43 replies to this topic

[AntsAreUs]

MEALWORMS:

Have them setup in some kind of container (start off small)

Make sure you have them with a water source at all times, so if your apple, potatoe, celery, or whatever you using make sure if it dries to replace it!

After a little while (depending on what size of mealworms you bought) they will start to pupate, I've had a problem where the pupa will almost never survive which the cause for that is as it was a mealworm it did not eat anough moisture (carrots,ect.)

After they turn into a beetle, which you can use some kind of heat source to make it go faster, you put them into another container and after a bit they will lay eggs (you should know what happens next!!)

Repeat

 

MATERIALS:

(bedding) Oats, Bran, Dried Cerial (preferable crushed and no flavoring), some other sort of grains

(water source) Celery is what I use but you can use potatoes, carrots, lettuce, apples, I've even heard grapes!

(containers) some kind of rubbermaid container or drawers, or just an aquarium or something plastic

 

SUPERWORMS

 

There the samething only to pupate them you have to keep them individually because they don't pupate in a colony for some reason

[Gregory2455]

Do Superworms really not pupate together? 

[AntsAreUs]

Do Superworms really not pupate together? 

Nope, if you don't seperate them they will eventually die of age.

[Mads]

The best way to keep super worms is not like you keep mealworms. Superworms live in bat guano in nature and therefore require much more humidity, and protein than do mealworms. I raise mine in peat moss with their food at one end of the container. This way you can wet down the peat moss without getting their food wet and causing it to mold. I use the large under bed storage containers which have low height but lots of surface area. These are stored in a rack system which allows for only a minimum amount of airflow. The containers that are doing the very best are the ones when you open up the container your eyes start to water from the ammonia. These larvae have evolved to love in such an environment, and in fact thrive where most anything else would perish.

Mads

[AntsAreUs]

The best way to keep super worms is not like you keep mealworms. Superworms live in bat guano in nature and therefore require much more humidity, and protein than do mealworms. I raise mine in peat moss with their food at one end of the container. This way you can wet down the peat moss without getting their food wet and causing it to mold. I use the large under bed storage containers which have low height but lots of surface area. These are stored in a rack system which allows for only a minimum amount of airflow. The containers that are doing the very best are the ones when you open up the container your eyes start to water from the ammonia. These larvae have evolved to love in such an environment, and in fact thrive where most anything else would perish.

Mads

Really? Well I don't do much else and I've never had a single death superworms, but very interesting. And also this has nothing to do with the best way possible it's just what I do.

[Gregory2455]

I'm just going to go mealworms...  When buying them, I didn't read the label and just thought there was no difference.

[Mads]

If you keep them that dry they will cannibalize each other and you only get a fraction of the production per tub. Of course, for your own personal use, it won't make much of a difference. When you raise them commercially, every little detail can make a huge difference.

Mads

[AntsAreUs]

If you keep them that dry they will cannibalize each other and you only get a fraction of the production per tub. Of course, for your own personal use, it won't make much of a difference. When you raise them commercially, every little detail can make a huge difference.

Mads

Can I just add in little dishes with water in them? But of course they have to be high enough so that the superworms can't get in them.

[Mads]

You can try that, but having moist substrate is preferable to living in a dry grain material.

Mads

[AntsAreUs]

You can try that, but having moist substrate is preferable to living in a dry grain material.

Mads

Well I have 4 superworm beetles and about 10 pupa so I would say that is a success.

[dermy]

I've had mealworms infest my house before.

[AntsAreUs]

I've had mealworms infest my house before.

Wow really?! That would be something to see! Speaking of mealworms, my 4th generation of beetles are about to come!

[dermy]

Cool!

 

 

It wasn't fun, they got into everything, and the beetles were nasty looking, I still find one every now and again

[Gregory2455]

Wow.

[Gregory2455]

I did my best with super worms and here is the end result-

I saw a bunch mating today so I guess I will be getting more super worms. How many eggs does one female lay?

Edited by Gregory2455, September 22 2014 - 5:37 PM.

[dspdrew]

Which are males and which are females?

[dermy]

I think you can tell only when they mate, but then again I've never touched supers, I hate the big beetles they are scary, that's what haunts my sleep at night right there!

 

Can I ask a mealworm related question?

[I answered my own question ]

Here goes :

I have giant mealworms and they pupuated but aren't changing into beetles [it's been 12 days] and I'm worried they can't be bred, am I doing something wrong?

[Gregory2455]

Drew, you cannot tell which ones are males and females, the red ones you see are callow, and just eclosed. And Dermy, I wouldn't worry yet, it takes time for them to develop. When they are about to eclose, you can tell because their legs become black.

[Mads]

I think you can tell only when they mate, but then again I've never touched supers, I hate the big beetles they are scary, that's what haunts my sleep at night right there!
 
Can I ask a mealworm related question?
[I answered my own question ]
Here goes :
I have giant mealworms and they pupuated but aren't changing into beetles [it's been 12 days] and I'm worried they can't be bred, am I doing something wrong?

Giant mealworms are simply regular mealworms fed hormones to keep them from pupating. If you do get them to pupate, they are simply large black beetles that are mainly infertile due to the hormones they were fed. Any worms, or larvae, produced by them are just going to be regular mealworms. If you are wanting a larger feeder item than mealworms then the superworm is your best bet.

Mads

[dermy]

I just got a few beetles yesterday, I really hope they aren't infertile, I have about 50 pupae left.