Mealworm Care Sheet
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Scientific Name: Tenebrio
molitor (Darkling Beetle; larval stage) |
| Lizards
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Description |
| Mealworms
are becoming one of a few staple foods for carnivorous
lizards. While they should not be the
main food source, they are an excellent complimentary
food to crickets, silkworms
and butterworms. Mealwoms
will grow to a size of about 2.3 cm. |
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Nutritional
Information |
| Moisture |
62.44 % |
| Protein |
20.27 % |
| Fat |
12.72 % |
| Calories |
133 |
| Ash |
1.57 |
| Fiber |
1.73 % |
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Food &
Water |
| Keep your mealworms
on a thin bed (1 - 1.5 inches) of dry oatmeal and wheat
bran. Add a few slices of potato, apple or other similar
fruit or vegetable for water. Make sure you remove the
vegetable and replace with fresh produce every day. |
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Lighting, Temperature
& Humidity |
Keep the temperature where
you are leaving the mealworms arounf
45 degrees F. The mealworms will keep for a few weeks
in this temperature. |
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Housing |
A deep plastic container
will do just fine for mealworms. They
will try and make a getaway is shallow containers are
used. Make sure there is a lid on the top, and punch
many small air holes into the lid. The substrate is
their food, as mentioned above. |
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Other Issues |
| Since mealworms are the larval
stage of the Darkling Beetle, they will
at some point go into a pupal stage, and then turn into
beetles. Mealworms are edible in both the larval and pupal
stages, but should not be fed to your lizard when they
are beetles. If you seperate the beetles into their own
container, you may be able to breed them as well. |
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