Life span of a mealworm beetle?

[Tsks7205]

I started to breed mealworms when I first got my LVPA leo on April 2nd. I bought 100 mealworms at the pet store with the hopes of breeding them and cut the cost of feeders. Well after they morphed and turned into beetles I had 88 beetles out of the 100 mealworms I bought. Well needless to say they gave me alot of mealworms and I dont really need to buy my mealworms anymore and my beetle colony is booming. Well its been a long while since I bought those mealworms that turned into beetles and surprisingly 4 of them are still alive today and are still producing mealworms. There was 5 yesterday but I found one dead today But I still have the Fantastic 4 left and I hope they stick around for a little longer. Has anyone else had mealworm beetles last this long? Everywhere I read it says that they usually die within 30-60 days.

 

[Friedbread]

No living thing has a predetermined life span. Temperatures, diet, and genetic history are some of the factors that determine even the humble darkling beetle's life span.

Congrats on a successful colony. I'm curious as to how you can tell your original beetles from the rest. Do they stay in a separate container?

 

[Tsks7205]

That is very true. Thanks! Yea I keep all generations in different tubs. I treat my feeders as if they were my pets. They get constant food/water supply and I also give my beetles hides. Ive notice in my personal experience with them that if you do give them hides they dont cannibalize each other.

 

[GrimmyX15]

Me too I treat them as my pets. Today My male beetles died. His name was Rex. I have probably 7 or 6 females. only i can tell Rex because he have deformed wing. He was first hatched from pupaes lol. If i have a something easy to regonize on beetles i will name them lol. I have 3 pupaes! Whooo! is that right Males are smaller. females bigger?

 

[Friedbread]

Haha, I sometimes feel quite responsible for my colony. Once they reach the pupae stage it's my responsibility to keep them healthy so that my geckos are healthy.

 

[Tsks7205]

Im sorry to hear that eddie. I only named one of my beetles in the fantastic 4 and its name is Ringo haha. im not sure which ones are males and which are females.

 

[RainbowGecko]

I treat my feeders as if they were my pets. They get constant food/water supply and I also give my beetles hides. Ive notice in my personal experience with them that if you do give them hides they dont cannibalize each other.

That's interesting . . . What kind of hides do you provide for your beetles?

I know what you mean about treating your feeders as if they were pets. I enjoy raising my worms/beetles and roaches too, and take good care of them, right up until I feed them to my animals! I actually felt a little guilty last night feeding my gecko one of my roaches.

 

[Tsks7205]

I just take paper towle rolls and cut them in halves so they are long dome shaped hides. Im also trying this with super worms too.

 

[RainbowGecko]

That's a good idea. Effective and inexpensive. Thanks!

 

[Tsks7205]

No problem.:main_thumbsup: