How to Raise Mealworms? Detailed Guide to Breeding Methods and Key Technical Points

Mealworms are the most common insect for feeding fish and shrimp. Because they are easy to raise and require low investment, many people breed them. So how do you raise mealworms?

1. Breeding environment

Mealworms are relatively small, with larvae only about 1-2 cm, and it is mainly the larvae that are sold, so the environment should mainly be adjusted for the larvae. The environment should be kept fairly dark, because mealworms do not like light. The indoor temperature needs to be a bit higher, kept above 20°, as too low a temperature will affect their growth. Ventilation does not need to be too strong, so as not to disrupt the indoor temperature environment. The breeding site should be fairly quiet; when there is loud noise, mealworms will be in a stimulated state. There should be no strange odors indoors, as mealworms are extremely sensitive to odors, and these cause considerable harm.

2. Building the breeding setup

Mealworm breeding does not take up much space. Generally, wooden boxes are used for breeding, with a box size of about 80*40*12, or paper boxes and the like can also be used. After preparing the boxes, build suitable racks according to the box size. The racks should be fairly sturdy, with the height according to your own needs, and then place the boxes on the racks. The boxes should be easy to take out, because they will need to be moved frequently during later breeding management. The inner walls of the boxes need to be smooth, and at least 6-8 cm of height should be left open, so that the mealworms will not easily escape.

3. Introducing the larvae

Once the earlier preparations are complete, it is time to introduce the larvae. Before introducing the larvae, place some bran at the bottom of the box, with a thickness of about 1-2 cm, then put the newly hatched mealworm larvae into it and stir, about 8000-10000 larvae. Be sure to spread them evenly, so that the larvae do not pile up together, which is bad for growth. Later, it depends on the situation whether to reduce the number of mealworms in a single box. During the 1-2 cm larval stage, maintaining about 3 jin of mealworms per box is the ideal living condition.

4. Feed and feeding

At present, the mainstream food for raising mealworms is wheat bran, mixed with some other items for breeding. In the box, wheat bran should be used to separate the mealworms and mix them evenly, with the bran thickness at more than 2 cm. To keep the nutrition sufficient, some cornmeal, bean cake and the like can be added and stirred in, with a ratio of about wheat bran 7 : corn 2 : bean cake 1. Except that the proportion of wheat bran stays unchanged, the other items and proportions can be adjusted appropriately. To meet the moisture and nutritional requirements of mealworms, vegetable leaves are also a daily essential food. Crush the leaves, then spread them evenly in the box, following the principle of small amounts and frequent feeding.

Overall, mealworms are very easy to raise. As long as you control the temperature well, feed them well, and clean out the droppings regularly, they can be sold or used to feed fish and shrimp once they grow to a certain size.