refrigerated mealworm beetles?

[Gilraen]

I'm starting a colony of mealworms, and the other day while I was at Petco(they're the only local store to have the 500 count containers, and I've only got 500 in there now >_>) and found that the ones they got 3 days ago had a lot of beetles in them. If I got those containers, would the beetles be like the worms and have just gone into a hibernation-like state since they're cold, or would they have died in the fridge?

 

[doublet74]

If you want to start a colony you should separate the beetles from the worms you are feeding. You want to leave the beetles out of the fridge so they can lay eggs. The fridge slows the worms growth. NOT what you want to do for breeding.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

Beetles should be okay in the fridge just like the worms. Not sure why you would want to keep them in there? You can't really feed the beetles to leos - they have too much chiten (indigestible exoskeleton) which isn't very good for them and most leos refuse them. Best to put them in a different container with some oatmeal and apple and leave them at room temperature so they can have their fun and lay their eggs It will probably be a month or two before the beetle's offspring turn into worms big enough to feed to geckos.

 

[Gilraen]

Guess I didn't put that clearly enough >_> The cups that Petco got in had beetles already in them. I was just making sure that if I grabbed a cup with a lot of beetles that they'd likely still be alive so I could set them up in a bin to breed. That the beetles weren't somehow more susceptible to the cold of the refrigeration and therefore dead. Hopefully that makes more sense?

 

[DrCarrotTail]

Oh yah! Sorry I misunderstood! They should be fine and once back to room temperature go about their beetle business

I would just make sure there are about 50% worms and/or pupae in the cup so you know you're not getting old beetles that will die before laying eggs.

 

[SC Geckos]

How much do 500 mealies cost at Petco? Im just wondering beacuse you can order from an online breeder and get alot more for your money. Im not sure how fast you go through 500 but it could be an option for you.

 

[Gilraen]

I'm setting up a breeding colony, so I was considering doing it that way. I've been feeding more crickets, but have been wanting something I can breed at home to be more cost effective. I've been putting about 20 mealies in his bowl at night, and they're all gone in the morning, so I'm thinking of upping that a bit.

The ones at Petco are. . . $8/500? If I got them online, would the shipping still make it less expensive?

 

[DrCarrotTail]

That's a darn good price for Petco. I usually see them selling 100 for like $5. I buy mine online and they're $14 for 1000 shipped.