Raising Mealy Worms

Whether you're planning on using them for fish bait or to feed to the wild birds congregating in your back yard, mealy worms make a tasty treat for a variety of creatures. Mealworms are the larvae of the darkling beetle and can grow up to about 1 inch in length, according to Lee Townsend, Extension Specialist at the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture. Although you can use a range of wood or plastic containers, plastic dishpans or shoeboxes are an affordable, easy-to-maintain housing option for most small mealy worm colonies. One of the keys to successfully raising mealy worms is making sure you maintain the correct moisture level in your containers.

Things You'll Need

  • Mealworm stock
  • Plastic dishpan/shoebox
  • Old-fashioned oatmeal
  • Bran
  • Measuring cup
  • Shredded newspaper
  • Raw carrots
  • Cheesecloth
  • Large rubber bands
  • Soap
  • Hot water
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Instructions

    • 1

      Acquire mealworm stock. You can purchase mealworms at a pet store or from online mealworm farms, typically in batches of 50 to 1000 worms. Townsend also suggests the less expensive but more time-consuming alternative of looking for darkling beetles or mealy worms in containers of animal feed or grain if you have access to a barn or feed room.

    • 2

      Set up your mealworm tray. Mix equal parts of old-fashioned oatmeal with raw bran in a measuring cup. Place several handfuls of shredded newspaper in the plastic dishpan or shoebox and sprinkle 2 to 3 inches of your bran mixture on top of the newspaper.

    • 3

      Slice a raw carrot into 1 to 2-inch cubes and place them in your mealworm tray to provide moisture. Put your mealworm stock in the dishpan. Avoid putting more than 100 mealworms in each plastic container to minimize crowding issues.

    • 4

      Lay cheesecloth across the top of your mealworm tray, securing it to prevent beetles from escaping by encircling the circumference of the dishpan with a large rubber band. Petra Burgmann, author of "Feeding Your Pet Birds," states that you should keep the tray in a dark, quiet location that is about 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 5

      Remove the old carrot pieces and replace them with new ones each week to maintain the moisture level in your trays. Leave the mealworms alone for three to four weeks so they can develop into beetles.

    • 6

      Sprinkle several handfuls of additional bran mixture into the containers once every two weeks after you begin to see beetles. According to Burgmann, approximately six to eight weeks should pass before you begin noticing young mealworms.

    • 7

      Set up new mealworm trays and put 10 to 20 beetles and 5 to 10 mealworms in each new tray to continue reproducing for you. Harvest the rest of the mealy worms when they've reached the desired feeding size. Save the container for another four weeks to ensure that all the eggs have hatched before you discard the contents and clean the bin with soap and hot water.