mealie beetles

[corrine]

So I've hatched a couple of mealie beetles. How do I care for them and keep them breeding? Do they eat the same things as the worms? I gave them some roach chow and some dandelion greens. I would like to breed them for the geckos .Any advice would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

 

[ladyknite]

Hey Corrine
you're doing fine. I give mine carrots because they won't mold. Keep them in substrate just as the worms.......wheat bran works the best for me. Keep them warm and as long as you have m/f.....they'll breed and lay eggs.

This time of year, freeze the wheat bran first to get real of meal bugs (different than mealworms). If you see little flea like creatures in your substrate, don't panick. They're the larvae from the bran. Just freeze it. But they'll get into most any substrate.

 

[corrine]

how do I tell male from female? How long before they lay eggs?

 

[ladyknite]

it's really difficult to tell male from female. it has to do with the the number of segments down the underside lower half, and the sex organ protrusion. Personally, I just throw a bunch in a box and let em have a go round. Seems fail proof enough and it hasn't let me down yet.

they begin laying eggs in 2 weeks. the eggs take about 45 (?) days to hatch, depending on temperatures and another several weeks to grow. They're very similar to supers in the way they hatch and speed of growth. Don't get frustrated. It took me about 3 months to establish the first small colony i ever had.

 

[corrine]

Thanks for the info. So far I have 3 beetles. How do I make them pupate? I remember I raised a mealworm when I was in fifth grade. I wish I could remember all the info I learned then lol. After eggs hatch do the beetles need to be seperated? Also how big of a bin do they need to be kept in? Right now I'm using a big country crock bowl.