# Freezing mealworms?



## wushu1987 (Dec 26, 2015)

So... I think I may have ordered too many mealworms online lol... I'm going to see how many I go through but if I did can I freeze them and then thaw them out later for my hedgie? I know that it won't be as fun for her as live ones but I would hate to waste them...


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## Leeloosmommy (Oct 14, 2015)

I put them in the refregirator. They last a lot longer without freezing and still alive


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Put them in the fridge. Take them out once a week to earn up and eat. Then they can go back... Or start farming them.


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## wushu1987 (Dec 26, 2015)

How long can they last in the fridge for?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I second farming them. It's very easy & you can feed the pupae and beetles stages too. The pupae are great for hiding around their cage for them to find!


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## wushu1987 (Dec 26, 2015)

I saw that there was a sticky on how to farm them.. I will read over it.. I bet she would pupae hunting  Are the pupae and beetles as high in fat as the worms?


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## Leeloosmommy (Oct 14, 2015)

... Is the pupae and beetle is when thy come ... like the black thing kind of bug? I haven't saw yet that stickie how to farm them... Will read it for sure!


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## wushu1987 (Dec 26, 2015)

Sounds like it's gonna be a science project  lol


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Okay, you know the Pokemon Kakuna? The pupae look exactly like that. :lol: The beetles are small black beetles, but they're pretty non-threatening as far as beetles and bugs go. They're about the size of a dime, if I remember right? It's been a while since I've seen one. I don't have nutritional info down on mealworm pupae (can't recall if I couldn't find info at all or couldn't find good studies for info), but the beetles have less fat than the worms. I think the pupae have less than the worm, but more than the beetle? But I'm not positive. 

I haven't ordered my mealworms yet (I'm waiting until Bindi's closer to being done with her antibiotics so I can order a greater variety of bugs & make it worth the shipping), but I have my set up ready for them. I have one of those sets of three plastic drawers, a small one. Wheat bran in each drawer. I'm planning to split my 1000 mealworms between two of the drawers, keep a second small container for pupae, and have the third drawer for beetles. As the mealworm drawers empty out from being eaten or changing, the drawers will get the beetle bedding dumped into them so eggs can hatch & baby mealworms can grow.


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## wushu1987 (Dec 26, 2015)

Ooooooo I like that idea for the set up!


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## wushu1987 (Dec 26, 2015)

Hopefully I get my mealworms soon... USPS tracking says that they were ready for pick up yesterday but the post office couldn't find them today... So will check back tomorrow.... Gonna be a nasty surprise for the post office if they lost them lol


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## jillgonz (Jan 19, 2016)

I bought mealworms from Petco in a plastic container. Inside are the worms and the substrate they live on, which kind of looks like fish food. How would I go about feeding them? Do I take the container out of the fridge, put a piece of fruit inside, and close it? Or would I have to take all of the mealworms out individually? Will they not last if I don't feed them? It's about a 3 month supply and says it expires 10/16.


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## Artemis (Nov 12, 2015)

When you have a question you should start a new thread or it will be lost and you won't get the answers you need.


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## Artemis (Nov 12, 2015)

jillgonz said:


> I bought mealworms from Petco in a plastic container. Inside are the worms and the substrate they live on, which kind of looks like fish food. How would I go about feeding them? Do I take the container out of the fridge, put a piece of fruit inside, and close it? Or would I have to take all of the mealworms out individually? Will they not last if I don't feed them? It's about a 3 month supply and says it expires 10/16.


When you have a question you should start a new thread or it will be lost and you won't get the answers you need.


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## jillgonz (Jan 19, 2016)

OK thank you!


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Since this was dug up... I have to reply to this:


> I don't have nutritional info down on mealworm pupae


http://nagonline.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/NAG-FS003-97-Insects-JONI-FEB-24-2002-MODIFIED.pdf

Fatty content is highest in larva stage, and goes down with each stage. Fiber content goes down in pupae but skyrockets when they reach adulthood (beetle).


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yay, thanks Kalandra! I opened up the article...and it turns out I already have it bookmarked. So the answer was "I just didn't write it down". :roll: :lol: I need to get back to making my insect nutritional chart now that life is slowing down a bit again & since I'm starting to introduce Bindi to more insects.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Oh the things we Google for our pets. Although I was kind of upset that dubia roaches weren't on there given that for the past 24 hours I was reading about raising them.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Just for the record, I have no intention of deciding to raise creepy crawlies during the coldest week of the winter to date. I have less winter projects than summer projects, so things always sound like a project I can take on during the winter, but come summer time I am kept busy and may not have the time. But I do have time to read up on things during the yucky winter.


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