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You will need a clean dishpan or kitty-litter size plastic container lined with about  an
inch or two of wheat bran, cornmeal or oatmeal. Gently shake the
mealworms out of the paper they arrive in and into the container. Discard the paper.
If you've ordered a large quantity of mealworms, now is the time to divide
them into separate containers. We've found restaurant-style To-Go
boxes work well. Make several air holes for the worms on the top
of each of your containers with a toothpick. Add a moist food, such
as a slice of apple, raw potato or carrot for the worms to eat.
Leave the worms at room temperature for at least a half hour before refrigerating
them. I generally leave mine out for 5 or 6 hours after they
arrive to give them time to eat the apple or potato. Never put your
worms in the frig with food in the container. The food will become
moldy and the worms will die. Once you refrigerate the worms, 45°, they will
become dormant and last for months. When you take the worms from
the refrigerator to take on your route, place a moisture food in the box
for them. Be sure to remove it again later if you have any leftover
worms. Never leave your mealworms in direct sun or extreme heat.
If they are kept at room temperature for too long, they will pupate and
become beetles.
We provide mealworms to nesting parents and hatchlings during periods of cold, wet weather when the parents would not be able to find adequate insects to feed themselves and the hatchlings. The lid of a margarine or yogurt container secured with a tack on the top of a nest box is a pretty good holder for the worms. |