FINCHforum

Well, as some of you may know, I've been trying to grow some meal worms (on a very tiny scale).

Just a small plastic box with a couple of pupae in it and food. I decided to leave it alone, and see what will happen. So there it sat for several weeks, with me controlling my curiousity.

Yesterday, I decided to take a look, just a peek....
Taking the cover off, I screamed like a little girl, as this rather large black beetle thing jumped out at me. I have to confess, I bashed it, I smashed it, and I threw the whole damn box in the trash and threw the bag outside.

I read about small red beetle, not this ginormous ugly thing, that scared the livibg daylights iut of me.

What went wrong, or is that what they're supposed to look like?

~Elana~

They are big black beetles, harmless.

Darkling beetles. The adult mealworm. They make babies (mealworms) that you feed. Haha

Elana, the adult mealworm is a large black beetle. It is the creature which lays the eggs that become the larvae your birds eat...

Colt & KarenB

You mean I threw away the patent of what were to be my meal worms, along with possible babies

~Elana~

Sheather
Holy crap on a cracker, I did murder the parent of my baby meal worms, along with babies!

lovezebs Actually, those beetles don't even try to get out of my breeding drawers (hum, that sounds a little odd ). They don't fly, and they don't climb up the sides. But yes, you tossed your parents and possibly eggs. The life cycle is beetles, eggs, larvae, pupa, and then beetles again. We feed the larval stage to our birds. Don't be afraid of them, they are actually quite harmless (though disgusting to anyone who doesn't like bugs--me!).

It sounds like you had a very healthy culture going. You can always try again.

Sally
I had this thing in a container the size of a shot glass only wider. When I say small container, I mean small container. It didn't have far to go to tumble out. . .. it was almost as big as the container. It just freaked me out. I was expecting something red and considerably smaller. Oysh, what have I done?

~Elana~

KarenB
The question is Karen, do I really want to try again? I guess if I do, next time I'll grow them in large jar in the basement, not in my kitchen cupboard. Also I'll be better prepared as to what to expect.

~Elana~

lovezebs wrote: KarenB
The question is Karen, do I really want to try again? I guess if I do, next time I'll grow them in large jar in the basement, not in my kitchen cupboard. Also I'll be better prepared as to what to expect.

~Elana~

Given the proper container (not a jar), you wouldn't have to keep them in the basement, but if you chose to, that's okay. They will grow slower in a cold basement, though. Have you researched how to culture mealworms? It is really easy and takes very little time. The beetles don't go anywhere. You just have to sift the dead ones out periodically. There are numerous YouTube videos on culturing mealies that will give you a good idea of the containers that work well.

You should try again. You obviously wanted to to begin with.

Haha lovezebs. Yes dear you've murdered your mealworm factory. I'd buy a set of those stackable drawers so you can have selection of sizes.

@Sally - as a side note I found melworms breeding in one of my trays in a cage. I gave the birds the pupae and they went nuts for them.

lovezebs - No advice, just wanted to tell you that you gave me a chuckle.

MiaCarter wrote: lovezebs - No advice, just wanted to tell you that you gave me a chuckle.

Agree with Mia

Well my dears, laugh, laugh......You weren't there when this giant beatle thing came rolling at me all black and shiny and crunchy......

How was I to know that it was supposed to look like that? It was huge....well maybe 1/2 inch long, but it looked a lot bigger.

Ok, so how on earth does all this cycle start?
I have a meal worm, and.....

~Elana~