Allergic to mealworms

[PrayingMantisPets]

A few years back when I was into mantises I kept a mealworm culture in bins. Sometimes my eyes would get itchy and my nose would be runny. I just set up a mealworm culture a week ago and the symptoms came back and now I actually dound the source of what I’m actually allergic to. The mealworms..

im not sure what to do. I don’t want to get rid of he culture. My dad recommends me to put the culture outside which I don’t think is a good idea cause other insects are bound to raid the culture. 

Where should I keep the culture? In a cabinet? Idk what to do. 

 

[Connor]

Are you sure it’s not what you are keeping the meal worms in(like oatmeal) that you are allergic to?

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

Are you sure it’s not what you are keeping the meal worms in(like oatmeal) that you are allergic to?

I don’t think so. I love oat meal. Maybe it’s the dust from the oatmeal or meal worm skin or something. 

Ill test it out. I have two bins, one with mealworms and oatmeal and another bin with just oatmeal in it. I’ll take away the mealworms and see if I’m still allergic. I went to school today with a stuffy nose and my eyes are red still.

 

[Connor]

Good idea. Sucks you had to go to school miserable.

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

Good idea. Sucks you had to go to school miserable.

I’m feeling kind of better but my eyes are itchy. Now when I think about it it might be the oatmeal. I have to figure out where to put it.

 

[mantisfan101]

It's the dust. Same happened with me whenever I tried to feed my ant colonies.

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

Got home around 6:30 still sneezing in my room. I put the mealworms in a cabinet and magically im feeling better. My nose is stuffy and my eyes arent as itchy. 

So it was the mealworms.

 

[hibiscusmile]

I found out I am allergic to ooths. Doesn't matter which I touch, I break out in hives.

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

I found out I am allergic to ooths. Doesn't matter which I touch, I break out in hives.

Really? That’s weird. How do you handle ooths?

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Allergies to feeder colonies are not that unusual. It tends to be all the dust produced. If your allergy isn't that bad a lot of people can get away with keeping the cultures in a separate room or area like a basement/garage so their exposure is minimized greatly. I would definitely avoid keeping it in your bedroom if it was bad enough you were still feeling the after effects while at school.

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

I keep all my mantises and pets in my garage (constructed into a room now)

it was 100% my mealworm culture. My eyes were seriously swollen and bloodshot, runny nose, sneezing all day. I moved the mealworms in a cabinet on the other side of the room. And instantly everything went away. I feel perfectly fine now. If it was in my bed room, that would be just torture ?. 

Cabinet works perfectly fine and made it easier for me because now the mealworms are at the top of the oatmeal not buried at the bottom. So I just open the cabniet grab a few and put them away. Even if I open the cabniet my eye gets a little itchy but this is way better than before! 

Thabks everyone for tips and suggestions I really appreciate the responses.

 

[Connor]

Glad to hear you got a system going. Hopefully there will be less tears shed(haha)

 

[Ranitomeya]

Do your mealworms have a grain mite infestation? Grain mites can be a severe allergen and are very common with mealworm cultures.

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

Do your mealworms have a grain mite infestation? Grain mites can be a severe allergen and are very common with mealworm cultures.

how bad are grain mites?
 

 

[Ranitomeya]

Grain mites will feed on the grain products you're providing the mealworms, they are irritating in large numbers since they will crawl all over other invertebrates and hitch rides on them, they can take advantage of recently molted and injured invertebrates when there are enough of them, and they can become a severe allergen if you're exposed to them enough since they're tiny, numerous, and their molts can easily be inhaled.

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

Grain mites will feed on the grain products you're providing the mealworms, they are irritating in large numbers since they will crawl all over other invertebrates and hitch rides on them, they can take advantage of recently molted and injured invertebrates when there are enough of them, and they can become a severe allergen if you're exposed to them enough since they're tiny, numerous, and their molts can easily be inhaled.

How do I remove grain mites. Just cleaned my mealworm culture and I’m sneezing like crazy. Eyes bloodshot red. 

 

[Ranitomeya]

First make sure that it's grain mites you're allergic to and not the mealworms themselves. Fragmented mealworm exoskeletons and dry frass can also be an allergen. Grain mites look like dust, but if you watch for a few seconds, you'll notice that the dust is moving. Also check to see if you're allergic to oats themselves.

Grain mites are tiny and thus prone to dessication if they're kept without a source of moisture for a day or two, but keep in mind that substrate and grain products piled up can provide little pockets of space where humidity is high enough for mites to survive. Most people see huge grain mite infestations when they keep their mealworm cultures in plastic containers with poor ventilation and provide fruits and vegetables and increase the humidity. Without the adequate humidity and moisture sources, few of their juveniles survive and their population is generally kept low enough that it's not too big of a problem.