Mealworms

[Octopussy]

Been feeding my ghost mantises with house flies and want to diversify their food source and try one feeding them mealworm and saw a post (see below) and wanna know if thats true?

Some people leave them in the medium they are shipped in, and store in the refrigerator. Every 10 days warm up the mealworms to room temperature for 24 hours, and put a split carrot on the medium for moisture. After the 24 hours is done, pull the carrot off the medium and refrigerate. Mealworms will be viable for about 90 days using this system.Many thanks

 

[Aryia]

Sounds about right, depending on the stage of mealworm you get they will last you around a month if you don't do the refrigeration cycle. They don't exactly "expire", they simply turn into pupa which you can still use to feed. The pupa can be delayed even longer (I read somewhere around 9 months) until they have to hatch into beetles. I haven't been able to get a mantis to take a beetle yet, but who knows~

 

[Octopussy]

i see thinks a lot. what are the other options other than carrots

 

[soundspawn]

(I read somewhere around 9 months) until they have to hatch into beetles. I haven't been able to get a mantis to take a beetle yet, but who knows~

Mealworms pupate for a few weeks in mid-high 70's temperatures. I imagine colder temps would be slower of course. My natives are the only ones I've tried to feed darkling beetles to, but they snatched them right up.

There is a lot less shell to deal with if you give them a larvae or pupae but the mantis doesn't seem to mind from time to time

 

[Octopussy]

alright thx a lot

 

[Aryia]

i see thinks a lot. what are the other options other than carrots

You can use anything with moisture, carrots, apples (heard applies mold faster though), potato slices, nothing else is coming to mind though there's a huge list, just google mealworm breeding. Honestly though I've always found carrots the easiest and cheapest way, and there's nothing wrong with carrots. All my feeders are eating them and all my mantises are fine.

 

[patrickfraser]

I throw in a leaf of lettuce. It will get eaten or dry out before molding.

 

[soundspawn]

I throw in a leaf of lettuce. It will get eaten or dry out before molding.

If you keep them in a bed of oats I wouldn't, it molds the oats (too much surface moisture). If it's more dirt or non foodstuffs for bedding then go for it

 

[sschind]

i see thinks a lot. what are the other options other than carrots

I keep my mealworms on wheat bran and I use thinly sliced apples or carrots most of the time. Thicker pieces of apple may mold. I know a lot of people say they use potatoes but hardly any of my feeders will touch them. Even my dubia roaches seem to look at me funny when I throw in the potatoes and they are roaches for crying out loud, they are supposed to eat everything. Sweet potatoes work a little better and also add more nutrition. Cucumber and zucchini peels also work. I'll also use celery if I get any that gets rubbery.

Most of my MW bins have thousands of worms in them so the food doesn't usually get a chance to mold but key to avoid molding is to offer smaller pieces or thinner pieces so the worms will eat them or they will dry out before they mold.

I don't feed my mantids the MWs often. Sometimes I can get my spiny flowers to take small ones but I almost have to feed them by hand and it takes time.