meal worm metamorphisis question

[robinson]

Hello i have had my meal worm colony for a while now and they are starting to turn into the little pupae, i am then seperating them and waiting for them to become beatles... However i am yet to get beatles and some of the pupae are starting to turn black... does this mean that they are about to become beatles or are they dead? If they are dead does anyone have any suggestions as to why they are dying off and what i can do about it thanks.

 

[snakegirl]

how does your set up look? how are they raised? feeding and cleaning wise what do you do and use, there are a few more detailed things i would need to know before helping you. for now there are some very nice care sheets for mealworms up you can view around the forums... hope this helps!

 

[robinson]

thank you for responding snakegirl but u didn't really answer my question...


What i want to know is are the pupae turning black because they are dead or are they still ok?

 

[ajveachster]

They are probably dead. When they first change into beetles, the beetles are a very light brown, almost white color. When I did my colony I just kept the pupae in the same type of bedding which was the gutload from ProGeckos. Just pull out the dead ones, and you should be ok.

 

[snakegirl]

In order for me to Help you more on the subject it is better for me to know what you are feeding them or how you keep them this can help me Pin point your problem and tell you exactly what is happening, But without your info i cant be very detailed in helping you. now About black pupa. if they are indeed Pure black they are dead. Pupa will turn a light brown color at best and become a little darker right before turn in to a beetle.

 

[robinson]

Sorry snakegirl. The set up i have is very similar to yours. I am using the same kind of plastic rack that u have in your pictures. the bottom level is all mealworms of varying size and age. The second level is a storage are for the pupae, after my pupae turn into beatles i will be moving them into thier own level on the top.... I am using wheat bran as my bedding and i throw in new apple or potato slices every 2-3 days and i remove the old un-eaten ones...

Let me know if u think i am doing anything wrong or if u guys have any suggestions since i found 2 more of my pupae today that are all black and appear to be dead at this rate none of my pupae will survive... i would say that roughly 15-20% of them have turned dark black and died...

 

[snakegirl]

Do the pupa Seem to have bits missing? Meal worms will bite and start to eat the pupa...Later killing off any pupa no matter how much water is in there bin. could be to dry if you notice many mealworms with stuck on shed... Or you could be over loading in bins? when you pick up a handful of mealworms and toss them down bedding there should be a half inch Between 60% of the mealworms With nice even spacing.

 

[VitalTears]

nice info xD

 

[robinson]

No there are not any bites or pieces missing from the pupae, the spacing for the mealworms is fine, how much water and in what form should it be in, because i have seen a decent amount meal worms with stuck on sheads...


what should i do?

 

[GrimmyX15]

First if you have pupaes put them in tub and also in rack. So they could stay in safe so mealworms dont eat them. it happneed to my 3 pupaes. i currently have 8 beetles to breed, i have stubborn mealworms waiting to change pupaes . i have pupaes waitng to hatch lol. I place 8 beetles in citter carrier so they can breed. then i remove them for to eat carrot. then put them back. I have alot min worms in cup! like thousands. itwas over month.

 

[RainbowGecko]

I agree with snakegirl. Sounds like it may be too dry. Do you have a hygrometer so you could check your humidity? I use carrot slices as the moisture source for my mealworms, in all of their stages (i.e. beetle, pupae, worms/larvae). Even though the pupae don't eat the carrot, it does help keep up the humidity in their container, and gives the beetles that form something to snack on (other than the pupae!) before I have a chance to separate them.

 

[GeckoGathering]

Meal Worms

Hello i have had my meal worm colony for a while now and they are starting to turn into the little pupae, i am then seperating them and waiting for them to become beatles... However i am yet to get beatles and some of the pupae are starting to turn black... does this mean that they are about to become beatles or are they dead? If they are dead does anyone have any suggestions as to why they are dying off and what i can do about it thanks.

Hey Brett.
When I was still raising them there
were both.
Dead and beetle change overs.
Some times the appeared
to be dead came alive.
Most of the time the dead will feel dry
and kind of crackley. But it hurts nothing
to not assume dead.
Moisture is needed for the beetles...
carrots, orange peel,
corn husks, potato, etc.
Dehydration is the most probable culprit.
The pupae supposedly do not eat??(hear say)
I assumed they required limited humidity.
I would put corn husks on top of the mix and
give a burst of my mist bottle every couple days.
Not enough to cause mold/mildew.
Seemed to work.

Good Luck. Take care. HJ
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