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How to Raise Meal Worms at Home

Meal worms are the larval stage of the darkling beetle. They are used to feed small reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and birds. They also make good bait for fishing. You can buy them in many pet shops but by raising them at home you can insure that you always have plenty on hand when you need them. Meal worms are easily raised but you need to be careful not to let mold develop in their growing containers, as this can cause problems leading to the death of your meal worm colony.

Things You'll Need

Plastic shoe box with lid
Wheat bran
25 meal worms
Potatoes or apples

Instructions

- 1
  Cut air holes in the shoe box lid. Use a knife to make slits rather than round holes. Make at least 10 to 15 air holes. Cut them at both ends as well as in the middle so the entire length of the lid has air holes.
- 2
  Fill the bottom of the container with 2 to 3 inches of bran. The meal worms will eat this. They will also use it for breeding in, and their eggs will be laid in it. Keep the bedding dry and do not change it when you are first getting your meal worms established.
- 3
  Place your meal worms in the container. Spread them out so that they are somewhat separated from each other. It's okay if they are still touching.
- 4
  Cut a slice of potato or apple. Put it on top of the bedding. This provides moisture for the meal worms. Change it every two days. Don't let it get moldy.
- 5
  Wait for the meal worms to reproduce. They do best if kept at around 75 degrees Fahrenheit, but they can survive and breed from about 45 to 85 degrees. The life cycle of the darkling beetle takes about 3 months, and it will take about that long for you to have more meal worms similar in size to those you started with. The only thing you need to do while waiting is to remove the old potato slice and replace it on a regular basis.

Insects & Science