Mealworm breeding

[LCReptiles]

I am using a 14 day drawer system to breed my mealworms. I am wondering how often and how you put your veggies in your mealworms. I use primarily carrots... how many carrots would you use for approximately 1000 mealworms? How long do you leave them in there, until they are gone, a day, 2? I'm not dealing with a large amount of mold but I am dealing with some substrate molding on the bottom of the veggies. How do you combat this?

 

[acpart]

I keep my mealworms in gutload. I thrown in veggies depending on what I'm cooking and what turns up. To avoid mold I tend to go more for peels and less of fleshy fruit (like pieces of melon). If there are enough mealworms in the container, the veggies get eaten too quick for mold to develop.

Aliza

 

[DrCarrotTail]

Pretty much what Aliza said. I toss a couple carrots in there and check every other day or so and they get more when they're done. I also give mine left overs or junk from fruit and veggies I cut up to feed myself and if they are "fleshy" I take what's not eaten out after 24 hours. If you're finding mold you may try two things. 1.) increase the ventilation in the bin, or 2. decrease the number of worms in the bin. I find that when mine are overpopulated they can generate a fair amount of heat that in turn generates moisture and, if there is not adequate ventilation, can condense on and mold the substrate.

They're pretty hardy things so you should have some leeway to figure out what works for you