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Giant Mealworm #121781
07/19/06 07:09 AM
07/19/06 07:09 AM

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How big can a mealworm get? All the pet stores that I've been to the mealworms are what I thought regular size. I went to this new pet shop and their mealworms were giants. They look like the size of a young caterpillar. They look like a mealworm though. I just want to be sure I am feeding them a mealworm and not something else. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worried2.gif" alt="" />

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121782
07/19/06 07:53 AM
07/19/06 07:53 AM

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Might be a super worm.

In my farms I notice that some get really HUGE before they morph... don't know why, but some just do.

This is the general accord on mealworms:

Mealworm Measurement

But I have seen them bigger in my farm, so I know where your comin' from!

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121783
07/19/06 08:16 AM
07/19/06 08:16 AM

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Thanks for the chart. It looks like they are large mealworms. The lady who owns the pet shop said that she's seen much larger mealworms then mine. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" /> I just didn't know that they grew so big before they morphed! You learn something new everyday. I attached a pic if you wanna see it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121784
07/19/06 08:18 AM
07/19/06 08:18 AM

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oops...here it is!

Attached Files
602493-Picture323.jpg (114 downloads)
Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121785
07/19/06 09:31 AM
07/19/06 09:31 AM

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They sure do look like meal worms to me. Not that I've really looked at a superworm, but I think the head area on them is darker. If I see superworms at the pet shop I have to look away <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Bet your gliders are loving those extra big juicy mealies. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121786
07/19/06 09:36 AM
07/19/06 09:36 AM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,262
Cortlandt Manor, NY
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Whenever I get meal worms at my local pet store they are pretty small. I order the mighty mealies from grubco and they look like those in the picture.


~Christine
Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121787
07/19/06 12:26 PM
07/19/06 12:26 PM

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Definitely mealworms, and real glider loving juicy ones!!!!
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Nice close up, too.

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121788
07/19/06 11:59 PM
07/19/06 11:59 PM

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They are mealworms. At the petshop I worked at, they had Giant, Large, Medium and Small mealworms. I feed Giants because they seem to be more filling for your money. I get a box of 1000 for $11.95 and lasts me 3x as long as the Large ones I used to get that cost me $7.50 per 1000.

I also feed them to my large leopard geckos and bearded dragons. Everyone here loves the Giants! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Oh, and they are just as safe as the other mealies you have been feeding so no worries about digesting them.

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121789
07/20/06 01:13 AM
07/20/06 01:13 AM

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Those are mealies (giant or mega is the "class" they put them in) and just mealies. Supers generally have dark Dark bands at the head and tail. Some have the dark bands all the way but mostly not.

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121790
07/20/06 11:47 AM
07/20/06 11:47 AM

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I buy the giant meal worms from Petco. 100 in a container.
Petsmart doesn't seem to have any container larger than 50
Sure gets expensive. Where can I get 1000? will they spoil
Only have 2 sugar gliders.
Also, how many do you feed them a day?

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121791
07/20/06 11:57 AM
07/20/06 11:57 AM

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I've been looking for a place that sells more than 35 or 50. How big are the ones at Petco?

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121792
07/20/06 11:59 AM
07/20/06 11:59 AM

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You can order a large amount online at grubco. I know that there are others too. I have never ordered online, but I would like to soon. The price is so much cheaper. www.grubco.com
www.wormman.com

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121793
07/20/06 12:02 PM
07/20/06 12:02 PM

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I feed 5 to each glider of the giant ones. If they are the smaller ones I feed 10 to each glider. Hope this helps! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121794
07/20/06 12:05 PM
07/20/06 12:05 PM

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I buy those at the petstore i work at <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> My gliders love them, i however give mine only 3 every other night becuase they are fatty.

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121795
07/20/06 12:07 PM
07/20/06 12:07 PM

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I would love to order them online, but have a couple problems with that.
First: with 2 gliders, say 10 mealies per day, 1,000 would last 100 days. Could you honestly keep them that long without them morphing? I do not want to start a worm farm *shiver*.
Second: Getting them delivered. I don't get home until 5:45ish, and by then they would have been delivered and sat outside for a few hours. This might not be so bad in the fall or spring...but it's hot right now!
Sorry if this is going off topic from the original post, it's just sparking a few questions in me.

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121796
07/20/06 12:20 PM
07/20/06 12:20 PM
Joined: May 2005
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Cortlandt Manor, NY
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I put mine in the freezer. They don't eat them live...


~Christine
Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121797
07/20/06 12:21 PM
07/20/06 12:21 PM

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I am on the suncoast diet and that is the recommended amount. However I do not feed mealworms every night. They are on rotation with eggs, yogurt, can o' crickets, and can o' grasshoppers. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121798
07/20/06 12:23 PM
07/20/06 12:23 PM

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They go into stasis in the fridge and yes they will last for several (3 to 4) months and then some. You will need to take them out once or twice during the week and allow them to hydrate and eat a little. About half the day. And so what if they morph, my suggies just love the pupae's (aliens) and as for the beetles, set them free outside, you save a life!
I remember when I used to have worms delivered during the hot months, the drivers place them in the shade, and I live in really ~hot~ weather,and they were fine. Hey, you may be able to e-mail the vendor and tell them afternoon delivery service only due to your concerns, but I think they will be fine....

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121799
07/20/06 12:28 PM
07/20/06 12:28 PM

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aproductof, I would like to know the answers to your questions as well. I have never ordered them online before. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" /> I heard that if you want to keep them at a certain size you can put them in the refrigerater and take them out every 4 days to give them a piece of potatoe. If you keep putting them back in the refrigerater they should last a long time before they morph, but I don't know exactly how long.

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121800
07/20/06 12:35 PM
07/20/06 12:35 PM

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Thanks cycy! This is off topic, but is it hard to raise your own mealworms? I've been considering raising my own.

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121801
07/20/06 12:38 PM
07/20/06 12:38 PM

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Oh no, it's really easy! You should give it a whirl! Need some directions?

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121802
07/20/06 12:49 PM
07/20/06 12:49 PM

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Alright, as soon as I get my next paycheck, I guess I might invest in a bulk order of mealies. I used to live with roommates, and one had lizards galore, so there were always mealies in the fridge--I'd find them sitting on top of MY food! EW! After that, I never thought I'd have them-and now, the 50 count are bad enough!
Maybe I'll talk to my friend who has a leopard gecko about splitting them up. Or having them delivered to his place as he gets home before me.

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121803
07/20/06 12:53 PM
07/20/06 12:53 PM

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Yeah! Any information you want to share would be extremely appreciated. I imagine that it would be cheaper to raise them. Is this right?

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121804
07/20/06 02:18 PM
07/20/06 02:18 PM

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Absolutely!


MEALWORM FARM
START-UP & MAINTAINING FARM INSTRUCTIONS

First:
Order your mealies from Grubco: http://grubco.netstorekeeper.com/index.cfm?Product_ID=1
or Superworm farm: http://www.superwormfarm.com/index.cfm
or Wormman: http://www.wormman.com/

Second:
Get yourself five (5)containers to start, I use the zip lock or glad containers that you can easily place holes on the sides at the top portion all around, but it’s your choice as to what kind you use.
The First container will be your feeder container - place what mealworms you will not be farming in this container in the fridge for cool storage, you may use the same mixture of bedding in this container listed below (Which is what I do).
The Second container will be for Mealworms or Larvae
The Third container will be for Aliens or Pupae
The Fourth container will be for Beetles
The Fifth container is for your second Beetle container.

Feeder Container: You will need to take this container out of the fridge once or twice a week for your feeder mealworms to hydrate and eat for a few hours, only. You can place oat bran and rolled oats in your feeder container and all your farm containers with your worms/pupae/beetles or you can choose to use the mixture listed below (what I use). Get you something to store this in too, (I use a jug that had another type of pet foo in it, ... good sized), you won't be using the bedding all at once. Here's the mix recipe:

4 cups dry baby oatmeal cereal
4 cups oat bran (all crushed up)
2 cups rolled oats (Old fashioned, not instant)
(these can be approximate measurements)

Now you’re ready to start your farm:
Place you about 100 to 200 mealies in your Mealworm container, (depending on how many suggies you need to feed, I have 7). Out of your 200 mealies that morph into beetles, you will have gazillions of mealie eggs. I would say that up to 10% will end up dying before turning to beetles, which is actually still quite a bit of beetles. Female beetles can lay up to 275 eggs each..... THAT’s A LOT OF MEALWORMS!! So start out with how many you like, but know that you will need to add some fresh bedding every so often to all those babies that hatch, they have a huge appetite!!

Mealworm Container:
Your first container should be filled with about 1 to 1-1/2 inches of your mix. You won't need the rest until you see your alien morphs (Pupae). They will be pupae’s for a week to two weeks, then they will turn to beetles. After you start seeing the mealworms turn to pupae’s, you will need to re-furbish the mealworms, simply place about ten in a week to your mealworm container. Also, know that you will have to order more mealworms from Grubco, mealworm farm or wormman, until your mealies start going good. But you'll save money in the long run to grow your own, plus you will know exactly what your mealworms are eating.
Pupae Container:
You will need a container for your pupae's but you won't need a lot of mix in it, about 1/2 inch of your bedding mix, just enough for them to eat when they change to beetles until you transfer them to the beetle container. Simply use tweezers to carefully transfer the pupae’s to the pupae container. Some people don't separate them at all, but I have experimented with both processes and found that you will have more mealies if you separate all stages. The beetles and the mealworms will eat the pupae and the beetles will eat the mealworm babies, pretty gross, but they will seek moisture from other mealworms and pupae.
Beetle Container:
Once you see beetles in your pupae container, use tweezers to carefully transfer them to the beetle container. Place about 2 inches of your bedding mix in this container and lay egg carton pieces or pieces of cardboard over the top for them to lay eggs in and on. When feeding your beetles, place a folded piece of paper towel over the bedding and simply lay your veggie right on top. Try not to allow the food to touch the bedding to eliminate any mold issues. I never use fruit, I use carrots or celery or romaine lettuce leaves instead. This is just my preference. Fruits will mold easily and I used to use them but after throwing out one or two of my farms, due to moldy fruit, I opted to use only veggies instead. Mealworms are actually really proficient at extracting moisture, so be careful not to put too much moisture in your containers, you will get mold. Place a paper towel or two over the entire top section of your other farm containers, and lay your veggies on top of that. Again, Veggies or if you do use Fruits, you use should never come in contact with your mixture, to avoid any mold issues. If you do get mold, you will need to trash the entire farm container, mealworms included, just in case they have ingested the moldy bedding. Aflatoxins are not anything you want your suggies to eat.
Second Beetle Container:
When you start seeing the beetles dying off, transfer all the living beetles to the Fifth container with a fresh new mixture. Do not throw away the first beetle container. This is where your baby mealworms are. They will be very tiny and you probably won't see them for a month or so after you place your beetles in the second beetle container, you will see the mix moving before you see them. It will take about 4 months to get your farm going good. This Beetle container now becomes your baby mealie container, the 1st generation mealies of your farm. I wait until about three to four weeks at a time to change the beetles to a new container and the mealie babies are massive!!!

Also, some mealie farmers mist the top of the paper towel with a light water spritz, I do not. My mealies are huge by just feeding them veggie leaves about two to three times a week. Mealworm farming is really easy. It farms itself basically, and if you get to where you have too many mealies, you can freeze them, which does happen from time to time. Just NEVER USE ANY CORN PRODUCTS !

Life Cycle of your Darkling Beetle:
Egg: 7-14 days
Larvae: 30-90 days
Pupae: 10-20 days
Beetle Adult: 5-20 days
I have found through my experience with mealworm farming, that this cycle depends on the conditions of the environment and is a general rule, but not etched in stone……

You will have to check on your farms every two to three days, but if you forget until four or five days to a week, it's no big deal if you choose the method that I use. You will need to sort them, juggle the aliens (Pupae) and beetles around, but after you get used to doing that, there’s really nothing to it. Like I said, it is extremely easy to raise mealworms. I don't place mine in any certain spot, just make sure they have ventilation, and in somewhat of a warmer temperature in your house, not cool, and your holes should be sized where the beetles cannot escape. Although they do not bite, do not fly... and are ultimately harmless, you don't want them escaping and not laying their eggs in the mix.
Another helpful hint: When placing your holes in the top sides of your containers, you can just use a power drill, it’s a much easier way and less time consuming than making the screen with the glue gun and all that gobblety goo. It's just as effective to drill.

HAPPY FARMING!!

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121805
07/20/06 07:44 PM
07/20/06 07:44 PM

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I buy 1000 at a time sometimes more from www.timberlinefisheries.com and they are the ones that distribute to most pet stores and zoos in the nation. They are a wonderful place and I used to live 15 min from there hatchery, but moved ot Chicago and now just have them ship them. Cheaper to go directly through them than through PetCo and PetsMart and such. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Re: Giant Mealworm [Re: ] #121806
07/21/06 07:11 AM
07/21/06 07:11 AM

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Thank you so much for all that information! I'm going to print that off and get things started. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thanx.gif" alt="" />


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