All beetles, no mealworms. WHY?

[Kiraeh]

For those frustrated about the speed of larva growth, it does take a while to get going. I started my farm last April, didn't see any new larva until November, and only just in the last month or so do I have lots of larva, big enough to find and see easily. It does take time.

I did have some issues slowing me down, I threw out a lot of bedding once because of mold, then for a while I was keeping them where earwigs could get to them, I suspect they were eating eggs or larva.

It's hard to tell if you have eggs, you can't easily find pictures of them, because they don't really look like much. But if you pick through your bedding and find clumps or tubes stuck together, those will have eggs in them.

 

[pjag]

I call B S on the eggs. Been jacking around with thesecthings since beginning of the last week of December. Pupae - yes, beetles - yes, eggs - none, zip, midday, zero, not a one (so of course no “new” worms.

I added a tiny bit of heat from reptile heating pads and covered with a dark colored towel. Now have have about a million mealworms in every stage of life, but no pupa. I have 100 of the larger mealworms in their own container to let them go through metamorphosis. My chickens are about to be made very happy! They have missed their favorite treat. Anyone who chooses to add heat will need to know that it must be at a very low setting. Otherwise it will cause too much moisture leading to a mold infestation.

 

[diverdib]

You just have to wait the cycle out....
the beetles will lay the eggs and baby mealworms will be born....

Not the case. It's been months. Are the beetles maybe eating the eggs??

 

[Marvinsson]

yes..DONT toss out the beetle bedding..it is boud to be FULL of eggs and teeny tiny worms.... it takes a while for the worms to grow big enough for you to see them...

I have the same issue. Hundreds of beetles, and no baby worms. It’s been well over a month. How long does it take between the adult beetle and the baby worms?

 

[Perris]

those of you struggling with this might find the following helpful:
https://mealwormcare.org/life-cycle/

 

[ndgeller]

I started a mealworm farm at the end of last summer with 2000 meal worms. They are on wheat bran in a rubber made tub with occasional carrots or potatoes for moisture.

I have consistently seen beetles active at the top, but hardly ever a meal worm - only one or two. I know this is impossible, because the beetles must be coming from meal worms, they obviously aren't the ones I started with, but I don't see the worms at all. And by now I thought the bin would have thousands of them for my birds.

What is going on here?

I am having the same problem... lots and lots of beetles, no mealworms. I keep them in the house and ensure they don't get cold. They are in oats, and I give them fruit, carrots and/or potatoes for food and moisture. I take out the old fruit and vegetables every few days to keep the bedding clean.
NOTHING. For at least 3 months now. As you can see, there are lots of the beetles, but all I find is 1 or 2 mealworms every few days.
I take the mealworms out and keep them separate from the beetles.
HELP! Any ideas and/or advice?