Mealworms - Raising

[Snowy & Petra de Gecko]

I have finally gotten some pupae ... not many so I shall see what happens.

I originally bought 500 mealworms and took out about 200.

So with the remaining 300, I got a few pupae.

In looking at the Raising Container. I have about 30 mealworms left and threw out about 75 deadones. I guess the rest were eaten by the other mealworms.

So the question is ... What is the loss rate?

Do you lose over 50% of the babies from the time that they hatch to the time that they are ready to pupate?

 

[cwazy]

i would assume if you keep them well fed and plenty of moisture, your death rate would be pretty low... im just now starting that part of breeding mealies... i keep them in the substrate they were hatched into, and keep them supplied with carrots for moisture, and i have no idea how many i have or had, but i do know is i move the bedding around a lil bit and you can just watch it all start moving... so i assume i still have most if not all of the ones that have hatched! i would honestly say, and i could be wrong, but its all about the care... poorer care, higher death rate.... better care lower death rate... makes sence to me anyways

 

[Snowy & Petra de Gecko]

Make sense to me too

They should have enough moisture to eat.

The box may get too dry so I will start putting a wet (moist) paper towel on the top of the substrate.

The box may be getting too warm or too cold and I cannot do too much about that.

 

[bubblez825]

I keep my worms under my bed and I use the bedding they hatched into. I keep the babies in with the beetles until I can see them then take out the beetles and move the whole colony into the old beetle container. I use potatoes for moisture and the bedding is a mix of oatmeal and Flukers gutload, which has worked really well. I cant remember the last time I found a dead adult mealworm, although I have found like 3 tiny mealworms that had gotten crushed by a potato on accident ^__^


I wouldn't put a paper towel on the top because, depending on hte bedding, it will mold

 

[Snowy & Petra de Gecko]

How hot

How hot does it get in Glendale?

How hot does it get in your house?

How hot does it get under your bed?

I think that the air temp may be causing a problem if it is not a moisture problem.

 

[bubblez825]

I just started m colony this fall, and so far we haven't reached temps over 65* this season.

We have yet to turn on the heat so that should answer the 2 questions ^__^

the air temp is a possibility.......do u use heat? if so, try taking the heat off

 

[Snowy & Petra de Gecko]

We had

We had some warm days were it was 85 out side and the temp inside was much higher.

For the last several days the temp had dropped and it is now about 55 during the day and then it drops at night.

I would assume that you live in the High Desert.

I live 20 miles from the Coast.

But, when the Santa Ana Winds blow like they were doing a couple of weeks ago the Temps get warmer.

Now it is Raining and Cold (Winter).

So the house will be heated to 75 or so.

But, usually it is dry and warm (The other 3 Seasons).