For those who breed mealworms

[KarmaChameleon1337]

Apparently if you put a wet paper towel over them they breed pretty fast. I had some loose mealworms in my cage that escaped and they got under my paper towels, which I clean out often, but when I take out the paper towels there's atleast 20 new worms. No, I don't use them as a staple food, I rarely feed him one mealworm a month.

 

[chameleongirl2]

well i guess thats ok but im not sure about the wet paper towels thing :/

 

[pbveiled]

Meal worms do not breed like that. First they pupate to beetles and then the beetles lay eggs. I think it takes a few months for the eggs to hatch.

http://mealwormstore.com/raising_mealworms.php

 

[jdog1027]

Those were undoubtably accumulated loose mealworms. Mealworms pupate, turn into beetles and breed. Mealworms themselves do not breed. They must first go through this metamorphasis. The eggs hatch after a week or two, but the baby worms are pretty much so small, you can't see them for several days to several weeks.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

I know, I've seen the beatles and googled it the first month I had mealworms, they stink horribly when you squish one. I'm just saying the towel somehow makes them appear faster than normal.

 

[Sticktongue]

I know, I've seen the beatles and googled it the first month I had mealworms, they stink horribly when you squish one. I'm just saying the towel somehow makes them appear faster than normal.

Well if you change the paper towls often like you mentioned, how could it possibly be they are breeding in there without you seeing the Beatles over that month or so they are alive? Just curious..

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

I didn't say they magically regenerated within a day, I replace them and just leave the mealworms and beatles be. Question though how are they surviving without any food?

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

Also, when did I say I never see beatles?

 

[chevyluv]

kind of od extreme moisture seams to usualy kill these guys. i used to put bananna peals in with my beatles for them to lay eggs on but you remove the paper towel so it dosent make much sense o well who knows.

 

[pbveiled]

The way your first post is worded, you made it sound like you thought that the meal worms were breeding. You said you had some loose meal worms and when you took out the paper towels, there were 20 more. You didn't mention anything about beetles.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

I also didn't say the worms bred. I said they were there.

 

[Sticktongue]

"Apparently if you put a wet paper towel over them they breed pretty fast. "

That to me implied you thought they were breeding very very quickly inside your enclosure

Sorry if we are reading it not how you meant it. Thats just how it sounds

 

[ChameleonRave]

I actually have my own colony of mealworms, and started my superworm one a while back but only had two beetles.

Usually putting a wet paper town down ontop of the substrate of the mealworms introducing moisture, water for them to drink and when they drink and eat they grow faster and pupate faster.

When I first got my first Chameleon at the beginning of last year, I had mealworms, found out they can't eat them and tossed them. The bag had a hole in it and I moved the trash and out popped several tiny mealworms and a beetle. With a few dead ones.

You might have had some get attached from the paper towels. Was it in the enclosure or in the enclosure with the mealworms?

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

It was in the chameleon enclosure. Building a new enclosure though and putting a tarp at bottom with a hole in middle so it drains instead of replacing paper towels every day.

 

[ChameleonRave]

It was in the chameleon enclosure. Building a new enclosure though and putting a tarp at bottom with a hole in middle so it drains instead of replacing paper towels every day.

Maybe a beetle crawled up into the bottom of the plant and laid eggs? It's a possibility! Some people are just party poopers, but there is always a possibility that they where extras that where in there from before.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

I know haha I'm just saying it seems the moisture of the towel helps.

 

[ChameleonRave]

haha, I know how it is, I say it helps with the growth process and what not because they get more water/liquids from it, some say different.

 

[fluxlizard]

Careful on the wet paper towel. Too much moisture can make the substrate moldy or invite tiny grain mites that are a pest to the culture. I've been there done that. Possibly the trick works better if you are in a low humidity area (I'm on the east coast- we have quite a bit of humidity already present). A small amount of fruit or veggie that will be nearly gone in 24 hours is about the right amount of moisture.