Super worm breeding help

[RampantReptiles]

So I have managed to get some super worm beetles to hatch out and they keep dieing on me. They usually live for 1-2 weeks max, progressively getting weaker and then die. Im not sure what I am doing wrong. I am keeping them identical to my mealworms and my mealworms are just out of control/thriving.

I have them on a powdered up organic oatmeal and chicken feed mix, mainly chicken feed.
Is it possible there isnt enough protein?

I give them a piece of carrot for moisture.

Temperature in the room has been anywhere between 68-80F(we have had a few cool days recently)

Not sure what else to mention, any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[rw3178]

low temps could possibly be doing it, they should be in high seventy's low eighty's. The lower seventy's and going into the sixty's will kill them. Not shure on the exact time frame it has been a while since i breed them but i know the beetles do not live long as soon as they are done laying eggs they die, in a month or two should start to see worms around the carrot.

 

[thegeckoguy23]

So I have managed to get some super worm beetles to hatch out and they keep dieing on me. They usually live for 1-2 weeks max, progressively getting weaker and then die. Im not sure what I am doing wrong. I am keeping them identical to my mealworms and my mealworms are just out of control/thriving.

I have them on a powdered up organic oatmeal and chicken feed mix, mainly chicken feed.
Is it possible there isnt enough protein?

I give them a piece of carrot for moisture.

Temperature in the room has been anywhere between 68-80F(we have had a few cool days recently)

Not sure what else to mention, any thoughts would be appreciated.

Its better to give like a pile of food for them like for w/e ur using for water cuz sometime they act like "idots" and starve them selfs.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

I use wheat bran bedding, have a corner of egg crate, a carrot and that's it for the beetles. Then they get moved in 3 weeks to another container to start again. After a couple weeks I'll put food in the egg container. Temps are low 80's. I've found the worms do much better to stay above 80. Trying to keep all the stages going is quite a balancing act but hopefully once everything is producing it will get easier

 

[RampantReptiles]

Thanks everyone for the advice!

I had a feeling I would need to put them on a heat source as its not consistently warm here. My question is how warm is too warm? Like 85+? Optimum being 75-85.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Mine are at about 83-84 in the lizard room. I had a cup of supers in the living room for a couple weeks, at 76. They began to die off. Central AC probably had something to do with that even tho there was a potato in the cup. I've stored a tub of worms in the cool garage for several months with no losses, but have Florida humidity. So they apparently like some humidity and warmth. I'm just learning too so I try to notice everything.

 

[RampantReptiles]

I keep my leos in the basement. Humidity is super high down there at the moment, just started running the dehumidifier. Its down to 60% from 73% humidity. BUT its cold down there as well, 65-70 I think so I dont keep the bugs down there. I keep the bugs on the main floor. Dont know humidity but its probably pretty high as we dont run the AC very often. We might have run it once or twice in the last few weeks though so I will definitely try to keep that in mind.
Thanks again!