How to Make Mealworms Pupate

Mealworms are excellent feeders for many pet reptiles, and breeding them on your own can provide an endless, cost-effective food source. The mealworm is the larval stage of the darkling beetle. The mealworm hatches from an egg and then later becomes a pupa. A darkling beetle will emerge from the pupa after 10 to 12 days. Mealworms will pupate on their own, but you must provide optimal living conditions for the mealworm to complete its life cycle.

Things You'll Need

  • One or more mealworms
  • Plastic container with lid
  • 2 to 4 cups of bran, oats or similar grain mix
  • 1 carrot or potato
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fill the plastic container with the grain, which is what the mealworms will eat, live and burrow in. Place the mealworms into the container and close the lid. Ensure the lid has holes for ventilation so the mealworms can breathe.

    • 2

      Cut the carrot or potato in half and place it in the container with the mealworms. This will provide them moisture, as they'll get their water from the carrot or potato. Be sure to replace the carrot or potato once each week so that mold doesn't grow.

    • 3

      Wait one to three months. Mealworms spend the longest part of their lives as larvae and will eventually pupate. When they pupate, they look like small, beige-colored beans that will wiggle when touched. They do not need to be fed during the pupa state, which lasts 10 to 12 days. After this, beetles will emerge and their life cycle will begin again.