The potting soil will work, but I've read that it is more prone to mite infestations then the peat is. Aparrently there is more acidity in the peatmoss and the mites dont like that.



A smaller bin/tank should work fine. I was just saying how I keep mine.



I do keep all the beetles and mealworms in the same bin along with the wood. I notice that the wood has holes in it where the mealworms burrowed in and pupated and eventually all of the wood is ground into a sort of dust and I have to replace it. There are only two reasons that I would remove the mealworms/beetles from the bin. One, is when I feed them to my herps/inverts. Two, is when I feel that they aren't reproducing fast enough while left on their own, so I take 50 or so mealworms out and force pupate them in the film canisters. Thus making more beetles, which lay more eggs, which turn into more mealworms which are then used for feeders.



I've done the whole bin rotation thing before, but it's not worth it, they dont mess things up as bad as crickets or even the roaches that I keep. I've had mine on the exact same substrate for over a year now and all seems to be well.



What I would do if I was you: Use the potting soil for now, then when I get a chance, mix in some peatmoss with it. Peatmoss seems to hold the moisture better.

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