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Farming Mealworms

72321 Views 163 Replies 61 Participants Last post by  Draenog, 
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Farming mealworms yourself has several advantages over buying them at a pet store. You always have mealies on hand so you don't need to spend time and money making trips to the pet store. You also control what the mealies eat thereby producing healthier mealies for your hedgie.
Here are some links on how to raise mealworms.
http://www.wormman.com/mealworm_breeding.cfm
http://www.nyworms.com/mealworms.htm
http://mealwormstore.com/raising_mealworms.php
http://www.sialis.org/raisingmealworms.htm
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LizardGirl
The pupae are disgusting, and they DO twitch! Euuchh. Geee-rosss. I'll leave em be til they're beetles, then Inky can snack on them. :lol:
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LizardGirl
I might feed them except I tell myself Inky will be afraid of them too! :lol: That would never happen. I'm just afraid to touch them... :roll:
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LizardGirl
White mealies are mealies that recently shed. Basically means it is growing. You'll notice when they are about to turn into pupae, because they will have a darker, rougher look to them, and you might be able to see weird ridges on them. Until they turn into pupae, keep them in with the rest. ;)
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LizardGirl
Well, dead mealies turn black, and dead pupae are dark brown and hard. Live pupae are white and turn a beige-ish color, and live mealies are white or golden. Mealies just pupating will be a darker brown because they are about to shed a large piece of skin, and underneath is the white pupae.
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LizardGirl
When they're on top, to my understanding, means they are happy and active. Mine usually do that when I bump up the heat.
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LizardGirl
You could sprinkle some in the bedding but it likely won't make a huge difference.
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LizardGirl
Yep, hedgies will eat the beetles too. They're much crunchier and lower in fat. ;)

If you aren't feeding the mealies, it will take a fair amount of time for them to pupate, and then it's a few days after that, that they shed into beetles. But hedgies will eat all stages.
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