Mealworms
Tenebrio molitor or Darkling Beetle
Lifecycle
Mealworms - also spelled as two separate words ‘meal worms’ - are the larva of the Darkling Beetle which are classified as Tenebrio molitor. Mealworms or Mealies are the immature Darkling Beetle. These golden-colored wigglers are up to an inch long and are voracious eaters! The Darkling lifecycle moves from eggs and frass to mealies to pupae to beetles. The frass or beetle poop is like pixie dust to plants! A small sprinkle enlivens them! The eggs grow into the wiggling mealies by shedding their exoskeleton multiple times. The beetles at Dockery Lane Gardens live their lives in a screen bottom Sterilite tubs so that their eggs and frass fall into the tub below while the Beetles above keep munching on fresh carrots and our own Mealworm Chow.
Mealworms or Mealies are the immature Darkling Beetle. These golden-colored wigglers are up to an inch long and are voracious eaters!
The Darkling lifecycle moves from eggs and frass to mealies to pupae to beetles. The frass or beetle poop is like pixie dust to plants! A small sprinkle enlivens them!
The eggs grow into the wiggling mealies by shedding their exoskeleton multiple times. The beetles at Dockery Lane Gardens live their lives in a screen bottom Sterilite tubs so that their eggs and frass fall into the tub below while the Beetles above keep munching on fresh carrots and our own Mealworm Chow.
Mealies are a high protein food source and readily available. They can be purchased live, frozen, or dried.
Live mealies are easy keepers as they can be stored in the fridge for a few months or placed in a small bin (plastic not cardboard!). Just pop in some fresh veggies like carrots once a week to keep them happy. Or, the live mealies can become the basis of your own mealie farm! Of course, the frozen and dried mealies last long-term.
As a food source, live mealies are enticing to the hunter instinct. The dried mealies float. And, vitamin powder clings best to frozen mealies. This one insect offers many feeding possibilities! Either live or dried, the mealies retain their nutrients and are easily stored until needed. Mealies are also popular as fish bait!
Food Source
Mealies are common across the world and prefer darker and humid environments.
As voracious eaters, mealies and beetles are a clean-up crew that chows down on organic matter while also being a convenient food source for nocturnal carnivores. In nature, carnivorous species of Birds, Spiders, Insect, Rodents, Reptiles, and Amphibians will happily crunch on mealies or the beetles.
In urban areas, mealies chow on dry carbs like flour, cereals, pet food, and such which makes them a pest. For those of us with family members who have feathers, scales, or moist skin, mealies are a common feeder insect. Mealworms are a ideal for smaller reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Plus, poultry and most birds go crazy for a wiggly treat!
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