# My Mealworm Project!



## shortiewba (Jan 27, 2009)

Well, today as my mealworms arrived, i decided to do a breeding project and thought I might aswell share my results with you guys! (Im soooo kind ^^)
I thought that maybe this may help, as im going to be posting pictures and comments on how they are doing, every couple of days so, keep an eye out on this thread, SUBSCRIBE! 
So... I bought 55g of mealworms from http://thelivefoodwarehouse.co.uk and I got a setup ready, my setup consisted of:
*A tub I found spare in my room (Will be moving to a bigger tub soon)
*Crushed Weetabix
*ASDA Ready sliced carrots
*Cardboard box side
*Toilet roll

I created holes in the lid by placing a knife on top and twisting, I advise a screwdriver or soldering iron or something better than a knife :whistling2: (Oh yeah, i know i screwed up on one hole, I pushed too hard :blush
I emptied the little guys into my "Habitat", there was alot more than i thought!
They are very active and NOT one was dead, there was a mixture of ages, some where small and some were very large (I'd say close to pupate).

Here are the pictures of the setup before school! (They had eaten all 3 slices of carrot by the time I got back from school :shock




























Keep lookout on this thread for updates!
Thanks for reading! :notworthy:
Ben
EDIT: Website address


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## shortiewba (Jan 27, 2009)

Hey guys!
Just a very quick update, the worms are feeding like pigs, eating 5 slices of carrot a DAY!
Also, a nice discovery, I found LOADS of sheds from the worms today when i got back from school, this is nice to know as i know they are definately growing! :2thumb:

Well, here are a couple of pictures...










This just a pic of a few worms having a munch! That one on the left was digging in :shock:










Here is a picture of a shed!

Thanks Guys!
Keep looking at this thread for updates on my breeding project!
Should get some pupae soon!
: victory:


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## shortiewba (Jan 27, 2009)

Ok, I was talking to "LoveforLizards" and i had a suggestion, that I should remove the adult mealworms and place them in their own habitat and in maybe a slightly warmer area!
As this should help the process go along a bit faster and i should produce some pupae (ALIENS!!! :devil soon! : victory:
So, i thought, im going to try this, I created a smaller habitat in an insects tub.
I used the same as the normal setup which was:
*Weetabix
*Small insect tub
*Sliced Carrot 
*Cardboard piece

Anyway, we shall see if this works well or not....
Here are some pics




























So, please comment if you think this is a good or bad idea!
All good comments go to you "Loveforlizards", but your taking the blame too if it bad! hahahaha :devil:
Only joking, thanks to you "Loveforlizards"

Thanks guys!
Keep your eye on this thread! :2thumb:


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

shortiewba said:


> , but your taking the blame too if it bad! hahahaha :devil:


:rotfl: If it goes wrong, I will seriously eat my hat. It has never failed me, so I can just say your doing it wrong if it does fail :Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:

They will eat tons of carrot, the previous colony of meal worms (which as I said earlier, was destroyed by the rats!) had thousands of all different sizes in and I used to buy the 15kg bags of carrots from a feed shop coz they ate so much it was costing a fortune, it lasted about 2 months and I kept the bag in the shed and it was fine, kept for ages. Also look in the reduced aisle of tescos if you go in later in the day (past 7pm-ish) as they usually have lettuces, carrots and herbs for a few pence which can be fed. : victory:


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

btw, is that a cricket tub you put them in?


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

The positioning is basically the same as my colony, Although mine is under my bed which is where your chair/settee/bed is and i've got hundreds of beetles running about and tiny babies in the sub' so it deffo works.

I find that as soon as u get a delivery of mealies, they eat LLOOAADDSS of fresh veg....which makes you wonder whether they're skimping on it in the breeding places, or whether its just they're thirsty after their travels...lol


Certainly looks like a livefood tub to me...the best type of livefood tub there is too imo


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## shortiewba (Jan 27, 2009)

Yeh it is...
Well technically the mealworms themselves came in it, so it all good!
And yeh devil when they had their first 3 slices of carrot, EVERY single one was on it or round it!
was funny to watch :lol2:
Thanks


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

REDDEV1L said:


> I find that as soon as u get a delivery of mealies, they eat LLOOAADDSS of fresh veg....which makes you wonder whether they're skimping on it in the breeding places, or whether its just they're thirsty after their travels...lol


Keep in mind, biiiiiiig places such as the livefood warehouse or whole salers sometimes pack their insects up days, or sometimes weeks, in advance and keep them cool so they dont want to eat. So once they are brought out of cooling they eat and drink loads. : victory: Or in bulk bags, the breeders will put food on the top and therefore the meal worms on the bottom dont get food/water, and sometimes they are kept like that for weeks. 



> Certainly looks like a livefood tub to me...the best type of livefood tub there is too imo


I seem to be the only person that cant find live food stockists that use that kind of live food tub :bash: lol.


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## shortiewba (Jan 27, 2009)

Lol, livefoodwarehouse!
Thats what mine came in :2thumb:


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

I bought 30 of em from ebay, used but clean (Asked a guy on here who I bought some dubias off coz he used em...and they cost 36p each but you have to buy 1000 at a time to get em at that price !!! EEK )

NEVER thought about the poor things being pre-packed for weeks on end LFL, how daft of me..lol


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## shortiewba (Jan 27, 2009)

How much were they then?
and also do you have a link?
Thanks mate :2thumb:


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## The Roach Hut (Mar 29, 2008)

just a small thing you would be better off putting the carrot on a plastic lid or something as the moisture from it will dampen down you oats and cause mold... and mold will kill you colony


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

FireDragon said:


> just a small thing you would be better off putting the carrot on a plastic lid or something as the moisture from it will dampen down you oats and cause mold... and mold will kill you colony


Leaving it on top of the substrate is easier for the meal worms to get to it. Also the weetabix will usually stick to any leftover carrot therefore any that could mold is taken away, you could just pick the bits out that have got moisture on them aswell...


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