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Mealworm breeding - how to breed mealworms - mealworms 101 - how to start a mealworm colony - Tenebrio molitor

Hey guys, today I'm coming to you with the long awaited mealworm breeding guide. I didn't think this video would do very well so I held off on making it, but I am running out of ideas for content so I figured, what could it hurt to cover this? I noticed a lot of the videos out there are long and do not get to the point, and that is my specialty. But before we start, consider subscribing. I cover all kinds of feeder related topics from how to care for and breed your critters. And with that out of the way, lets start the video.

So, let's assume you are starting fresh with no beetles and just worms. You can get a cup of them from any retailer, and no, it is a complete myth that mealworms from the pet store not pupating. The only ones that do not are called giant mealworms, and those will cost more and will be labeled as such. If you are wanting to speed the process up from mealworm to beetle, you can place your mealworms on a heat source and that will help. One thing I have noticed from feeding my leopard geckos is that, often times the next day, any uneaten mealworms are in the process of pupating. Within 2 days, typically all large mealworms will be in their pupa form and I harvest them from my food bowls and place them in a separate container. It is extremely important, and i cannot stress it enough, to keep as many pupa as you can seperate to help ensure that they survive. Once you have pupa, it will take a few weeks at most for them to become light colored beetles. As they mature in their beetle stage, they will become darker and darker, changing from white, to red, to black. Once you have your beetles, you are ready to begin.

Let's talk about the enclosure for a moment. I suggest using a mesh bottom to allow the eggs to fall through. You can use cotten balls to collect your eggs, however I find this method to be lack luster and requires a whole lot more work than the former suggestion. Both methods are viable, but I like the path of least resistance and it is worth the effort. To make a simple mesh bottom enclosure, we need some type of bin for them. We cut the bottom out. Then hot glue some screen with small holes in it to the bottom. I place another bin that sits under the one with the mesh bottom to catch the falling substrate and eggs. I personally use a larger bin now, as I have made space in my home, but any size container will do. I collect the eggs once a week and place them into a small container. A few days after harvesting, i place something like lettuce as a moisture source in the container and wait to see holes form in it. Once I see this, I know the mealworms are hatched and I begin to feed them regularly as the food disappears. Keep doing this every week, and you will be swimming in mealworms.

Now, why I think using cotton balls is more work. My beetles burrow into the cotton balls and tend to tear it apart into an almost flat cotton sheet. When I go to remove them, I am having to pluck beetles out of it and then throw away the cotton ball after the eggs have hatched. You can use the previously mentioned method on checked if the eggs have hatched with cotton balls, it's just a tad bit more work and I personally think it is less efficent.

hatch, they will likely walk and fall off. I personally do not do this, but I have had it work in the past. What I personally like to do, is once I start seeing white beetles is to place a wet papertowel in the container and the beetles will grab onto it for moisture. I mist it every day and pull what beeltes that hatch, out, and then place them with their brethren.

Let's talk about food, and sources of moisture. While lettuce is not a popular choice, I prefer it for a few simple reasons. One, that it is mostly water, and water is what your mealworms need. They will eat their substrate in conjunction with the lettuce and grow quite fast. As they get bigger, I change over to carrots and other, better veggies that contain goodies for my pets. See my gutloading video linked above and in the description. For a moisture source for the beetles, I use carrots, lettuce, and water jellies. Water jellies are extremely cheap and are a good option as you can continue to reuse them for a long while. Change them out once they start turning brown, but otherwise keep rehydrating them.

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