Mealworm Colony Tubs

[Fried_frog]

What size tubs do you folks use to keep your mealies and aliens in?

Thinking of maintaining a colony when i get my leo, not sure what my landlord will think, but hey!

He can deal with it, Herps are awesome.

[messengermatt]

They are fairly simple to keep from what i can gather. there are a few threads on RFUK about how to do it so look around.

We have started a colony but dont know how long that is going to last.

[Fried_frog]

I've been searching through the sticky on breeding mealies but i can't seem to find the specific size of tubs people are using!

[ex0tics]

depends how many your looking to house mate.

I use a drawer unit(plastic) they measure roughly 18"x12x8" deep each drawer..
I keep everything seperate and end up giving most mealies to the birds and giving to local bird/rep keepers

[jools]

I've started my colony just using a plastic food tub about 10" x 8" x 5" with holes drilled in the lid. Just noticed yesterday that there are some TINY new worms in the substrate - yippee. Will start using a second one soon and sort of alternate. I Don't need very many mealies so don't need to keep a large colony - just needed mini mealies for hatchling Leos.

[LoveForLizards]

I use a 12"x9"x8" food tub, no lid. Instant oats, wheat biscuits/weetabix and old bran flakes in the bottom, by a radiator to speed up the whole process...had it going about 2 months now, started with about 120g of adults, now got adult meal worms from the next generation, 2nd generation beetles and 2nd generation aliens. Oh and loads of babies/eggs, only once had a problem and that was with using a mesh screen lid, too much humidity and made the bran flakes slightly wet, took the lid off and put them in the sun for half an hour though and it was sorted.
I won't be switching this tub over unless it is full to the brim, but so far I have about 530 adult/sub adult mealworms, 100+ aliens, 200+ beetles then thousands of babies and eggs, all have adequate room. The substrate is only about 4" also, I find it easier to 'harvest' the mealies if they are in a long shallow tub/substrate then a small deep tub/substrate.
Oh and I leave aliens in the beetle and mealworm tub. I end up screaming and throwing the aliens across the room if they move in my hands.

[spend_day]

mines in 2 12x6 (one for beetles one for mealworms) and i just stick the aliens in a old cricket tub