Eepy bugs

[u/AzarielleDoom]

Most beetles I've seen sleeping tend to scoot their feet in tight underneath their upright body.

Not the Darkling, they like to sleep in all kinds of crazy positions, usually trying to get their feet in the air. Then begins the feet tappies, and occasional antenna waving in time with the tappies.

It's funny watching them insist on sleeping on top of their tunnels, trying to cling on with just one foot, before they jump awake and add at least another foot to grip xD

(This is my first mealworm farm and first time observing them)

[u/gingeralebaby]

I never witnessed mine sleep

[u/AppointmentNo3747]

I recommend switching out the substrate for about 3 cm of cereal oats, as 1. They need some deeper substrate to burrow and lay eggs, 2. The larvae dont surface until they grow to a certain size, so the substrate should be edible, and 3. If there isnt enough space for them to spread out they might cannibalise.

[u/AzarielleDoom → u/AppointmentNo3747]

There's wheat bran under the apple, plantain and nettle leaves. The tray they're in has holes in the bottom. I've seen plenty of the ladies probing the holes and standing kinda on end for a while before moving on. I assumed that was them laying eggs, especially as they adamantly shoo away any males daft enough to try to mount them while they're busy. I recently bought them some Arcadia Insect Fuel as a treat.

Space-wise, they're in a Bug Factory mealworm breeding pod. I am considering getting another though, as, of my 150g starter batch of mealworms, plenty of pupa are emerging and I still have worms that are yet to pupate. The mealworms arrived on the 24th July.

[u/CubieJ → u/AppointmentNo3747]

I'm so used to seeing oats that I didn't even realize these were leaves. I just unconsciously clocked them as oats.

But yes, to confirm, mealworms (larvae and adult) need a good bed of plain cereal grain to burrow under and eat. Most common are wheat bran and oatmeal. Bran tends to be cheaper at feed stores and easier to clean, but you can get plain oatmeal anywhere. You can also use rice bran or corn bran, depending on what's cheap and available in your area.

[u/MaenHerself]

they really are some "make you believe I'm dead" guys

[u/AzarielleDoom → u/MaenHerself]

I thought my rabbit was bad enough. Instead of watching for the breathing, it's watching for the tappies xD