I was looking up ideas for mealworm farms when I accidentally got my first pupae and came across this
http://scorpionforum.darkbb.com/t5156-mealworm-farm-diy

Has anyone tried the screen thing on here? If so how well did it work? If it worked great where do I get the wire screen? It doesn't look like I'd need much...

TIA

I havent done this because I found my own method but it looks interesting.

In that writeup it is said that beetles eat the eggs or the young. I dont think that is true and is actually quite vice versa. The young worms crawl inside of the beetles and eat them. The only cannibalization happening is from the worms. The growing worms WILL eat the eggs; the larger worms being the worse for that.

Thanks for the info Kazko. So I guess...if I put the grate thing in, then the eggs drop through, do I move the mealworms to the third shelf when they hatch-will I even be able to see them when they first hatch? He also reccomends using a toolbx seperator thing a ma jig, but I have had 34 turn into pupae in the what he calls community...I ended up putting the rest of mine in the fridge :o so is it really necessary to separate them?

I think you have to separate them, for the reason Kazko mentioned above. If your worms are eating all of your eggs, how are you going to get more worms? :D

I guess I should have made my second set of questions clearer :P

Will I be able to see the mealworms when they first hatch so that I can move them off the egg shelf?

Is in necessary to separate the mealworms into their own lil boxes so that they don't turn into pupae in the community setting, or can I let them pupate naturally (with out starving them) then move them once they are pupae?

I tried the grate thing.

Didn't work for me! The beetles ate at the grate and wouldn't leave the tape alone.

I do separate mine. Got the 3-drawer system thing at a dollar store. Works great.

Ok thanks valkeriemom :) Hubby bought me 2 pounds of oats today (the old fashioned kind). My worms don't seem to eat the carrots though, I've heard of celery or lettuce...