Need Help with Mealworm Larva ?

This should help a little

Mealworm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Basically they need feeding. Normally i drop a few branflakes in with mine to keep them going. Oats or any dried cereal should be fine tho provided it's not the sugar coated kind.

There not massively light sensitive but they do prefer the dark. Getting hold of a couple of fishing bait boxes should give you enough room and ventilation for them at a reasonable price. Then just stick them under the stairs where it's a little cooler and darker.

For moisture some people use fruit. Personally i like to use the top of a pringles tube with a few cotton face wipes in it. soaked in water. There cheap and your GF/Wife will have a boat load you can steal. They also don't go mouldy.

Finally get hold of some coarse wood shavings and just sprikle a few in.


As for the lava not turning into beetles. Are you trying to rear super worms? The oversized meal worms? They may have difficulties due to the hormone there given to get to the larger size.


Failing that and there not turning, Take the fresh Crystallises out of the mealworm container and put them in a separate container with a small layer of compost. Then seal the container and leave it. The incubation period for the change into beetles will be reduced by having a nice warm environment. (airing cupboard). The layer of compost should keep them moist enough, and will provide suitable breeding substrate. If you are worried about them needing food when they first hatch into beetles just make sure you have a few more branflakes int eh tub, As the adult beetles eat the same stuff as the worms.

Hi there, I can't think what could be wrong but try moving them.

I keep my meal worms in wheat bran. I put in potato and carrot. They are in clear plastic containers(don't know if you have them but they are those file type draw containers that have up to 4 draws) in a room thats around 20/21 degrees. The room has normal day lighting and even gets a bit of sun at one part of the day. When the worms turn to Pupa then I put them in another clear plastic container with the wheat bran, they don't eat but its there ready for when they do. I have had the odd one die but not many. I can't think what could be going wrong but try moving them. Make sure they are dry. They get enough moisture from the potato and carrot.
I hope this will help in some way. Let me no how you get on. All the best.

In addition to keeping them in bran (I use rolled oats...easier to sift worms out of) mealworms and superworms need water. easiest way to get this to them without spoiling the bedding is to add a piece of carrot on a plastic margarine lid. You need to change out the carrot every few days. Apple or potato can be used for this too, but they go bad much faster.

Please note I rarely feed mealworms to my critters, I raise them for my wild birds.

Here is the site I refer to for my beetle larvae farming information:

Raising Mealworms:Everything you always wanted to know (and more)

Thanks Johnny, I will try the rolled oats, I didn't realise they could eat that.
Is it better nutritionaly? How offen do you change the substratum?

I never do a full bedding change, you lose too many eggs and hatchlings that way in my opinion. I sift it out about once a month or so to get the worst of the droppings and tiny leftovers out, and then ad a cup or two more of oats or wheat bran, whichever I happen to have on hand. About once a month I throw in a small handful of fish flakes or dry dog food too. I use the siftings as a starter culture for getting the new bed going- I rotate three bins this way. The siftings almost always have eggs and new hatchlings in with them.