Although people will have different tolerances to allergens, it is possible to become allergic to mealworm dust - their waste in the bedding - if exposed to more than "the critical limit". The critical limit is pretty high, meaning breathing dust from perhaps hundreds or thousands of mealworms per day. It can be prevented by wearing a surgical mask and surgical gloves when working with large quantities of mealworms.

Other feeder insects also produce allergens, but mealworms appear to do it faster. And once allergic to mealworms, hypersensitivity to household dust mites can then result.

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