MEAL WORMS (Tenebrio molitor)
To guarantee that your meal worms remain at their utmost condition upon their being delivered to you, please follow these steps.
Prepare for their arrival prior to the delivery of your meal worms. Set up an enclosure in which your meal worms will be housed; this includes having the bedding, food, and water sources that your meal worms require prepared and ready to be placed into their enclosure upon their arrival. Make sure that someone will be present at the time of delivery to accept and properly care for the meal worms, including the transfer of the meal worms from their shipping box into the enclosure.
Meal worms require a large, spacious, well-ventilated, clean enclosure to be housed in. A 24 inch (60.96 cm) deep, 73 Qt, clear plastic Sterilite® container - - that has been washed with hot water to remove the plastic scum and dried - - will make the perfect enclosure for up to 10,000 meal worms of any size. To prevent cannibalism, only meal worms of the same size can be housed together (e.g. ½ inch (1.27 cm) meal worms with ½ inch (1.27 cm) meal worms and 1 inch (2.54 cm) meal worms with 1 inch (2.54 cm) meal worms). Meal worms are unable to scale the smooth plastic sides of their enclosure; however, a framed, metal, mesh insect-screen can be placed directly on top of the enclosure to permit for excellent ventilation and to prevent the entrance of any foreign objects into the enclosure. Place the meal worm enclosure in a dry, inside location that is between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 and 29.4 degrees Celsius) and that is free from draft, direct-sunlight, pesticides, fumes, smoke, and/or pests. The temperature within the enclosure should remain between 34 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 and 26.7 degrees Celsius). Meal worms can be refrigerated for days, weeks, or months where they will become and remain dormant until they are removed from refrigeration and exposed to warmer temperatures.
Meal worms require bedding in which they can burrow, and large quantities of clean, fresh food and water must be accessible to the meal worms at all times, for they have voracious appetites and will quickly eat each other if they have no access to food. Table bran, baby cereal, or ground oat meal make the perfect bedding and food sources for meal worms. Freshly halved apples or squash are the perfect water sources for meal worms. Commercially produced and marketed meal worm beddings, diets, and water gels can instead be offered.
Meal worms are packed and shipped in cardboard boxes containing cardboard partitions and egg crates. When your meal worms are delivered, immediately bring them inside and transfer them into their prepared enclosure by opening the top of the meal worm box, using a knife or razor blade to cut the tape along the top of the box, and gently pulling open all of the box’s top flaps. Once the top of the meal worm box has been opened, flip the meal worm box upside down directly over the meal worm enclosure, and shake and smack the bottom of the box with the palm of your hand until all the meal worms and box’s contents have dropped into the meal worm enclosure. Be sure to pull up the box’s inside-bottom flaps to ensure that all the meal worms have been removed from the box. The meal worms will not be harmed by the smacking and shaking of the box nor by their drop into the enclosure.
Once all the meal worms and the box’s contents have been transferred into the meal worm enclosure, set the box aside and shake each cardboard partition and egg crate within the enclosure to remove any meal worms from them. Once shaken, place the cardboard partitions and eggs crates outside the meal worm enclosure and remove any waste materials that may be present (i.e. dead meal worms and/or uneaten potato). Dispose of them along with the empty meal worm shipping box and cardboard partitions and egg crates that have been set aside.
For every thousand meal worms, pour 1 inch (2.54 cm) of bedding directly onto the enclosure floor on top of the meal worms. Once poured, shake the meal worm enclosure to level the bedding. Then add a water source by placing the halved apples or squash, cut-side down, directly on top of bedding’s surface. The meal worm bedding will break down into a fine dust as the meal worms consume it, and it should be replaced on a weekly basis or when conditions become unsanitary by sifting the meal worms from it using a kitchen strainer. Once the old bedding is separated from the meal worms, it can be disposed of, and the meal worms reintroduced into the enclosure with new bedding. The meal worm water source will disappear into the bedding as the meal worms consume it and it should be replaced daily, when it runs-out, or when conditions become unsanitary.
Meal worms require excellent ventilation throughout the enclosure; therefore, do not cover the top of the meal worm enclosure with anything other than a framed, metal, mesh, insect screen, which will prevent foreign objects from entering.
Place the meal worm enclosure on a flat surface in an inside location that is between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (12.7 and 26.7 degrees Celsius), and that is free from draft, direct sunlight, pesticides, fumes, smoke, and/or pests. The temperature within the enclosure should remain between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (12.7 and 26.7 degrees Celsius). Meal worms will pupate from worm to pupa to beetle unless they are refrigerated. If meal worms are to be refrigerated, allow them to feed on the bedding and water source for 24 hours prior to their being refrigerated. Immediately before refrigerating, remove and dispose of the water source and separate the meal worms from the bedding using a kitchen strainer. Dispose of the old bedding and transfer the meal worms into a new enclosure (i.e. a Sterilite® container that will fit into the refrigerator that has been washed with hot water to remove the plastic scum and dried). Add new bedding, but do not replace the old water source with any new water source. The new meal worm enclosure can then be transferred to the refrigerator without the lid. Refrigerated meal worms will become dormant and remain so for days, weeks, or months, until they are removed and exposed to warmer temperatures.
The daily removal of any dead meal worms, and/or unconsumed water sources from the surface of the bedding within the meal worm enclosure will reduce the presence and growth of mold, bacteria, pests, and pathogens, all of which are detrimental to the health of meal worms. In addition to the daily removal of waste, the entire meal worm enclosure must be washed using hot water and an antibacterial soap (e.g. Liquid Dial® Soap), and the meal worm bedding replaced weekly or when conditions become unsanitary. It is imperative that the washed meal worm enclosure is free from any soap residue and has been allowed to dry thoroughly prior to the reintroduction of any meal worms. If meal worms are refrigerated, the refrigerated meal worm enclosure should be thoroughly washed and the meal worm bedding replaced monthly or when conditions become unsanitary.
Meal worms will become dormant in cold temperatures; therefore, when meal worms are delivered in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius), immediately bring the meal worms inside and allow the unopened box of meal worms to warm up in a location between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21.1 and 26.7 degrees Celsius) that is free from draft, direct sunlight, pesticides, fumes, smoke, and/or pests. Allow the meal worms to warm up in the unopened box for 3 hours. After 3 hours, open the top of the meal worm box by cutting the tape along the top of the box, and pulling open all four of the box’s top flaps. If all the meal worms are completely active (i.e. the meal worms are crawling around the inside of the box), the meal worms can be transferred to their housing container as described in step #4. If after 3 hours of warm-up, the meal worms are not completely active (i.e. the meal worms are moving slowly, are motionless, or appear dead lying on their backs), close and re-tape the box and return it to the warm up location where the meal worms can warm-up directly beside it for another 3 hours. Repeat the warm-up process until all the meal worms have become completely active, which may take up to 24 hours.
The meal worm shipping box is constructed for the transportation of meal worms, not the housing of meal worms. Upon being packed within the shipping box, meal worms will immediately attempt to escape by looking for any openings, or create some by chewing through the walls of the box. Meal worms will also quickly eat each other once they have consumed any water and food source provided. It is therefore imperative that they be transferred to an appropriate enclosure as soon as possible and that the meal worms are kept in a well ventilated, dry, inside location that is between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (12.7 and 26.7 degrees Celsius) and free from draft, direct-sunlight, pesticides, fumes, smoke, and/or pests. It is also imperative that the meal worms be provided with a fresh, clean water and food source on a daily basis. A quartered potato or apple works well for its hardness prevents it from turning to mush and it resists mold and bacteria growth. To provide the boxed meal worms with the fresh, clean water and food source, place the meal worm box on a flat surface and open the top of the meal worm box, using a knife or razor blade to cut the tape along the top of the box and gently pulling open all of the box’s top flaps. Once the top of the meal worm box has been opened, quickly remove and discard any uneaten food within the box’s inside corner cavity and replace it with the water and food source. Quickly close and re-tape the box and return it to its original location.
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MEAL WORMS (Tenebrio molitor)
To guarantee that your meal worms remain at their utmost condition upon their being delivered to you, please follow these steps.
Prepare for their arrival prior to the delivery of your meal worms. Set up an enclosure in which your meal worms will be housed; this includes having the bedding, food, and water sources that your meal worms require prepared and ready to be placed into their enclosure upon their arrival. Make sure that someone will be present at the time of delivery to accept and properly care for the meal worms, including the transfer of the meal worms from their shipping box into the enclosure.
Meal worms require a large, spacious, well-ventilated, clean enclosure to be housed in. A 24 inch (60.96 cm) deep, 73 Qt, clear plastic Sterilite® container - - that has been washed with hot water to remove the plastic scum and dried - - will make the perfect enclosure for up to 10,000 meal worms of any size. To prevent cannibalism, only meal worms of the same size can be housed together (e.g. ½ inch (1.27 cm) meal worms with ½ inch (1.27 cm) meal worms and 1 inch (2.54 cm) meal worms with 1 inch (2.54 cm) meal worms). Meal worms are unable to scale the smooth plastic sides of their enclosure; however, a framed, metal, mesh insect-screen can be placed directly on top of the enclosure to permit for excellent ventilation and to prevent the entrance of any foreign objects into the enclosure. Place the meal worm enclosure in a dry, inside location that is between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 and 29.4 degrees Celsius) and that is free from draft, direct-sunlight, pesticides, fumes, smoke, and/or pests. The temperature within the enclosure should remain between 34 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 and 26.7 degrees Celsius). Meal worms can be refrigerated for days, weeks, or months where they will become and remain dormant until they are removed from refrigeration and exposed to warmer temperatures.
Meal worms require bedding in which they can burrow, and large quantities of clean, fresh food and water must be accessible to the meal worms at all times, for they have voracious appetites and will quickly eat each other if they have no access to food. Table bran, baby cereal, or ground oat meal make the perfect bedding and food sources for meal worms. Freshly halved apples or squash are the perfect water sources for meal worms. Commercially produced and marketed meal worm beddings, diets, and water gels can instead be offered.
Meal worms are packed and shipped in cardboard boxes containing cardboard partitions and egg crates. When your meal worms are delivered, immediately bring them inside and transfer them into their prepared enclosure by opening the top of the meal worm box, using a knife or razor blade to cut the tape along the top of the box, and gently pulling open all of the box’s top flaps. Once the top of the meal worm box has been opened, flip the meal worm box upside down directly over the meal worm enclosure, and shake and smack the bottom of the box with the palm of your hand until all the meal worms and box’s contents have dropped into the meal worm enclosure. Be sure to pull up the box’s inside-bottom flaps to ensure that all the meal worms have been removed from the box. The meal worms will not be harmed by the smacking and shaking of the box nor by their drop into the enclosure.
For every thousand meal worms, pour 1 inch (2.54 cm) of bedding directly onto the enclosure floor on top of the meal worms. Once poured, shake the meal worm enclosure to level the bedding. Then add a water source by placing the halved apples or squash, cut-side down, directly on top of bedding’s surface. The meal worm bedding will break down into a fine dust as the meal worms consume it, and it should be replaced on a weekly basis or when conditions become unsanitary by sifting the meal worms from it using a kitchen strainer. Once the old bedding is separated from the meal worms, it can be disposed of, and the meal worms reintroduced into the enclosure with new bedding. The meal worm water source will disappear into the bedding as the meal worms consume it and it should be replaced daily, when it runs-out, or when conditions become unsanitary.
Meal worms require excellent ventilation throughout the enclosure; therefore, do not cover the top of the meal worm enclosure with anything other than a framed, metal, mesh, insect screen, which will prevent foreign objects from entering.
Place the meal worm enclosure on a flat surface in an inside location that is between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (12.7 and 26.7 degrees Celsius), and that is free from draft, direct sunlight, pesticides, fumes, smoke, and/or pests. The temperature within the enclosure should remain between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (12.7 and 26.7 degrees Celsius). Meal worms will pupate from worm to pupa to beetle unless they are refrigerated. If meal worms are to be refrigerated, allow them to feed on the bedding and water source for 24 hours prior to their being refrigerated. Immediately before refrigerating, remove and dispose of the water source and separate the meal worms from the bedding using a kitchen strainer. Dispose of the old bedding and transfer the meal worms into a new enclosure (i.e. a Sterilite® container that will fit into the refrigerator that has been washed with hot water to remove the plastic scum and dried). Add new bedding, but do not replace the old water source with any new water source. The new meal worm enclosure can then be transferred to the refrigerator without the lid. Refrigerated meal worms will become dormant and remain so for days, weeks, or months, until they are removed and exposed to warmer temperatures.
The daily removal of any dead meal worms, and/or unconsumed water sources from the surface of the bedding within the meal worm enclosure will reduce the presence and growth of mold, bacteria, pests, and pathogens, all of which are detrimental to the health of meal worms. In addition to the daily removal of waste, the entire meal worm enclosure must be washed using hot water and an antibacterial soap (e.g. Liquid Dial® Soap), and the meal worm bedding replaced weekly or when conditions become unsanitary. It is imperative that the washed meal worm enclosure is free from any soap residue and has been allowed to dry thoroughly prior to the reintroduction of any meal worms. If meal worms are refrigerated, the refrigerated meal worm enclosure should be thoroughly washed and the meal worm bedding replaced monthly or when conditions become unsanitary.
Meal worms will become dormant in cold temperatures; therefore, when meal worms are delivered in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius), immediately bring the meal worms inside and allow the unopened box of meal worms to warm up in a location between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21.1 and 26.7 degrees Celsius) that is free from draft, direct sunlight, pesticides, fumes, smoke, and/or pests. Allow the meal worms to warm up in the unopened box for 3 hours. After 3 hours, open the top of the meal worm box by cutting the tape along the top of the box, and pulling open all four of the box’s top flaps. If all the meal worms are completely active (i.e. the meal worms are crawling around the inside of the box), the meal worms can be transferred to their housing container as described in step #4. If after 3 hours of warm-up, the meal worms are not completely active (i.e. the meal worms are moving slowly, are motionless, or appear dead lying on their backs), close and re-tape the box and return it to the warm up location where the meal worms can warm-up directly beside it for another 3 hours. Repeat the warm-up process until all the meal worms have become completely active, which may take up to 24 hours.
The meal worm shipping box is constructed for the transportation of meal worms, not the housing of meal worms. Upon being packed within the shipping box, meal worms will immediately attempt to escape by looking for any openings, or create some by chewing through the walls of the box. Meal worms will also quickly eat each other once they have consumed any water and food source provided. It is therefore imperative that they be transferred to an appropriate enclosure as soon as possible and that the meal worms are kept in a well ventilated, dry, inside location that is between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (12.7 and 26.7 degrees Celsius) and free from draft, direct-sunlight, pesticides, fumes, smoke, and/or pests. It is also imperative that the meal worms be provided with a fresh, clean water and food source on a daily basis. A quartered potato or apple works well for its hardness prevents it from turning to mush and it resists mold and bacteria growth. To provide the boxed meal worms with the fresh, clean water and food source, place the meal worm box on a flat surface and open the top of the meal worm box, using a knife or razor blade to cut the tape along the top of the box and gently pulling open all of the box’s top flaps. Once the top of the meal worm box has been opened, quickly remove and discard any uneaten food within the box’s inside corner cavity and replace it with the water and food source. Quickly close and re-tape the box and return it to its original location.