Potted yellow mealworms can be produced at a rate of 10 kilograms per month, and they are ideal for people who don't have full-time staff to manage them. This system allows you to use your spare time for feeding and maintenance. The breeding equipment is simple and cost-effective, such as old basins, tin boxes, or wooden containers. As long as the container is intact, has no leaks, and smooth inner walls, the mealworms won’t escape or climb out. If the inner walls are rough, you can stick some tape on them to prevent the insects from escaping.
You will also need a 60-mesh sieve for sorting. Once you obtain the insect species, select healthy individuals—look for those that are large, uniform in size, active, and have a bright color. For a regular basin, you can start with 0.3 to 0.6 kg of larvae.
Next, place the feed, such as wheat bran or corn flour, into the container and add the larvae. The feed should be about 10–20% of the insect's weight. After 3–5 days, the mealworms will have eaten the feed, and you can sift out the feces using the 60-mesh sieve. Continue feeding them regularly, and occasionally provide water-rich foods like vegetable scraps or melon peels.
When the larvae mature into pupae, they should be separated and stored separately. After 8–15 days, they will emerge as adults. Place a sheet of newspaper on the bottom of the container, then spread a layer of fine feed about 1 cm thick. Put the adult mealworms on top of the feed. At 25°C, females will begin laying eggs around 6 days after emerging.
Mealworms are social insects, so it’s important to maintain a proper population density—about 1,500 to 3,000 insects per square meter. Adults should be fed high-quality feed, along with multivitamin supplements and some moisture-rich food like leaves or melon scraps.
When the adults start laying eggs, they will deposit them onto the paper. After 3–5 days, the egg paper will be full, and you should replace it with fresh paper. Collect the egg papers and place them in a pot. Under temperatures between 24–34°C, the eggs will hatch within 6–9 days. Newly hatched larvae are very delicate, so avoid touching them with your hands to prevent injury.
Once the larvae hatch, keep them together in the same container. After 15–20 days, the feed in the pots will be almost gone, and you can perform the first sieve. Use the 60-mesh sieve to remove the feces, and repeat this every 3–5 days. Feed them accordingly, ensuring the amount is enough for 3–5 days.
Note: When feeding vegetables or melons, do so one day before sifting. Allow the larvae to eat overnight, then sift them out. The next day, remove any uneaten plant material as soon as possible. In summer, be careful not to let the humidity in the container get too high, as this can cause mold and potentially kill the larvae.
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