Breeding fail. D:

[whoaxmary]

So, after attaining my gecko I decided to try and breed mealworms to avoid having to buy them constantly. It seemed simple enough after some quick googling. I had them in oatmeal, with chunks of apple and potatoes in a dark, warm space. Didn't take to long before they started turning black and dying off. After checking today, I only found one left alive. (Only about three weeks after starting) So apperently I did something awefully wrong. Looked through old threads quickly but didn't find a great one so I thought I'd start one and ask for any advice. lol.

[stephanbakir]

I've never done this or reasearched it, but quick questions that come to mind are.

Did you leave the apple/potatoes in too long and let them mold up a bit? (i raised worms for fishing and any mold killed them quick, so did not changing the soil once a week, their poo was toxic to them)
Was the substrate too dry or too wet?

someone else will probably be more help in this situation, just tossing out idea till the people who have done it log in.

[RandyRhoads]

My 12 year old brother did it the same way. He's really lazy and just tossed all them in and forgot about it and they bred pretty good. Did you have a heat lamp on them?

[whoaxmary]

No I didn't have them under a heat lamp, but I had them around 75 and higher temps. I was changing the apples and potatoes but I didn't think to change the oatmeal since it looked the same.

[Jenn_06]

i breed mealworms and never had that happend and i do everything like you do. might want to order 100 off the internet and try again some will die off but a lot will turn and breed for you.

[RandyRhoads]

No idea about breeding but like I said, he had a heat lamp on them and they bred like mad.

[whoaxmary]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll try to find a good place to buy them online and will order more. I'll try putting them in an extra exo-terra viv I have and throw a light on them. I've also been told oatmeal is too dusty to use? o.o Anythoughts on this?

[Boss Heterodon]

We use Wheatabix and Oatmeal with some Bug Grub thrown in. We've got three tubs set up: one for the mealies, one for the aliens and one for the beetles. When looking for signs of succesful breeding, it's easier to not look for the worms themselves, but instead signs of the worms, i.e slight movement in the worm bedding (they are really really teeny!).

We've had no problems using the oatmeal at all, and have been breeding the mealies since last Fall with no issues. Hope that helps

[whoaxmary]

It helps a ton. Thanks~

[whoaxmary]

Any recommendations on a website I should to order my worms?