first time starting my own mealworm colony...

[cyndi0502]

stupid me has gotten 3 geckos since november, and since i'm a college student they're getting pretty expensive to feed! ( i know 3 is nothing compared to some people, but it is to me )

anyway, i'm going to try and start my first mealworm colony. i already have 70-100 mealworms in bedding of oatmeal, with a potato and piece of lettuce for moisture. my question is: i got the starter mealworms from pets.mart, and i just dumped them into the container with bedding and all. i was wondering if this was okay, as i can't tell if the bedding is sawdust or wheat bran?

i tried to find out but i haven't seen anything online that could tell me which it was. i suppose i can call them tomorrow and see, but i was wondering if anyone here knew.

 

[scylla]

sure u cud call but if ur not sure you can just put them in rooled oats or the like with a potato or carrot slice:main_yes:

 

[ajveachster]

Not sure what they keep their mealworms in. I would sift them out, and use some quality gutload, rolled oats and potatoes.

 

[Bellalee]

They are kept on sawdust when being sold. I'm 99.9999% positive.

 

[mainelygeckos]

I removed all worms one by one from whatever they are kept in and placed them in my own homemade substrate from oats and cheerios mixed in blender. They are doin great so far and I have well over 100 beetles with more everyday. Still waiting on the elusive baby worms tho lol good luck!

 

[OhMyGecko]

It varies at that place and other big pet stores. Sometimes I get them and they are in oats and sometimes they are in saw dust. Majority of the time they are in saw dust.

 

[mainelygeckos]

Basically the general consensus is remove them from whatever they are in and place them in your own substrate. All mealworms I have purchased were in bran but wax worms are usually in sawdust where I get em. Better safe then sorry I suppose and start them out in fresh stuff

 

[Kitsune]

Waxworms in my store are the one ones that come in sawdust. :3
It probably depends on where they get their mealworms from~

 

[cyndi0502]

.

 

[cyndi0502]

sorry for double posting....but i just called and she said they come in wheat bran. so i don't have to redo everything =)

 

[Norrad]

Dump them in won't hurt anything.

 

[jumper]

I use non- medicated, high protien high calcium chick crumbles from the feed store. I can raise several generations in it before changing. Makes getting a lot of them at feeding time quick and easy.