trying to breed mealworms to feed ants

[ryan152chikorita]

So the thought never really occurred to me to breed my store bought mealworms to get a continuous supply to feed my ants, but after realising one of them turned into pupae, I decided to do so and separated the pupae from the rest of the worms. My problem is that the pupae eventually died. (became black and soft like rotting). So I was wondering why it happened and if anyone can give me some pointers.

Just a brief rundown of the situation:
I live in SG - very humid and hot
I place the worms in a container with no bedding (their poop is probably the only thing they can burrow into)
The container is in a cupboard that remains closed unless I need the mealworms
I feed them when I remember (which can range from once a week to once a month)
I feed them 100% purely oatmeal
as of now, there are only approximately 10 mealworms left in the box and 2 turned into pupae again

So I am wondering if I should do anything in particular to these 2 new pupae since the last one died after I separated it from the rest a week or so later.

 

[Gilligan]

Hi. I also breed mealworms for my pets. I leave the pupae in with the worms to pupate and have never had a problem. Others remove them to puape elsewhere but I do not have experience using that method.
I have afew suggestions to your set up to help the overall health of your colony and the pupae. One is to get bedding for the worms to dig in (i use cocoa fiber), and clean out their poop when it is needed. I keep the colony in a space that gets air flow, and feed then three to four times a week with fruits and vegetables, removing the uneaten things later. If you search there are many threads on arachnoboards about this topic. Hope the pupae pupate!

 

[DaveM]

So the thought never really occurred to me to breed my store bought mealworms to get a continuous supply to feed my ants, but after realising one of them turned into pupae, I decided to do so and separated the pupae from the rest of the worms. My problem is that the pupae eventually died. (became black and soft like rotting). So I was wondering why it happened and if anyone can give me some pointers.

Just a brief rundown of the situation:
I live in SG - very humid and hot
I place the worms in a container with no bedding (their poop is probably the only thing they can burrow into)
The container is in a cupboard that remains closed unless I need the mealworms
I feed them when I remember (which can range from once a week to once a month)
I feed them 100% purely oatmeal
as of now, there are only approximately 10 mealworms left in the box and 2 turned into pupae again

So I am wondering if I should do anything in particular to these 2 new pupae since the last one died after I separated it from the rest a week or so later.

You need bedding, but the good news is that their food can serve a dual purpose as bedding. Just fill the container about 1-2 inches deep in dry oatmeal. It's good to throw a piece or two of cardboard (a few cells cut from a paper egg carton, a paper towel tube, etc.) on top, to give them something solid to climb on and burrow under. They additionally need a source of moisture, like a stick of carrot or chunk of potato -- those things will rot if left in there forever, so check on them and replace them every 3-5 days or so as needed.
Really, these are some of the easiest creatures to keep and breed -- very hard to kill -- so I'm sure it will work for you if you just follow the simple steps needed. Good luck

 

[ryan152chikorita]

Hi. I also breed mealworms for my pets. I leave the pupae in with the worms to pupate and have never had a problem. Others remove them to puape elsewhere but I do not have experience using that method.
I have afew suggestions to your set up to help the overall health of your colony and the pupae. One is to get bedding for the worms to dig in (i use cocoa fiber), and clean out their poop when it is needed. I keep the colony in a space that gets air flow, and feed then three to four times a week with fruits and vegetables, removing the uneaten things later. If you search there are many threads on arachnoboards about this topic. Hope the pupae pupate!

thanks for the suggestion but is it really necessary for the vegetables? I don’t really want to have to continually resupply for vegetables every now and then just to feed them…

 

[Gilligan]

thanks for the suggestion but is it really necessary for the vegetables? I don’t really want to have to continually resupply for vegetables every now and then just to feed them…

That is up to you honestly. Vegetables are more healthier for the feeders, which means your pets are getting a more nutritious meal.

 

[Mistery]

my mealworms live in mielie meal with some rice. We live in a humid area, You can put oatmeal and bran in as well, and please do throw in some potato skin or carrots skins for their water intake , .The pupae can be in a ventilated container without anything, Just put the Beatles on substrate same stuff meal and oats, and bran so they can lay their eggs, feed them too

 

[DaveM]

thanks for the suggestion but is it really necessary for the vegetables? I don’t really want to have to continually resupply for vegetables every now and then just to feed them…

The potato or carrot are mainly a convenient way of giving them water. Oats alone have enough calories and nutrients, but not enough moisture. Even in a humid climate, the mealworms will have trouble getting enough moisture in just dry oats. The water source doesn't have to be vegetables. You could probably improvise something else. Wet oatmeal in a plastic cap would work (as long as they have a way of climbing and reaching it), but you'd have to clean it every few days to prevent mold anyway. Water crystals, celery, heck, just dumping water in on top of the oats... but then you'd get moldy oats you'd have to change every few days.

1. mealworms need water
2. get water to them in the cleanest and most convenient way you can contrive

 

[ryan152chikorita]

Well I thought of just putting a small bottle cap filled with water in but I found online that mealworms actually drown in them.. Is that true?

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

Putting water in a bottle cap probably isn't very effective, they'd much rather have something moist they can chew on and dig into.

Another strategy is to have a non-food substrate like cocofiber which you keep mostly dry, but occasionally dampen a section of it, and sprinkle the oats or whatever dry food you give them away from the part you dampen. Works best if the setup has good ventilation so it doesn't get too humid and make the food moldy.

Mealworms can survive with little or no added moisture if its humid enough, but they'll be more vigorous and grow faster if they have moisture to drink directly. Interestingly enough, darkling beetles are capable of both harvesting water vapor from the air and efficiently converting carbohydrates from dry food into water, so its possible for some to survive with no liquid water whatsoever, but conditions that aren't humid enough cause mealworms to lose water to evaporation too fast. Some darkling beetles such as red flour beetles can survive with no water even in dry conditions by getting all of their water from breaking down carbs (fun fact: there are even some desert-dwelling rodents like kangaroo rats that do the same thing by eating seeds and can go their whole lives without touching liquid water).

 

[ryan152chikorita]

Okay so my pupae finally turned into beetles. Can someone tell me how to identify the gender and what should I feed them other than oatmeal and leaving them alone?

 

[Gilligan]

Just like the pupae the beetles will need a moisture source. Be it fruit or some other way.