Mealworm breeding plan???

[Kerry L]

Hi all
I've been giving the birds their wiggly treats and some worms have pupated. I can't remember where the thread was for looking after them afterwards because I thought I would have a go at breeding them. Can anyone advise me what to do with the beetles - what should they eat?
Regards, Kerry

[PiratesAhoy!]

Not sure about the beetles, but I've always given the mealworms themselves weetabix, plus something like apples, pears, bananas for moisture.

Mealworms are 'flour beetles' so that makes some sense, I suppose!

[Kerry L]

Thank you me Hearty!
Nana's and apples aplenty here, I'll try that. Have one brown beetle looking rather sad, so banana first and I'll finish the rest of it.
Regards, Kerry

[Jenny]

Hi, Kerry,

I've been trying to find the thread too without success coz some really useful info on it. Mind you, the sprog's left so much stuff behind, doubt if I'll have space for setting up a breeding centre! :rolleyes: I know Lisa or someone from CJ's posted info on it so will keep hunting.

Nothing much doing in the garden bird wise (nor workwise!) except the re-appearance of two tree sparrows. They're really unusual on Mull so there's a bit of excitement about them! Lots of baby birds around - especially house sparrows who are driving the dog demented - he sits for hours under one nest and the parents simply ignore him!

Oh well, it's off to walk the dog - great evening up here - just a little breeze keeping the midgies at bay and a fabulous afterglow - and a skein of geese has just flown over honking like mad. Still another month to go before we get enough darkness to see the stars! Jenny

[Hil]

hi

This is a great advice page:

http://www.sialis.org/raisingmealworms.htm

However, I've yet to have success. I get bettles okay but then they give me fewer mealworms than I started with!

[Kerry L]

A very interesting site, Hil. I was surprised to see that they can trigger asthma attacks - I haven't had that for years, but it certainly triggers off a mega sneezing bout and runny nose and eyes when I clean them out. No doubt it is due to the dust particles.
My little beetles are all over the box at the moment. I think I can stop collecting them now before they scoff their babies and as the website suggests, I shall move some of them out into another container. They are randy little things too! Very educational. On that website it says that they like humidity to breed - they are in my utility room and boy has it been humid with the tumble drier lately!
We watched one pupa taking off his jacket, so funny with little legs flailing to push of the shell - I imagine it is a bit like Number One Son trying to get out of his skinny jeans!
I have tried them with an apple, but they just turned their noses up at it, although it makes for a great climbing frame. They just love their potatoes. My container consists of a Fox's Favourites biscuit box (no I didn't eat them all - quite a few though) and it is dark blue in colour. They seem to like the darkness and as soon as I move the lid off, they burrow into the bran. I don't put the cover on tightly and they don't fly away so they seem to be happy with their lot.:)
There seems to be a bright shiny thing in the sky today, so I'm off into the garden to shout at the ladybirds for allowing blackfly to breed on my beans!
Regards, Kerry

[Kerry L]

Hi folks
Baby mealworms I have aplenty. They are varied in size and since the last posting, quite a few are about ready to put out for the birdies. Weetabix (Tesco's Value version) went down a treat. I put bran at the bottom for egg laying and stacked up the bics like Stonehenge - or beetle climbing frames! They didn't eat the banana, so I had to remove it. The apples were eaten once they had gone very brown. Potato peelings and carrots have gone down well too. I have had very few beetle deaths - only about 3, and they are still going strong (as I said before, they are very randy little things). I am going to have to decant another batch as I have spotted more teeny little worms running around the bran. I have not been able to clean out the original nursery because it appears that there are still tiny hatchlings in there - somewhat late - but the larger worms have been put into the little tubs that CJ's sent them in originally to prevent cannibalism and cleaner conditions, although the residue at the bottom does not appear to be too bad as they are small. Once the bigger worms have been moved out, I have to clean them more regularly, and use more little containers. Off to the health food shop for more bran now! Even better - another box of Fox's biccies to empty for the wormies:D !
Regards, Kerry

[Blacksmith]

I find they like the moisture of pear and apple cores. This has been my best year for breeding, possibly because I'm taking more care than previously and making sure I keep topping their bran up. I don't think they were getting enough to eat before.:confused:

[Reiver]

Hi everyone...

can I just ask do the dead mealworms also go down with birds ok? I'm sure I have read somewhere that you shouldn't feed dead mealworms but then my local garden centre sells them (as does the RSPB). :confused:

[Nuthatch]

Reiver - I've not heard that you shouldn't use dried mealworms but I found that the birds totally ignored them when I put some out.

[oldtwitcher]

Reiver - I've not heard that you shouldn't use dried mealworms but I found that the birds totally ignored them when I put some out.
I've not tried live mealworms yet, but I did buy a liter of dried.
Hoping to attract Robins I put quite a few in a Window feeder.
The only breed of bird to take them was the perishing STARLINGS!
Peter :D