Keeping Mealworms Alive Long-Term

Mealworms are a popular choice for reptile and bird owners as a nutritious and easily digestible food source. However, ensuring the long-term survival of mealworms requires proper care and attention. In this blog post, we will delve into the essentials of keeping mealworms alive for an extended period. We will cover what you need, the delivery process, long-term storage, and feeding these live treats to your beloved pets.

What You Need:

To provide optimal care for your mealworms, there are a few essential items you'll need to gather:

• Storage Container: a large, shallow, smooth sided Happy Habitat which is about the size of a shoe box or larger. Mealworms thrive in a large container because providing more space will help dissipate heat and prevent overheating, which improves survival rate. Too many mealworms, stored in too small of a container, will cause the worms to suffocate, get crushed, or simply overheat and die. It is recommended to use a plastic or glass container, rather than a wood or cardboard, because mealworms can climb up or chew through wood. A clear container is best because it will let you see how much frass (waste) has accumulated.

• Bedding: we recommend 2-3” of Mealworm Keeper to be placed at the bottom of the container. Otherwise, any form of a substrate with the word "meal" in it will be fine (cornmeal, oatmeal, bran meal). The substrate should be ground to a fine powder to make it easier to pick out the mealworms when you need to move them. Mealworm Keeper is a bedding that separates the mealworms, but also acts as food. Therefore, you will need to replace it every once in a while after it gets eaten, keep it 2-3" high.

• Feed & Nutrients: add about ½ cup of fresh vegetables to the container. Cut raw potatoes and raw carrots into 1" x 3” pieces and spread throughout the container for the mealworms. The mealworms may pull the food under the bedding to eat it, which is completely normal. Mealworm Chow is a highly nutritional food source for mealworms, it is 16% protein and contains added calcium and vitamins that then transfers over to your pet upon consumption.

• Moisture: Some moisture is necessary for the mealworms to drink. While the raw vegetables contain some moisture, it is best to add more by using Thirsty Cricket (gel water source).Add it to a low container (a 1/2" tall jar lid will work well) then place on the top of the bedding. Do not add a dish of regular water, the mealworms can drown. Thirsty Cricket is also calcium-fortified, which helps prevent calcium deficiency in your pet since feeder insects are deficient in calcium, and contain excess amounts of phosphorus.

Delivery of Live Mealworms: 

When it comes to receiving live mealworms, it's important to follow these steps to ensure their safety and vitality: Upon delivery, remove mealworms from the cloth bag and transfer to your Happy Habitat that has 2-3” of Mealworm Keeper in it. Otherwise, any form of a substrate with the word "meal" in it will be fine (cornmeal, oatmeal, bran meal). The substrate should be ground to a fine powder to make it easier to pick out the mealworms when you need to move them. Mealworm Keeper is a bedding that separates the mealworms, but also acts as food. Therefore, you will need to replace it every once in a while after it gets eaten. Shake off the mealworms from the newspapers, into the storage container, then discard the newspapers. As long as the mealworms are >1" below the top of the container, they can't get out. 

• If the mealworms don’t have enough to eat or drink, then they can easily die in their container. Before putting the container in the refrigerator (explained in further paragraphs), add about ½ cup of fresh vegetables to the container. Cut raw potatoes and raw carrots into 1" x 3” pieces and spread throughout the container for the mealworms. The mealworms may pull the food under the bedding to eat it, which is completely normal. Some moisture is necessary for the mealworms to drink. While the raw vegetables contain some moisture, it is best to add more by using Thirsty Cricket (gel water source). Add Thirsty Cricket to a low container (a 1/2" tall jar lid will work well). Do not add a dish of regular water, the mealworms can drown. Let the mealworms sit in their container with their food and water, at room temperature for 24 hours. This will give them adequate nutrition and hydration to stay healthy while dormant.

• Even though you will be feeding the mealworms vegetables, naturally they will lose some nutritional value after staying mostly dormant for multiple weeks. We recommend you gutload them to offer your pet maximum nutrition, instead of offering an empty vessel. Gutloading is the process of feeding insects a diet high in vital nutrients prior to feeding those insects to other animals. To gutload, mix Mealworm Chow in with the Mealworm Keeper at a 1:9 ratio (1/3 cup of Chow per 3 cups Keeper). Mealworm Chow is a highly nutritional food source for mealworms, it is 16% protein and contains added calcium and vitamins that then transfers over to your pet upon consumption. Thirsty Cricket is also calcium-fortified, which helps prevent calcium deficiency in your pet since feeder insects are deficient in calcium, and contain excess amounts of phosphorus. If your feeder mealworms are chock full of good vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, your pet will be too.

• After 24 hours, remove any leftover vegetables and Thirsty Cricket to prevent mold growth. Then, place the container in the refrigerator for long term storage (continue reading for explanation).

Long-Term Live Mealworm Storage: 

To extend the lifespan of your mealworms, follow these storage guidelines:

• Mealworms are technically the larvae of darkling beetles (species Tenebrio molitor). To keep the insects in this stage of the life cycle (mealworm-form) for feeding to pets, you need to store them in low temperature to cease their metamorphosis. In other words, they need to go dormant. The cooler temperatures will delay the process of metamorphosis, which stops them from continuing their life cycle and turning into beetles. Therefore, store your container of mealworms in your refrigerator (at 45-50 degrees F), this will cause them to go into a dormant state and be usable for feeding for 6-10 weeks. If you do not refrigerate the mealworms, and they remain at room temperature, they will only be usable for feeding for about 3 weeks, because after that point they will metamorphosis into pupa (white, pre-beetle form). Or they will just completely die if they are not in the correct conditions to metamorphosis.
• We suggest that you remove the mealworms from the refrigerator once per week for 24 hours, and repeat the steps you did during arrival. Allow the mealworms to feed for 24 hours at room temperature, then remove any uneaten food, and place them back into the refrigerator again. Repeat this process weekly.

Feeding Live Mealworms to Pets: 

Now that you have successfully cared for your mealworms, it's time to offer them as a nutritious treat to your pets:

• Portion control: Feed your pets an appropriate number of mealworms based on their size and dietary requirements. Consult with a veterinarian to determine the ideal portion size for your specific pet.

• Variety is key: While mealworms are a great source of protein, it's crucial to provide a balanced diet. Supplement their diet with other food items to ensure a well-rounded nutritional intake.

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Please Note: Exotic Nutrition is not in a position to provide specific health and care guidelines on an individual basis. Please visit our animal info tabs or consider purchasing a care guide book for additional information. If you have a health or pet emergency issue, please notify your veterinarian or a specialized technician.