How to Start a Mealworm colony: Step-by-Step

[SkinnyPete]

So I have had beetles for about 3-4 weeks now (up to about 100 in the beetle drawer). No babies yet visible in the second drawer....do I have celibate beetles? LOL! How long does it usually take to see babies?

 

[DrCarrotTail]

It takes several weeks before you can see the babies. When they hatch they are virtually microscopic. I usually find them in the dust or "frass" at the bottom of the container by spreading it out and using a loop or staring really closely for any movement. They take a few months to grow to medium-large feeding size. The exact rate depends mostly on the temperature.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

Just for reference - the larvae in the attached picture are between 2-4 weeks old. I would assume 3rd or 4th instar (1st instar = 1st skin hasn't shed yet; 4th instar = has shed 3 times and is now in its 4th skin) They're relatively easy to see but still a bit small. I'll try to move the rest of my adults into a container and get some picture of 1st instar larvae once they make me more!

 

[SkinnyPete]

Awesome! Thanks for the info and pic!!!

 

[SkinnyPete]

Apparently my colony is in a mass pupation wave. I pulled 30-40 last night and another 54 pupae today. I got all the worms at the same time, so I guess most of them were similarly aged?
Any ideas?

 

[bubblez825]

Apparently my colony is in a mass pupation wave. I pulled 30-40 last night and another 54 pupae today. I got all the worms at the same time, so I guess most of them were similarly aged?
Any ideas?

Just means you'll have a TONNNNNN of beetles in a few weeks its not a bad thing haha. What do you want suggestions for exactly? Or were you just asking if that was normal?

Its definitely not "normal, normal" but it can happen occasionally

ONE MORE THING TO EVERYONE: during the cooler months, unless heated by a UTH or something, a colony can definitely slow down. the worms go on a slower metabolism and growth rate just like anything else in the winter. They do better in room temperatures instead of cold basically what happens is the same thing as when you put worms in the fridge... haha