Mealworms are a fantastic, nutritious food source for your pets and easy to raise at home. Understanding the meal worms life cycle helps you care for them better. But keeping them alive longer can sometimes be challenging. Many mealworm keepers face common problems like:
- Mold buildup damaging the colony
- Mealworms drying out or dying quickly
- Overcrowding leading to cannibalism
- Difficulty maintaining the right temperature and humidity
If you’ve struggled with these issues, don’t worry! Here, we will dive into 7 practical tips that will help you create the perfect environment and care routine to keep your mealworms healthy and thriving for longer.
1. Use the Right Container and Bedding
Mealworms don’t need fancy housing, but they do need a container that’s smooth-sided (so they can’t crawl out), breathable, and spacious enough to avoid overcrowding. Plastic bins or shallow containers work well.
As bedding, use a grain-based substrate like wheat bran, rolled oats, or cornmeal. This bedding also doubles as their food source, making it both efficient and easy to maintain.
| Bonus Tip: Keep the bedding about 1–2 inches deep to give the worms room to burrow and stay comfortable. |
2. Keep the Temperature Consistent
Mealworms thrive in warm temperatures. The ideal range is 70°F to 80°F (21°C to 27°C). Temperatures too low slow down their activity and growth, while temperatures above 85°F can stress or kill them.
Avoid placing their container near windows, heaters, or air conditioning vents where temperatures may fluctuate. Use a digital thermometer to monitor the environment if needed.
If you’re storing them for a short time and don’t want them to grow or pupate quickly, refrigerate them at around 45°F to 50°F—but not below that, or they may die.
3. Feed Them Nutritious Fruits and Veggies
Mealworms need moisture, but don’t give them standing water—they can drown. Instead, feed them moisture-rich fruits and vegetables like:
- Carrots
- Apples
- Potatoes
- Leafy greens (in small amounts)
This helps keep them hydrated and gut-loaded, which is important if you’re feeding them to pets.
| Important: Remove any uneaten produce after a day or two to prevent mold and odor. |
4. Clean the Habitat Weekly
Mealworms produce waste, known as frass, which can build up over time and lead to bad smells and unhealthy living conditions. Once a week, gently sift out the worms from the bedding using a fine mesh or sieve. Remove old food scraps, dead worms, or shed skins.
Add fresh bedding every few weeks to ensure they have a clean, healthy environment to live and grow in.
5. Separate Different Life Stages
Understanding the meal worms life cycle becomes especially useful when managing a colony. Adult beetles may eat their own eggs or even larvae if not separated. To avoid this, move pupae to a new container to allow them to mature safely into beetles.
Once the beetles lay eggs, you can keep each stage in separate containers to avoid cannibalism and overcrowding. This separation helps extend the life of your mealworms and supports a healthier colony overall.
6. Avoid Moisture Buildup and Mold
Too much moisture is harmful to mealworms. Mold not only smells bad but can also kill your worms quickly. To avoid this:
- Keep ventilation adequate (poke holes in the lid if it’s plastic).
- Only lightly mist the bedding if it becomes dry and dusty.
- Don’t overload the container with wet veggies or fruit.
If you notice moldy spots, remove the affected area and replace it with clean bedding immediately.
7. Store Properly for Long-Term Use
If you bought a large batch and don’t plan to feed them all right away, you can store mealworms in the fridge to slow their growth. Cold temperatures prevent them from turning into pupae or beetles too quickly.
Store them in a breathable container with a bit of dry bedding and a slice of carrot or potato for moisture. Check them weekly to remove any dead worms and refresh their food.
Avoid freezing temperatures—they’ll kill your mealworms.
The Bottom Line
Mealworms are a cost-effective and protein-rich feeder for a variety of pets like chickens, reptiles, amphibians, and even wild birds. To maximize their value and shelf life, it’s essential to understand their meal worms life cycle and provide the right care at every stage.
With proper housing, feeding, cleaning, and a little attention to temperature and moisture, you can keep your mealworms alive longer and healthier. Whether you’re using them as feeders or breeding your own supply, these tips will help you maintain a thriving colony and save money over time.
