of the threads about starting a superworm colony and am having trouble getting started. I bought 100 superworms and took 20 of them, separated them in their own individual containers. I have found some of them died so I fed them off to my T's but 0 of them have transformed into the beetles that I need to start my colony.

*I am using 5oz condiment cups for each individual superworm.
*I started them with oat bedding but it would get moldy when I put a piece a vegetable in so I have moved them into coco fiber sub
*I feed them a piece of squash every other day

1. How big of an enclosure should I be using when housing each individual superworm ?
2. How often should I feed them ?
3. How long should it take for them to become a beetle ?

What am I doing wrong ?

 

[Idmon]

Personally I feel like morioworm colonies are more trouble than they are worth (unlike mealworms) but I can appreciate that making your own colony is a rewarding experience - I used to have a colony myself.

I used to use toolbox trays, the ones they use for screws, in which you can seperate off various parts. I just drilled air holes, I found it easier than dealing with multiple smaller containers. They don’t need much space for metamorphosis, as they won’t be in there long. I would go for about x2 the length and height of the pupa.

I used to use a mixture of oats, bran and various cereals etc, as I didn’t feel oats alone would be enough (they are also high in phytic acid, which is bad... I think?). I have heard that they do better on a more moist substrate like soil (apologies that I don’t know whether this is true).

As for the mould issue, do you have ample ventilation? I had trouble with mould and mites in my meal, and morio worm colonised, I now no longer use a lid, and haven’t had any issues since (They can’t fly... I hope) I used to feed them every other day, removing anything that would go mouldy (like fruits), I was a little more cavalier with leaving stuff that goes dry (potato, carrot etc) with them for longer.

iirc it took about 2-3 weeks for them to emerge but I imagine it is very temperature dependant.

I’m afraid I don’t know what you are doing wrong in particular - apologies!
I suppose it could be humidity or temperature issue? I know that Morio worms are more prone to those than mealworms.

- Attached image of the kind of box I used.

 

[jaw6053]

Maybe I am just not waiting long enough. Awesome idea with keeping the lids off. One question on that. If I keep the lids off the 5oz condiment cups and they turn into a beetle, couldn't the beetle climb out ?

Why do you think the superworm colony is more trouble than they are worth ? I really like superworms compared to mealworms and every time I got to the store to buy some, I always tend to buy the superworms over the mealworms. With the recent shortages across the country with superworms I decided I am just going to try to start my own colony.

When they are changing from the worm to the beetle, what does that look like ? I thought about it last night when a couple I thought were dead/dying as maybe they were going through that stage but then I just tossed into my T Stirmi's enclosure.

 

[lazarus]

I've never had issues with them pupating after I separated them. If you're doing everything right I'm thinking yours might not be large enough to pupate.

Put them in a small container without food and water, poke some holes in the lid and keep them in a dark, in nature the larvae will dig and build a pupal chamber underground, they might not pupate if they are exposed to light. After a few days they will no longer move around and they will stay curled in the shape of the letter "C" (this is their pre-pupation state, they are not dead, when they die they turn black), after another day they molt into a pupae. I move all the pupaes in a larger container but you can keep them separated in the small container until the beetles emerge just make sure you check on them daily when they are about to emerge (you will see the legs inside the pupae turning dark brown) because they will be on their back after emerging and if the beetle is not able to grab onto something to turn it might die of exhaustion. Don't put the fresh beetle in the colony until he's hardened otherwise he might get eaten.

 

[Idmon]

They could, I suppose, climb out, hence why I use a tray with a lid (my father wouldn’t be happy, so I don’t risk it). You could alsways smear some Vaseline around the top, so they can’t grip it. I used to keep my climbing lobster roaches without a lid and I just used Vaseline, never had a single escape (that I know of).

I think it is more trouble than it is worth because... I’m lazy. In all seriousness I only keep dubia and mealworms, I feed them thrice a week and clean them every (about) 3 months, and that’s it. Compared to crickets and Morio. Which all require more involvement with egg laying trays and removing them to pupate respectively. I always feel that when I buy crickets and Morio I get a lot for the cost, compared to locust, and Dubia for instance. I agree that Morio worms are better, softer bodied and larger. There hasn’t been any shortages of feeders where I am from - I can appreciate why you’d want to start you own colony a lot more now.

They go darker, progressively browner and you will start to see the legs within the pupa, then they emerge, obviously very pale and then they darken (Harden) up within about a day. image enclosed (They get darker than that before emerging).

 

[jaw6053]

I've never had issues with them pupating after I separated them. If you're doing everything right I'm thinking yours might not be large enough to pupate.

Put them in a small container without food and water, poke some holes in the lid and keep them in a dark, in nature the larvae will dig and build a pupal chamber underground, they might not pupate if they are exposed to light. After a few days they will no longer move around and they will stay curled in the shape of the letter "C" (this is their pre-pupation state, they are not dead, when they die they turn black), after another day they molt into a pupae. I move all the pupaes in a larger container but you can keep them separated in the small container until the beetles emerge just make sure you check on them daily when they are about to emerge (you will see the legs inside the pupae turning dark brown) because they will be on their back after emerging and if the beetle is not able to grab onto something to turn it might die of exhaustion. Don't put the fresh beetle in the colony until he's hardened otherwise he might get eaten.

AAh ok I think I fed a couple that were about to pupate then because they were curled in the C shape and I thought they were dead. So that means I have only had 1 death so far then. I just removed all the lids and put all of those cups into a bigger plastic bin so that cannot escape if they get out of the cup. They have been in complete darkness as my T room doesn't have any light coming in.

1. So I don't have to feed them then (the ones i am waiting to pupate) ?
2. How many beetles do you think I will need to start a colony ?

My plan is to move all the beatles (once emerged) into a big enclosure and then just wait for them to create superworms ? Do I have to remove the eggs once they are laid ? Maybe I am starting to see your point now. I am guessing I have to do more than just put the beetles in their own enclosure.