How to Raise Mealworms: 15 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (2023)

FAQs

How long does it take to raise mealworms? ›

Most mealworms are full-grown around three months old, but it can take up to a year in less than ideal environments. Their rate of growth is determined by food availability, temperature, and humidity. As they grow, they undergo a series of molts where they shed their exoskeleton.

The mealworm is actually an insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis. It is not a worm at all. Mealworms are the larvae of “darkling” beetles. They have four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, adult.

Mealworms are some of the most popular feeder insects for reptiles and amphibians, and among the easiest to raise and care for. These little critters are highly nutritious for pets such as lizards and frogs – and if you so desire, you can munch on a few as well!

When pupae die and turn black, it's usually because the worms weren't given enough moisture with carrots or potatoes at the end of the larval stage. They need to store the moisture to last through pupation and will dehydrate and die if they didn't get enough. They are also very heat sensitive.

Mealworms thrive in a large container because providing more space will help dissipate heat and prevent overheating, which improves survival rate. Too many mealworms, stored in too small of a container, will cause the worms to suffocate, get crushed, or simply overheat and die.

Light: Consistent with the name darkling beetle, they prefer the dark. Keep the container out of direct sunlight. However, one source indicated that if mealworms develop faster when provided with light.

It's important to note that mealworms do not provide complete nutrition and should be used only as a supplemental food source, offered on a limited basis. Overfeeding can cause health issues for adults and young!”

You may feed the mealworms as much as you like – more food means more mealworms. Just be sure to feed them at least every few weeks to maintain a depth of around three inches.

Mealworms must molt in order to grow. The skin of the mealworm splits down the back and the mealworm slides out. When this happens, the mealworm is white. This is a sure sign that the mealworm has molted recently.

Once they hatch, mealworms molt repeatedly over the course of several months until they are about 1.37 of an inch long and are ready to pupate. They remain as pupae for about one to three weeks before emerging as adult darkling beetles, ready to eat and reproduce.

How long do mealworms stay alive? ›

Mealworms can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks with very little maintenance. After two weeks, the mealworms should be removed from the refrigerator, and a small amount of Easy Water should be added to the top of the bedding.

The mealworms prefer temperatures around 70 degrees, but you don't. At 70 degrees, this encourages the mealworms to consume rapidly, which then causes them to transition into the darkling beetle. But, if you can refrigerate them, then that will cause them and their hormones to go dormant, ceasing their metamorphosis.

Mealworms thrive in a large container because providing more space will help dissipate heat and prevent overheating, which improves survival rate. Too many worms stored in too small a container will cause the worms to suffocate, get crushed, or simply overheat and die. The mealworms should be no more than 1 ½ “ deep.

You should aim to start with at least 500. Several bait shops or a local feed store will carry mealworms. If you really want to go to the source, you can look up for nearby time bug farmers, or insect farmers.

Lesser mealworms readily feed on dead and dying birds. They can become contaminated with pathogens such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, or infectious bursal disease virus.

Pupa (Stage 3)

The mealworm larvae will appear to curl up and harden. You would be forgiven for mistaking them for dead but fear not, this is all part of their lifecycle. They will be pretty inactive at this stage, but when you pick them up they should wriggle.

Mealworms eat a variety of food, including vegetables, fruits, plants and grains, but they largely avoid onions and fruits from the citrus family.

To rehydrate them, we've found the best method is a long soak in cold water for 4 to 8 hours (or overnight). You can also use hot or boiling water for a much faster 30-minute soak, but the hot water tends to break them up a bit more. Put the mealworms in a container, add water and stir them will to separate them.

Punch holes in the lid, as mealworms require lots of air. Every 2-3 weeks, take the mealworms out of the refrigerator for 24 hours and during that time, put something in with them for moisture, such as carrots or lettuce.

Keep the culture warm (25–30°C) because if it becomes too cold the mealworms will stop growing and breeding, and if they become too hot they will die.

Do mealworms like orange peels? ›

Mealworms posses a mighty appetite, and prefer to not be limited to the blandness of wheat bran. Go ahead and get a little wild, throw in some thrilling potatoes or some outrageous orange rinds, and check on them a few days later. Be amazed at the herbivorous power of the voracious mealworms!

We experimented to see which flavors the mealworms liked best. There were five flavors: lemon, mint, almond, coffee and coconut. They all smelled so good. My favorite was lemon.

Burrowing and eating are a top priority when it comes to being a mealworm, and they will eat just about anything. They will eat grains, vegetables, any organic material, fresh or decaying. This plays a huge role in the ecosystem.

Once your mealies are set with their home base, you can go ahead and begin feeding them your food waste in the form of fruits & vegetables. There's no complex formula to this, because mealworms enjoy lettuce, potato peels, apples, banana peels, celery, even dragon fruit!

Mealworms are able to absorb water from the air through their skin and they make metabolic water as they digest their food, but mealworms do much better if supplied a water source. Some common water sources used are carrots, apples, and potatoes.

In conclusion, mealworms prefer cold, dry, low elevated environments.

Tests confirmed that the polystyrene was mineralized to CO2 and incorporated into lipids. The mealworms are able to do this due to their gut bacteria (Exiguobacterium sp. strain YT2) that actually breaks down the polystyrene.

On the underside of the rear end of the beetle there are segments of the body. The plates of these segments are called sternites. In the female there is little or no separation between the three most posterior sternites while in the male the intersegmental membranes are clearly visible with a lighter coloring.

Mealworms can be safely handled during all life stages (except as eggs) and provide a great sensory activity for children. Holding a heap of wriggling and jiggling mealworms in your hand, between your fingers is nothing you've ever felt before and most children love it. The pupa and adult beetle can be handled to.

Do mealworms have feelings? ›

The mealworm is the larval form of the darkling beetle. As inconvenient as this may be to some to learn, insects do feel pain, and do have personalities. As fellow animals, they have nervous systems that resemble ours in many ways.

Those bothered by mealworms should remember never to discard infested food without first killing the insects. This is best done by placing the infested food in a container and heating it in an oven at 130° F to 150 °F for 30 minutes.

Do Mealworms Bite? No. Like superworms, mealworms do have mandibles, but they seem to be too small and weak to be noticed by humans or reptiles if biting is attempted. Mealworm beetles also do not seem inclined or able to bite.

Mealworms effectively degrade biological waste and polystyrene foam [9]. The most common mealworm parasites include Gregarine spp., Hymenolepis diminuta and mites of the family Acaridae.

Mealworm cells need oxygen, but mealworms don't have hearts or lungs. How can they get oxygen to their cells? Although mealworms have mouths (to eat with), they do not breathe through lungs like mammals, reptiles, or birds.

Use moist foods to provide the worms with water.

Don't put any water in the container. Mealworms will crawl into a water dish and end up drowning. Use the fruit and vegetables as a source of moisture and water.

– Composting Friend – Feed your mealworms rolled oats and peelings, coffee grounds and salad. Both you and your mealworms will be happy subsisting on a similar diet.

Mealworms, Tenebrio molitor, are ectothermic creatures who are more active at night due to their nocturnal behaviors.

A spoonful of sugar may help the mealworms go down. Adding sugars to powdered, cooked mealworms creates a seasoning with an appetizing “meatlike” odor, researchers report August 24 at the American Chemical Society fall meeting in Chicago.

They all can crawl out. Q: Why does this look different than the one I saw in the store? It looks rougher and not smo… A: It's not a water dish so its not smooth, it has a lip for containing the mealworms for you…

Can mealworms climb out of a container? ›

Housing Your Mealworms

You need to make sure they cannot get a grip on the sides of the container you keep them in, as they can probably climb out. Containers with smooth, slippery sides and surfaces are great to keep the mealworms inside.

Generally, the life cycle of a mealworm can take anywhere between four months and a year.

250 Mealworms - Packed in a cup. If your temps are below 45 or above 85° you must choose "Hold for Pickup" in the options for live delivery guarantee! We have the most tender, buttery mealworms on the market! Animals naturally forage in the wild looking for a 'den' of larvae to eat.

Fresh vegetables are the best source to offer them. A fresh cut potato or some fresh carrots will give the worms their needed water and nutrients. Because the mealworms can last up to a full year before transitioning into the pupa stage, this will give them plenty of time to eat and grow.

Introduce two or three hundred mealworms into the prepared tin. After a few weeks the mealworms will turn into creamy pupae, then into little black beetles. The beetles will lay eggs which hatch into mealworms and so on.

You should aim to start with at least 500. Several bait shops or a local feed store will carry mealworms. If you really want to go to the source, you can look up for nearby time bug farmers, or insect farmers.

It then enters the pupal stage (this stage lasts from 2-3 weeks, up to 9 months, if the pupal stage over-winters). The pupa does not eat and seems inactive, but it is transforming itself into an adult. After pupating, a white adult darkling beetle emerges from the pupa -- it soon turns brown and then almost black.

Light: Consistent with the name darkling beetle, they prefer the dark. Keep the container out of direct sunlight. However, one source indicated that if mealworms develop faster when provided with light.

Mealworms are able to absorb water from the air through their skin and they make metabolic water as they digest their food, but mealworms do much better if supplied a water source. Some common water sources used are carrots, apples, and potatoes.

What is the best bedding for meal worms? ›

You should cover the mealworms with a thick layer of wheat middling, oat meal, or Fluker's mealworm bedding to provide bedding and a food source. Mealworms are relatively easy to keep and provide excellent nutrition for your pets.

Beetles will mate and begin laying eggs within a few weeks. Eggs can hatch in just under a week, again, if temps and humidity are right. Every few weeks, sift out the small particles from your mealworm colony and you will end up with eggs and frass.

- Approximately 70,000 worms.

Weight Of Mealworms

Each mealworm weighs around 100 – 110 milligrams. 1,000 mealworms weigh approximately 3.7 ounces.

Mealworms must molt in order to grow. The skin of the mealworm splits down the back and the mealworm slides out. When this happens, the mealworm is white. This is a sure sign that the mealworm has molted recently.

On the underside of the rear end of the beetle there are segments of the body. The plates of these segments are called sternites. In the female there is little or no separation between the three most posterior sternites while in the male the intersegmental membranes are clearly visible with a lighter coloring.