Breeding Mealworms
How To Breed Mealworms
You can begin the breeding process with about 100 mealworms. Breeders and hatchlings should be kept at 75 - 80 degrees.
If you keep your mealworms at room temperature, they will pupate on their own (which is why most people keep them in the fridge). The pupa can then be removed to a seperate container so the mealworms don't eat them.
Mealworms can also be forced to pupate. Using film canisters, or embroidery floss containers, add oatmeal or bran to each compartment. Drill a hole in each lid. Place one mealworm in each compartment. Keep them in a warm, dark place. They should pupate within 2 or 3 weeks. Another week or so later, they become beetles. Check on them daily after 2 weeks and remove beetles to the breeding container.
Keep all the stages seperate so they don't eat each other.
Keep the darkling beetles at 75 - 80 degrees, using the same conditions as you'd keep the mealworms.
The females will begin laying eggs within 1 week. Every 2 weeks, remove all substrate to a seperate container and replace it - the eggs/new hatchlings are in the substrate (but far too small to see). You'll need to do this for 4 months while the beetles continue to breed. Although you won't see the baby mealworms for a few weeks, they are in there, so don't forget to feed them.
Removing old food becomes tedious at this point because the eggs and baby mealworms are too small to see and may be in the food. Throw old food into a seperate container and keep an eye out for small worms.
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