How to Get Mealworms From Oatmeal

Mealworms are among bugs frequently fed to reptiles, birds and other pets that feed on insects. These little worms are actually the larvae of a type of beetle, called the darkling beetle, which can also be used for pet food. Raising mealworms is relatively simple. Placing a few mealworms in a bed of oatmeal in a plastic container for a few weeks allows the worms to mature into darkling beetles, which reproduce, creating more mealworms. You can then sift the worms from the oatmeal using a screen made of hardware cloth and feed to hungry pets.

Things You'll Need

  • 4 1-by-2-inch pine boards, 12 inches long
  • Drill with 1/8-inch bit and Philips screwdriver bit
  • 8 2-inch flathead wood screws
  • 1 12-by-12-inch square #5 mesh hardware cloth
  • Stapler with 1/2-inch staples
  • Large bowl
  • Oatmeal
  • Mealworms
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Instructions

    • 1

      Form the pine boards into a frame shape, so that the 2-inch sides of the boards form the sides of the frame.

    • 2

      Drill two holes in one end of each board into the adjacent board with the 1/8-inch bit. Screw the wood screws into each hole with the drill and Philips head bit to hold the frame together.

    • 3

      Place the hardware cloth over the top of the frame. Align the edges of the hardware cloth with the frame. Staple the hardware cloth to the frame.

    • 4

      Place the frame in the large bowl with the hardware cloth side facing down. Pour the oatmeal from the breeding box that contains the mealworms into the frame.

    • 5

      Shake the frame gently to allow the oatmeal to sift through the hardware cloth, leaving the mealworms and beetles behind. Place the worms and beetles in a separate container with a lid to prevent any escapes.

    • 6

      Replace the oatmeal in the breeding box. To continue breeding mealworms, return the beetles to the box with the oatmeal.