Mealworms?

Do mealworms need alot of heat to reproduce?

I am thinking mealworms would be better maybe. Easier for sure.

Then I could buy crix every once in a while to feed and mix up the diet

Heat is good but I had colonies going for a long time at room temp. Just keep them on a high shelf that should be all they need.

We have a room in our house that stays nearly 80F all the time. I keep my large colony tub in that room, and they get all the heat they need. As stated, room temp should be fine. But, the warmer, the better. Good luck!


laters,
Bill

Mealworms have got to be THE easiest feeder species to rear. I've had cultures I completely forot about and only remembered when I went to wash out the container 6 months later and found beetles and larvae still living in there. Add fresh food and a few potato slices and it's booming again in a couple of weeks.

Wade

as long as you are talking about regular mealworms (tenebrio molitor) and not superworms they will be fine at room temps. lower temps for regular mealworms will just slow down the growth process. so they will still be alive just...hibernating for lack of a better word. (if anyone has a better definition please put it here). they will thrive again when the temps go up. you can actually put mealworms in the fridge if you want to keep them longer. i believe they can survive for about 5 weeks in the fridge. if you put a few pieces of dry dog food or cheerios in after they have consumed the potato slices this will serve to fatten them up and make them juicier for your t's. with 100 melaworms you should be able to start a nice colony. add more every few weeks if you want to stagger the generations. make sure to clear the dead bodies out as they may stink up the colony. at least every 2 months add a little bit more oatmeal. but dont thrw out any of the old stuff as the eggs stick to it. hope this helps.