Anything lower than 60 and they really start to slow down. As I stated in my last post, in the temp sweet spot everything seems to be speeded up with regards to their reproductive cycle. I keep mine in the 2nd bedroom closet with a temp controlled pad for hydroponic gardening. I have all the bins stacked on one another so the heat rises, with the top bin being the beetles. About every 3-4 weeks I use a flour sifter to get all the frass (droppings) and small bits of oats out of the bins to keep everything tidy. The frass is good for your plants, similar to using worm castings. Obviously, don't over do it. There was another thread on this site that had someone say they were able to take it to the next level, however they didn't elaborate. I responded cause I really wanted to refine my technique, but they didn't. So I'm guessing that making a large climate controlled box, or maybe even an old refrigerator, as an incubator, would take it to the level which I am seeking. One thing I forgot to mention is, on a daily basis, to check the bins to see how many beetles are being metamorphosed from the pupae and transfer them to the beetle bin. And the same for the worms to the pupae. The pupae are vulnerable to be eaten or harmed by both the worms & the beetles. They are defenseless in that stage and we know that mealworms are opportunistic canabals. I guess I really ought to get the camera out & post some pix. I never thought I would get to a stage where I would be helping others, cause I'm still trying to learn this stuff and other than having a pet dog, many years ago, have never done anything like this. Since I know I'm going to get chickens this spring, I wanted to get a jump start on the chicken treats before I got my girls cause I want them to be friendly, so I started about this time last year.
