Mealworm Life Cycle

[Just_Nash]

Originally Posted by freekygeeky

mine are in a plastic ontainer, like a lunch box, but i have a fish tank which i will be using soon, so i can do it on a hugeeeee scale i used to make enough babies... now i dont ... lol...

Is it best to use the same substrate for the beetle as for the larvae or is there something better for laying/recovering eggs?

[freekygeeky]

the beetles lay there eggs in the poo/crumbs etc of the oats/coornfalkes etc..
i take th ealiens out and put them in to a tub, with nothing in it.. they dont need anything, they cannot move or eat etc etc

Originally Posted by Just_Nash

Is it best to use the same substrate for the beetle as for the larvae or is there something better for laying/recovering eggs?

[lottus321]

Im going to give this ago but have got slighlty confused.

I keep my mealworms in a continer with lid until they turn into the "alien" move this across to a seperate container and wait for the beatle.

Do i need to provide the beatles with any substrate or anything like that?

[Just_Nash]

Originally Posted by lottus321

Im going to give this ago but have got slighlty confused.

I keep my mealworms in a continer with lid until they turn into the "alien" move this across to a seperate container and wait for the beatle.

Do i need to provide the beatles with any substrate or anything like that?

that was what i meant really, you wouldnt keep a beetle on cornflakes would you :p

[lottus321]

i dunno, if i were a beatle not sure what i would choose to live on. Best go with freeky and use nothing.

[vetdebbie]

I've got mine on the same substrate the worms are on - cos the baby worms really as tiny but need something to eat after they hatch - don't fancy trying to fish them out. Still on the first pass through the cycle, so not sure what i'm going to do as they get bigger i.e. to feeding size!

[lottus321]

when you say the same substrate as the worms are on. What are you keeping your worms on.

Also freeky has said that they lay there eggs in poo and stuff. How you you avoid throwing the egs away when you clean them out. Are the eggs obvious?

[freekygeeky]

you dont clean them out..

everythign lives on and in corn flakes, and oats..

thats what they live in, poo in, breed in, eat in, lay eggs in, etc etc..

everything lives in this including the beetles... but not the aliens.

they have no substrate...

they live in their food, the oats are the subsrate... mine is around 4 inches deep... they burrow in there... the babies, and eggs live in the bottom, the poo. the beetles live on the top and go to the bottom to lay eggs, and the mealworms live in the middle... trust me..

[zippy4emma]

Great thread!

im having a go at it myself but i leave the aliens and bettles with the mealworms, i read that the bettles need to hide so i put a couple of egg cartons in there.
i use crushed weetabix as substrate and feed them carrot and fish food.

[freekygeeky]

Originally Posted by zippy4emma

Great thread!

im having a go at it myself but i leave the aliens and bettles with the mealworms, i read that the bettles need to hide so i put a couple of egg cartons in there.
i use crushed weetabix as substrate and feed them carrot and fish food.

mine all hide in the subsrate you see
i leave the aliens in there is i cant find them, obvious ones i take out as i see them getting munched!!!! silly beetles!