How to Set Up a Mealworm Cage

Mealworms are one of the most common sources of food for many types of exotic pets, including reptiles, tarantulas and birds. While you can purchase mealworms individually or in bulk from most pet stores, raising your own is often a less expensive alternative and is very easy to do. When preparing to raise your own colony of mealworms you will need to spend some time setting up an enclosure that will sustain your mealworm population as both larvae and as adult beetles.

Things You'll Need

  • Shallow plastic container with lid
  • Cheesecloth
  • Hot glue gun
  • Scissors
  • High-protein poultry meal
  • Raw vegetables
  • Raw fruit
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use the scissors to cut out the top of the plastic lid so that only the frame remains. Measure and cut a piece of cheesecloth that is 1/2 inch longer on each side than the dimensions of the cutout you removed from the lid.

    • 2

      Lay the frame of the plastic lid face down on a flat work surface. Apply a thin bead of hot glue along the edges of the cheesecloth and line the edges up within the lid frame. Run your fingers along the edges of the cheesecloth to seal them to the inside of the lid frame securely. The frame will make snapping the lid on or off of the enclosure easy while ensuring that the lid is secure enough that adult beetles will not be able to escape. The cheesecloth will provide adequate ventilation for the mealworms.

    • 3

      Fill the bottom quarter of the plastic container with meal. Poultry meals are usually filled with protein which will keep the mealworms healthy prior to feeding them to your exotic pet.

    • 4

      Add some moisture rich raw fruits or vegetables on top of the meal. Diced potatoes, banana peels and sliced carrots are several options to consider. Avoid fruits or vegetables that are too moist such as berries as these can promote mold growth in the cage. As you begin breeding your worms, remove the raw food as it begins to dry up and rot and replace it with fresh items. These will provide hydration and nutrients to the mealworms and beetles.

    • 5

      Add the mealworms. Leave the enclosure alone for at least two weeks to allow the worms to develop into beetles and reproduce. Regularly clean out shed exoskeletons and dead beetles from the enclosure and add fresh poultry meal as needed.