mealworm breeding question

[janjgeckos]

I have decided to try and start breeding my own mealworms and it seemed to star well andI am getting several beetles but the beatles seem to die in a few days I am using bran as their bedding keep apples and carrots in the tub. Is there anything special I need to do or is this normal?

 

[Landen]

What temps are they at? I keep mine around 75 degrees and my colony is always growing. I've got several hundred beatles and I'm always cleaning out dead ones but I'm assuming these are the older ones. How many beatles do you have going?

 

[sammer021486]

How big of container are you keeping them in and is it ventilated really well?

I too keep my beetles and mealworms around 75F and can't keep up with the number of beetles and pupa that I am getting. I had to place my mealworms in a cooler area to stop them from pupating.

 

[janjgeckos]

they are being kept between 72-75 deg they are in about a 15 qt tub with about 50 beatles per tub

 

[Landen]

they are being kept between 72-75 deg they are in about a 15 qt tub with about 50 beatles per tub

I've got about 200 beatles in 6 qt tubs. To me that's pretty big for only 50 beatles. As said above, how is your ventalation? what are you feeding them? Maybe place a peice of egg carton in there to give them somewhere to hide... I'm not really thinking of any other reason why they'd die after a few days....


Have you recently sprayed for bugs in your house?

 

[steve905]

How do you sort out the dead beetles/shed skins and new mealies?????

 

[Landen]

How do you sort out the dead beetles/shed skins and new mealies?????

that there is the golden question.....

for the shed skin. take your tub outside, blow real hard and don't hold your mouth open. Usually a good breeze will blow all those little sheds out.

The dead beatles, I spend way too much time picking them all out with a pair of tongs....

 

[janjgeckos]

I've got about 200 beatles in 6 qt tubs. To me that's pretty big for only 50 beatles. As said above, how is your ventalation? what are you feeding them? Maybe place a peice of egg carton in there to give them somewhere to hide... I'm not really thinking of any other reason why they'd die after a few days....


Have you recently sprayed for bugs in your house?

Its a 3 drawer sterelite container it does not come close to sealing so I assume ventalation is fine. I am feeding apples and carrots and use bran as bedding. I double checked temp is about 73 deg. and I may have closer to 100 beatles in the tub I sort dead beatles out by hand I havnt had them going long enough to sort beatles out yet. Its only been going about 1 1/2-2 weeks

 

[sammer021486]

that there is the golden question.....

for the shed skin. take your tub outside, blow real hard and don't hold your mouth open. Usually a good breeze will blow all those little sheds out.

The dead beatles, I spend way too much time picking them all out with a pair of tongs....

I do the same thing with the shed skins, I blow them into the garbage can.

Tell me about it for sorting everything, it took 2 hours to clean out approximately 5000 mealworms in 3 bins.

I use 6 qt sterilite tubs with the center of the lid cut out and replaced with screen to provide plenty of air flow.

I use chicken mash and carrots for my mealworms and if kept at 75F I can not keep up with the amount of pupa and beetles that I get.

 

[RoninSTi]

I keep mine in traditional rolled oats (blended) but I just ordered some gutload from progeckos. I use unpeeled carrots as the moisture source. I cut them in half the long way and put them skin side against the substrate. This keeps the moisture out of the substrate. I only put in enough carrot for them to devour in 2 days. This keeps me from having to remove moldy vegetables.

I also keep mine in the 3 drawer bin, but I have tons of holes drilled along the top of the drawer to make sure I had good airflow. Mine are kept at about 70F. I have some egg crates in there that they love to hide in.

This is my first run producing mealies (I don't have babies YET) but my beetles are living well beyond the few day mark and the mealies I do have are little FATTIES.

 

[Landen]

Its a 3 drawer sterelite container it does not come close to sealing so I assume ventalation is fine. I am feeding apples and carrots and use bran as bedding. I double checked temp is about 73 deg. and I may have closer to 100 beatles in the tub I sort dead beatles out by hand I havnt had them going long enough to sort beatles out yet. Its only been going about 1 1/2-2 weeks

It sounds like your doing everything right, I'm not sure whats going on. Where are you getting the wheat bran? Is is contaminated somehow? How are your worms with dying off?

 

[janjgeckos]

Worms are living fine