Classwork-Homework
Parent Letter Teachers Guide page 10

How to Raise Mealworms  5:12

CARE OF THE MEALWORMS #1
Species
The yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor)
The dark mealworm (Tenebrio obscurus)
Both are very similar in appearance.
The adults are large beetles, 12-15mm in length.
The adult of T. molitor is dark shiny brown to black.
T. obscurus is a dull black.
The larvae resemble wireworms.

Moisture
Provide  slices of apple, potato, or carrots to provide fluids for the mealworms.
Mealworms lay their eggs on them.
Collect the eggs and save them when starting a new colony.

Feeding
Use any of the following mixtures:

• Wheat bran
• One part pulverized dry cat or dog chow + 3 parts wheat bran
• Quaker oats + 1/2 cup bone meal powder + 1/4 cup multivitamin powder

Cover food and mealworms with 2-3 layers of moistened burlap.
Sprinkle with water once weekly to maintain moisture level in colony.
Burlap also simplifies collecting mealworms.
The larvae will gather between the burlap layers.

Temperature
Mealworms thrive in a warm (80-90 degrees F) environment.

Clean Up
Over time, a build-up of powdery residue will appear in the container.
This residue, called frass, consists of mealworm wastes and eggs.
Sift this out once a month using a colander, window screen, or tea strainer.
Keep frass in a separate container and add bran and potato slices.
The eggs will hatch in about one month.

Humane Treatment of Mealworms Rules
1. Handle your mealworms with care.
2. Keep chemicals and other harmful substances away from mealworms.
3. Provide the mealworm with proper food and shelter.

Certificate of Adoption
Meet the Creatures  Student Activity Guide page 2
Scientific Name Tenebrio molitor

• Each student prepares a habitat for a mealworm in a small plastic condiment cup.
• They use a pushpin to make air holes in the plastic lid. See the attached photo.
• Using a fine point permanent marker students write their name on the bottom of the cup.
• Add one-quarter inch of bran meal in the cup and a thin slice of apple or carrot.
• Students pick their own mealworm.
• Using a hand magnifying lens or a microscope, students observe the mealworm. See the attached photo.
• They look for eyes, legs, and at the body segments.
• Next, the mealworm is laid in the cup.
• Then the lid is put on the cup and it is placed in an area out of direct sunlight.
• The student lists and describes how they made the mealworm’s home.
• Students observe the mealworm in its habitat each day and look for any changes.
• Daily entries are made in their science journals.
• They write about how the mealworm looks, moves, and feels to the touch.
• Each stage of the mealworm’s marvelous metamorphosis is documented, drawn and labeled.
• Students share daily their observations of the mealworm.
• A time line is kept as the changes occur.
• Not all of the mealworm/beetle population will successfully go through a complete metamorphosis.
• When a student’s mealworm dies have student can select a new mealworm to replace the one they lost.
• It is important to add this death the next time data is collected.

Mealworm Coloring Identification
Color each mealworm as closely as you can.
Choose a name for each of your mealworms.

Mealworm Raising

Classwork-Homework
MEET THE MEALWORMS #2
The Naked Eye
Use a plastic spoon to gently pick up a mealworm.
Hold the mealworm in your hand.
If you drop a mealworm use an index card and gently "whistle" it back on the card.
Observe the parts of the mealworm.
Check off on the chart what parts of the mealworm they observe with the naked eye.
Use a magnifying glass to find the same parts.
Check off on the chart what you see.
Make any notes of mealworm behavior in the last column of the chart.
Return the mealworm to its habitat.

Discussion Questions
Are there hairs on the mealworm?
If so, where are they located?
How many segments can you count?
Does the mealworm have eyes?
Do all mealworms look alike?
How many legs does a mealworm have?
Where do the legs come out of?
How do their legs move?  Is there a pattern?
Do the turn right or left the most?

Mealworm Diagram
Label the parts of the Mealworm Diagram Student Activity Book page 4.

Mealworm Diagram

Classwork-Homework
LIFE CYCLE #3
Life Cycle

• Egg
• Larva
• Pupa
• Adult

Mealworm Morphing to Pupa  6:45
Mealworm Pupa  1:28
Mealworm Pupa Morphing Into a Beetle 7:47
Mealworm Pupa Emerges as Adult Timelapse  :15

Life Cycle of a Grain Beetle Student Activity Book page 5
Name each stage and explain it.

Mealworm Population Sheet Student Activity Book page 6
Record number of Larva, Pupa, and Adults weekly.

• Sort and count all of the live larvae, pupae, adults and any dead found in the population.
• Record information on tally sheet.
• Share data with teacher
• Teacher will record data on class chart.
• Each student copies class data on their own tally sheet.
• Add the totals for all groups.
• Create a bar graph of larvae, pupae, adults, and dead
• Have two students make an enlarged version.
• Repeat every 2 weeks.

Life Stage Line Graph Student Activity Book page 7
Create a line graph for the population of each stage,

Answer questions on page 8-9

Mealworm Observations 
Record student observations of mealworms.
Explain two kinds of variables: independent and dependent variable.

SCENARIOS Student Activity guide page 10-11
Read each scenario
Have students identify the independent variable, dependent variable and the constants.

BACKING UP Student Activity guide page 12-14
Use alcohol, vinegar, ammonia, water to investigate mealworm's sense of smell
Teachers Guide 21-22

Classwork-Homework
PROCEDURES #8
Have students reread what they did for the Backing Up

Procedure Student Activity Guide page 18
With a partner have them write a procedure for the experiment backing up.

Classwork-Homework
Writing Your Own Experiment
Identify independent and dependent variables from Color and Backing Up

Mealworm Experiment Slideshow Light and moisture experiments 36-43

Create Your Own Experiment Student Activity Guide page 19-21

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