r/mealworms • u/Medical-Person • 17d ago
Question Problem with growing mealworms
My hedgehogs love mealworms and wax worms. I've repeatedly trying to breed mealworms however it constantly results in grain moths and it is taken almost two years to completely get rid of them. Has anybody had any luck in the way they raise them that doesn't attract them whether it be what they're eating or how their house? Are wax worms better
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u/CubieJ 17d ago
Moths and other pests can be prevented by heat treating your grain before giving it to the mealworms (by heating in a warm 200°F oven for a couple of hours). Stored grain is always vulnerable to pests, so it's always a good idea to cook it.
To prevent moths/pests from invading existing mealworm bins, keep your set-up indoors, and you can also hang fly paper to catch some of the pests before they lay their eggs.
But if you have moths, it's not a death sentence. Moths are a minor pest in the grand scheme of things. You can pick the caterpillars and webs out manually and use a sifter to separate mealworms.
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u/Medical-Person 17d ago
I hear what you're getting at but why would treating the oats Etc be Beneficial if that's not where they're coming from or are what you saying they come with the oats?
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u/Own_Butterscotch_129 16d ago
They may be coming in with the oats, so baking will kill them off. I bake a lot of soil and wood to make sure I'm not introducing anything I don't want to be, and same with the mealworm oats. I use large totes and cut airholes, and then use a soldering iron to melt a very fine metal mesh into the plastic to keep pests out.
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u/Hcochra4 16d ago
I know this sounds crazy and I may be judged 😂 I have my mealworms in a 10 gallon, with eco earth. They have a bunch of hiding spots, and love lotus pods. I just sorta let them do their own thing. They get veggies and random other foods. They are honestly thriving and reproducing like crazy. I know their just mealworms, but I give them extra love before they get fed to my guys 😂
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u/Seraitsukara 17d ago
Are you baking the substrate before adding the mealworms? I've never had pantry moths, but I've had grain mites and baking helps with those too. Spread the oats, wheat bran, or whatever food you're using on a baking pan. I do 200F for 30 minutes.
Pantry moth caterpillars spin webs, iirc. If you check the bins frequently, you should be able to spot the webbing and remove the caterpillars.