Q&A for How to Raise Mealworms

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  • Question
    I have plenty of beetles but my mealworms are dying. What is the problem?
    Community Answer
    You might have too little food for all of them. You have to remember that all of the mealworms have to share the food. Try to see about how many you have then put in enough to feed 3/4 of them if they each had there own. The mealworms do not have a big stomach, but eating is mandatory to live.
  • Question
    Do I need to chop up the vegetables when feeding my mealworms?
    Community Answer
    Yes. The mealworms need to have small bits to nibble on. Otherwise, it's too hard for them to eat, the mealworms will not consume it before it rots.
  • Question
    What is the fine dust that settles in the worm's cage?
    Community Answer
    Probably the remnants of the oatmeal. If it's dark-colored, it's either poop or dead skin.
  • Question
    I have black, dead worms. What am I doing wrong?
    Community Answer
    It's normal to get a few larvae dying off along with the beetles. It's only a problem if none of your mealworms are thriving enough for harvest.
  • Question
    Will this work if you only have mealworms from a pet shop?
    Community Answer
    Yes, as long as you have a large enough population to have sufficient male and female worms.
  • Question
    How can I harvest mealworms? Do I freeze them or put them in the sun? Do I deny them food?
    Community Answer
    Do not deny them food. If anything, the best thing to do is to gut load them right before you put them in to freeze dry. They give more nutrients this way.
  • Question
    Could the reason I am not seeing worms yet be because the bugs are eating them?
    Community Answer
    That is a possibility. If you don't get the eggs out quickly enough, darkling beetles will eat their young. It also could be because they haven't been kept in proper conditions. Check the eggs for signs of munchie marks.
  • Question
    Can meal worms be left in an open container?
    Community Answer
    It depends on where you are keeping the worms. If it is a plastic container, it's safe to say you can keep them without a lid, as they can't grip the plastic.
  • Question
    Do mealworms eat bread? Also, why does my pupa have a few black spots on it?
    Community Answer
    They do eat bread -- and pretty much anything you give them. The black spots most likely means that they are getting ready to hatch.
  • Question
    Can hermit crabs eat mealworms?
    Community Answer
    Yes! My hermit crabs love mealworms. Just dry them or freeze them first so they can't burrow into the substrate.
  • Question
    What happens if I don't put it in a dark place?
    Community Answer
    They still survive and reproduce. They just may not reproduce as rapidly.
  • Question
    How long is it until a meal worm sheds its skin?
    Community Answer
    This depends on the humidity and temperature at which you keep your enclosure. Some worms shed more than others depending on how much they grow.
  • Question
    Do mealworms smell or attract flies?
    Top Answerer
    If their living space and food is smelly or rotten, or if they die, then yes. You can put a screen on top to make sure flies don't get in. (Get a screen small enough to block fruit flies.)
  • Question
    I now have my first batch of baby meal worms. When do I remove beetles?
    Community Answer
    Typically, there is a system to drain the larva into a new container - but take them out immediately if they are together. You do not want them staying together for any amount of time, because the parents will eat their young.
  • Question
    How do I get mealworms initially?
    Community Answer
    You can buy them at any local pet store. Usually, you buy them in packs of fifty for two or three dollars.
  • Question
    My beetle hatched from the cocoon. Why is it all white?
    Community Answer
    They are white right when they hatch. As they dry out, they turn a dark black/brown color.
  • Question
    What am I doing wrong if the beetles and worms are very small?
    Community Answer
    Some species are just naturally small in size. It depends on where you get them from.
  • Question
    How do I know if my mealworm (larva) is dead?
    Community Answer
    If it doesn't move when you touch it.
  • Question
    Are mealworms the favorite food of hamsters?
    Community Answer
    Most hamsters like to eat mealworms. However, you should only feed three to four per week, as mealworms have high fat content.
  • Question
    Is 45 a large enough number of meal worms to breed them?
    Community Answer
    Yes, definitely, just be sure to have a large enough container.
  • Question
    Should I feed them to my chickens live or freeze-dried?
    Community Answer
    Your chickens will prefer them live, but you could use freeze-dried if you had to.
  • Question
    At what stages are mealworms safe for human consumption? Where can I find nutritional information on mealworms?
    Community Answer
    They are safe when in the larval stage. Check eBay and Amazon reviews on sellers that sell packaged meal worms snacks.
  • Question
    Does it need to mate?
    Top Answerer
    It will f you want more of them (they grow into beetles).
  • Question
    What happens if I don't remove a moldy apple from the container?
    Community Answer
    The mealworms could die from alcohol poisoning, as fermented apples contain alcohol.
  • Question
    Do mealworm beetles eat their own eggs?
    Community Answer
    Yes, they can be known to eat their own eggs.
  • Question
    Will flavored oatmeal work, or do I have to use plain oatmeal?
    Community Answer
    You can use flavored oatmeal, plain is simply cheaper.
  • Question
    How can I tell what the eggs look like?
    Elizabeth Bolster
    Community Answer
    The eggs look small and white and are about as small as a grain of sand, so are hard to see.
  • Question
    Is it okay to simply keep the mealworms in a container with soil and leaves?
    Community Answer
    They thrive better with a bed of cornmeal, oatmeal, or chicken feed. Fruit or veggies help with moisture, and they will eat apples, potatoes, carrots, and cucumbers.
  • Question
    Do mealworm beetles fly?
    Community Answer
    They can, so it is best to cover any openings to their container.
  • Question
    How often do I change the bedding of the beetles to prevent them from eating their eggs?
    Community Answer
    If you take the beetle holding tub and drill the bottom of the unit with a 3/32" bit all over the entire bottom, about 1/2" in between each hole, the poop, eggs, and smaller bits of 'feed' will eventually fall through and can be relocated into separate bins. Remember to date the transfer on a piece of painter's tape so you know how long to expect to actually see any results. If the sifted parts are only a few days old and have built up in the holding bin, don't worry, just re-dump into the top bin and let them sort through the wheat bran again.
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