How to Raise Beetle Grubs

If you have a pet that eats beetle larvae, raising your own grubs is economical and interesting to watch. Grub-raising can also be a classroom science project -- the grubs aren't too small to observe, and you can watch them grow from larvae all the way to adult beetles. Mealworms, which develop into darkling beetles, are one of the most popular commercial beetles. Flour beetles are also very popular. Caring for these beetles is a simple process--both types of beetles need wheat- or corn-based feed, and you'll need to clean their containers to remove waste a few times a year.

Things You'll Need

  • Shallow, shoebox-sized clear plastic container with lid
  • Chicken mash or wheat bran
  • 4 sheets newspaper or burlap, cut to fit your container
  • Scissors
  • Mesh screen
  • Wire cutters
  • Hot-glue gun
  • Handheld electric jigsaw
  • Mealworm grubs or flour beetle larvae
  • Cabbage wedge
  • Apple slices
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Instructions

  1. Beetle Larvae Container

    • 1

      Cut a 2- to 3-inch hole in the lid of your container with an electric jigsaw. With wire cutters, cut a patch of wire mesh large enough to cover the hole. This will ventilate the box without letting in mice, moths, lizards or other beetles.

    • 2

      Rim the hole on the inside of your lid with hot glue. Affix your wire mesh patch and allow to dry.

    • 3

      Move your container to a dark, dry place in your home that isn't too cold; 80 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal.

    • 4

      Add your mealworms or flour beetle larvae. If you're raising flour beetles in a shoebox-size container, add 30 to 40 larvae. If you're raising mealworms, add enough to cover the bottom of the container about 3 inches deep.

    • 5

      Add 1/4 inch chicken mash or wheat bran to your container. Cover with a sheet of burlap or newspaper and repeat until you have four layers of feed. For mealworms, add a wedge of cabbage for moisture, and replace the wedge when it begins to mold, which will be in about a week. Cover with your lid, and keep the area dark.

    • 6

      Wait about 220 days for mealworms to develop into beetles and produce mealworms of their own, or about a month for flour beetles to produce larvae. You'll get about 350 mealworms for 20 darkling beetles. In contrast, female flour beetles live five to eight months and produce about 600 eggs.

    Clean your Container

    • 7

      Separate your worms and beetles. Catch the beetles by adding slices of apple, then shaking the collected beetles from the apple slices into a container. To catch the larvae, lay a sheet of newspaper over your feed. The larvae will collect under it so you can scoop them out into a container.

    • 8

      Discard the grain and waste. Repeat the layering process with your wheat bran or chicken mash and newspaper or burlap.

    • 9

      Reintroduce your beetles and larvae. Repeat sifting process about three times per year.