Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering what you would need to start getting things set up for the cheapest way to start up mealworms breeding . Including :

Housing?
Feeding?
Watering?
Hints on making it work and work well?

Mealworms are super easy to breed and raise. Make sure you get regular mealworms and not the Giant ones that were given growth hormones so they don't pupate early. Remember, I am talking about Mealworms and not Superworms which breed completely differently.

Caging for adults:
Use any plastic container filled with substrate like oat bran or whatever else you prefer. This is their food and where they hide in. Use carrots to give them their needed water. When you see white pupaes (look like little aliens shrieveled in a cacoon), remove them and place them into another container. These white things eventally emerge as adult beetles.

Getting eggs:
Set up a contaier just like you have the adult mealworms in (substrate can be shallow for now) and place adult beetles into container. Give beetles carrots as a water source and nothing else special needs to be done. As the beetles die, remove their bodies.

So got worms yet:
It will be hard to notice in the beginning, but within a month, you should see tiny worms. Espeically if you life the bottom side of a carrot that they get their moisture from. Just because you can't see them it doesn't mean they are not there.

Personal Opinion:
Mealworms are easy to breed with minimal care. But if they are too cold, they don't breed as quickly. Too hot and they die. I don't recall what temperatures were good for them to breed, but might be 80-85F. The easy part is all require same care from adult mealworms, to beetles, to baby mealworms. They also require less space and beetles can't fly.

Housing--plastic shoebox with a tight-fitting snap-on lid. Sterilite are good and inexpensive.
Bedding: A box of multi-grain baby cereal.

Use a soldering iron (had cheaply for 3 bucks if you don't have one) to melt air holes in the LID of the container.

Pour the cereal into the bottom. Add the mealworms, and a slice of fresh fruit or soaked paper towel wad for moisture. Check every day or so to make sure the moisture source hasn't dried out, and/or replace it.

Costs:

Shoebox: $4.00 or cheaper
Cereal: $4.00 or cheaper
Mealworms: $4.00 or cheaper for a tub of 50
(recommended--examine them before purchase).
Soldering iron if needed: $3.00

Total cost $15.00 or less.

Good old nail heated with a candle held with pliers or something like it works well too

* coughs* i made a lot of bug holding jars when i was a little kid