Mealworm beetle stage

[Grammahen]

Can anyone tell me how long the beetle stage of the mealworm cycle lasts. They are creeping me out. Eeww! Oh so many and they make a creepy noise too. Oh what we go through for our fuzzy butts.

 

[ShaggysGirl]

I'd like to know too. I have meal worms and the super worms that are all beetles now.... very creepy.

 

[sillybirds]

I have beetles living 3 months or more. By that time I figure they've layed about all the eggs they're going to and are nearing death anyway so I feed them to my chickens!

 

[sparkles2307]

gross! yeah we arent into the bug farming thing so much...if they find a bug in the run they can have it but I aint going to grow bugs for them... you guys really love your birds!

 

[briteday]

I bought some mealworms at the pet store in July and started a growing bin. I moved the full grown beetles to the second bin in August, leaving the first bin hopefully with plenty of eggs and developing worms. I think the hot weather might have killed off my first developing batch but now I see reallllyyy tiiinnnyyy little worms in the first bin. I can't wait to get worms big enough to feed to the girls!!!

 

[shelleyd2008]

I've read online that the life-cycle of the darkling beetle is about a year, so from the time the eggs are layed until those eggs die as beetles.

 

[Grammahen]

Do I have to have a second bin? What happens if I leave the beetles in there?

 

[briteday]

Quote:
It's just easier to rotate bins so that you have beetles laying eggs in one, developing eggs in one, and worms in the next. I move the beetles to a new bin about once per month. I have one of those plastic storage drawer things with 3 drawers.

Here's a good link...
http://geocities.com/finch1313/