![]() ![]() Vegetables and fruits should be replaced as needed but at least once a week. Mealworms will also need a source of moisture in the form of hard fruits and vegetables such as sliced potatoes, carrots, apples, or any cooking scraps that are not likely to spoil or grow moldy too quickly. ![]() Mealworms can also be supplemented by adding brewer's yeast, powdered milk, or bone meal to the substrate. They can be kept on a variety of substrates including rolled oats, wheat bran, corn meal, a mixture of different types of grain, non-medicated chicken feed, or a combination of the above in a layer that is about two to three inches deep. Adequate humidity levels can be maintained by placing a small bowl of water or a damp sponge inside a plastic sandwich bag in the containers of mealworms and beetles, if necessary. It is best to prepare at least two of these containers, one for the larvae and one for the beetles, although a third and fourth container may also be necessary for holding pupae or when changing substrate. Some people also keep mealworms in kritter keepers or ten gallon glass tanks. Mealworms can be easily kept in smooth sided plastic containers, such as shoe boxes or sweater boxes, with either drilled air holes, a screened section cut out of the top, or no top at all since mealworms and darkling beetles cannot climb a smooth surface or fly. Mealworms thrive best in temperatures ranging from the mid to low 70's to a high of 80 degrees with a relative humidity around 70%. Mealworms are well suited to feeding small lizards and juvenile arachnids as they are typically only two and a half centimeters in length and the adult beetles measure between 1.25 and 1.8 centimeters.
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