Mealworms or Tenebrio molitor are also known as Darkling Beetles or Flour Beetles. Mealworms are just the larva form of these beetles. There are several similar species available but this is the most common and practical as several 'useful' sized worms are available to use as they grow.
Culturing them is fairly simple and with a little time, your culture will be self sustaining.
What you will need:
*Culturing Container (5-10 gallon aquarium or plastic tub)
*Culturing Media (Oats, Wheat Germ, Cornmeal, etc.)
*Carrots or Potatoes
It is recommended to place your culture on Paper towels that have been treated with Mite Spray.
1. Place the dry Culturing media into your Culturing container. About 2+ inches is enough. A tank or tub that is at least 4 inches tall will prevent escape and allow enough room for the media/food.
· I use Raw Oats, Wheat Germ, Flucker’s Cricket Meal, and High Protein Fish Flakes
2. Place several carrots or slices of potatoes into your culture.
· I use potatoes slices that have been frozen
3. Sit back and Enjoy!
The mealworms will live and breed in the media. They will get their moisture from the carrots or potatoes you occasionally put in. I recommend putting a 2-3 potatoes slices or 5-8 carrots weekly. I have also heard of people using Apple slices but I haven't tried this.
The ‘worms’ will feed on the media, creating a powder on the bottom. This powder is their waste and is not harmful to the culture. Some people recommend removing it over time, but I have not found this to be necessary. I recommend keeping at least 1-2 inches of uneaten media on top of the powdered waste on the bottom.
I also add a paper towel roll to the tank for easy collecting, as many will often crawl into the tube.
Here is the Meal worms Setup:
The colony is practically odorless, minus the smell of oats and media. A lid with holes keeps the colony secluded as well as helps prevent moisture buildup. Excess moisture can cause mold or mites.
Where do I get Mealworms?
I highly recommend ordering your Mealworms from Southeasternfruitflies.com. They have great They have great stock and many other live foods you might be interested in. Check them out!
Mealworms can often be obtained at pet stores or from other hobbyists.
The ‘Worms’
As I mentioned earlier, Tenebrio molitor are the larvae of the Darkling beetle.
The Male Beetle chases the female down and mates with her. Approximately 24 hours later, the female will burrow down and lay roughly 500 eggs. In about 10-20 days (room temperature) the eggs will hatch into the small larvae stage. These are the ‘Mealworms’.
During the larval stage, they will molt 9-20 times, growing larger each time. They will remain in this stage for about 60 days. During its last molt it will curl into its pupae form.
The mealworm remains in this from about 10 to 30 days. Time depends on temperature. Around 80 degrees will give you fast growth in both larvae and pupae. The pupa starts off a white color, and changes slowly to brown as it nears its final stage.
