Buying beetles?

[ez2animate]

So my dad wont let me get dubia's (im so mad ), but he said i could do mealworms so im going to do that. I heard it takes around 20 days for the mealworms to turn into beetles, and i want to cut out that waiting time. So does anyone know a websitre where i can buy beetles? Or am i just going to have to wait

and how long does it take for a mealworm to turn in to a pupae and then a pupae into a beetle...

 

[Friedbread]

It all depends on their diet and the temperatures. Mealworms grow very slowly unless they have a constant nutritious food available. Once they are large enough, they will pupate. If they are kept in a slightly warmer environment, they may pupate sooner as well. Age doesn't have as much to do with it. Give your mealies time and be sure they always have a fresh wedge of potato, apple, or something to munch on.

A mealworm, once pupated, will take anywhere from 1-2 weeks to emerge as a beetle. Again, a warmer environment may help to speed up the process. But keep in mind that too much heat will kill them.

 

[ez2animate]

Yeah, i found this awesome page http://www.sialis.org/raisingmealworms.htm how to breed mealworms thats sounds pretty indepth and gives us the amount of time it takes for the pupae and stuff.

But does anyone know where i could buy beetles?

 

[Friedbread]

Maybe a local reptile keeper could spare a portion of their colony for a small price? I don't really think it's worth it. If you can afford to buy "pre-raised" beetles, why not just wait it out and spend a little on extra mealworms?

 

[LizMarie]

I once saw someone selling beetles on ebay but they seemed really expensive and there was no guarantee on them either. I would suggest getting a large order or meal worms. I don't know 500-1000 medium or large worms!? Maybe. Someone can possibly come and refine my numbers. Take out a portion as your breeding colony letting them pupae and turn to beetles, while the others are your feeders while you wait to get established. To stop the feeders from turning into pupae you can refidgerate them which slows them down from turning into pupae. It's a hell of a lot cheaper to order in bulk by a few hundred or even a thousand then buying small expensive portions from a pet store.

Good Luck. Meal worms aren't impossible to breed but it takes time and patience.

 

[ez2animate]

Thanks liz. theres a website mullberryfarms or something like that, where you can get 1000 for $10, but at my pet store i can get 100 for $5, thats horrible.

 

[STUTFL]

They're definitely cheaper online than in a pet store.