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How do you stop it from moulding? It molds when I put any form of moisture in it (ie carrots...). I changed it less than a week ago.
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0.1 Hypo Leopard Gecko
0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko
0.1 Blizzard Leopard Gecko
1.0 Albino Pacman Frog
1.0 Lovebird (Tony)
1.0 Elkhound Cross (Otto)
0.1 Malamute Cross (Paris)
6.0 Bettas

Whats the main substrate? DO you have a lid on it? When I had a lid it molded quickly. Now I have no lid. Carrots dont mold, so that couldnt really be the thing. Depending on where you have the mealies, is there maybe a leak in the ceiling that drips into the container (thats a stetch.). Check for water or moisture around or in the area of the mealies. Good luck

michael

What I use is one of those plastic critter keepers. The lid has large slots so that there is plenty of ventilation so that mold doesn't form.

Thanks, I'll try punching more holes in the lid. I was actually using a combination of oats, flaked fish food, and dog food. I read that the dog food is good for protine so I wanted to give it a try. In any case I just went out and bought a buch of cricket feed that I'll probably just use with my mealies. Hopefully that solves the problem. I did throw out all of the mealworms even thought they were all still alive and active. Did I really need to throw them out, or would they have been fine?

Also I am trying to start my own mealworm colony. A few of the beetles have turned out a bit deformed. They look like they never completely shed the alien. It's either that or they beetels are eating each other, do the do that?

Thanks again,
Lisa
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0.1 Hypo Leopard Gecko
0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko
0.1 Blizzard Leopard Gecko
1.0 Albino Pacman Frog
1.0 Lovebird (Tony)
1.0 Elkhound Cross (Otto)
0.1 Malamute Cross (Paris)
6.0 Bettas

Yah i get deformed beetles too and they end up being extra protein for the rest of the "normal" beetles
Dont' know why it happens.
Here's my set up, I used to use bran but it smelt - they're in my bedroom and i hate smelly things. Right now its oats, calc and Vit powder, and powdered milk. I use carrots with no problems either also i use the crix gutload orange cubes.
There are TONS of beetles in this bucket but very few mealies so far. But they're mating though...

Wow thats alot of beetles. I still only have about 6 or 7. Who knows if I'll even get any mealworms out of them.
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0.1 Hypo Leopard Gecko
0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko
0.1 Blizzard Leopard Gecko
1.0 Pacman Frog (Phatty)
1.0 Lovebird (Tony Montana)
1.0 Elkhound (Otto)
0.1 Malamute (Paris)
5.0 Bettas

You need a crap load... Cuz you need to be sure you have females and males. And then you have to wait till some adults die, then wait till the eggs actually hatch. The baby mealies are SOOOOO tiny. They're like moving mealworm poo. They easiest way to check for babies is to dig to the bottom and look at the debris and see if its moving.

Remove the lids completely. You are simply generating too much humidity in the tub. They can't crawl out if you only fill it at max 3 inches from the top. I only use a top with holes for the one that contains the beetles and I monitor how much veggies i put in there. So go without the lid and you won't have the mold. And don't overload on veggies.

If you use baby cut carrots they will never mold. I have never had a problem with mold using those carrots. Also never keep a lid on your container, mealworms need a constant air flow in their tub. They cant crawl out, so you can just leave the lid off. Also what are you using as your substrate? Maybe you are using something that could harbor mold?

Just my thoughts...
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Shayna
www.LeoLoversLizardLounge.com

Thanks for all of your replies. Sorry it's taken me so long to write back. I've taken the lid off the mealies, hopefully my dogs won't find them
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0.1 Hypo Leopard Gecko
0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko
0.1 Blizzard Leopard Gecko
1.0 Albino Pacman Frog
1.0 Lovebird (Tony)
1.0 Elkhound Cross (Otto)
0.1 Malamute Cross (Paris)
6.0 Bettas