Mealworm Care Guide Australia
Mealworms are one of the most widely available and easiest-to-store feeder insects in Australia, making them popular with bearded dragon keepers, chickens, and many other insectivorous animals. Unlike crickets or woodies, mealworms can survive in the fridge, so they have a long shelf life and are super easy to feed off.
This guide covers everything you need for day-to-day mealworm care and feeding. For a wider look at all the feeder insects available in Australia, see our complete guide to feeder insects in Australia.
Quick takeaway: Mealworms are the larvae of the darkling beetle, store well refrigerated, and are easy to feed — but their tough exoskeleton and poor calcium-to-phosphorus ratio mean they work best as part of a varied diet rather than a sole staple.
What Are Mealworms
Mealworms are the larval stage of the darkling beetle (Tenebrio molitor). Unlike crickets or woodies, they don't stay in one life stage — left long enough at room temperature, a mealworm will pupate and emerge as a beetle. This is exactly why refrigeration matters for storage.
Housing and Substrate
A shallow plastic tub with a bran-based substrate (wheat bran, oat bran, or pollard) is all mealworms need. The substrate doubles as their food source. Keep the layer a few centimetres deep, and add a slice of potato, carrot, or apple every couple of days for moisture — remove any that starts to mould.
Temperature and Storage
At room temperature, mealworms stay active and continue developing toward pupation. Refrigerating them (around 4–10°C) slows their metabolism dramatically, keeping them as larvae for weeks to months without them progressing to the pupal stage. This is the standard way keepers store a bulk quantities.
Feeding and Nutrition
Mealworms carry a notably poor calcium-to-phosphorus ratio and a harder exoskeleton than most feeder insects, so gut-loading and calcium dusting matter more here than with softer-bodied feeders. We cover this in detail, including which reptiles they suit best and portion sizes, in are mealworms good for bearded dragons and how many mealworms to feed your reptile.
Are Mealworms a Good Feeder Insect
Mealworms have real strengths — long shelf life, no odour, and no escape risk — alongside real limitations around nutrition and exoskeleton toughness. For the full pros-and-cons breakdown, see are mealworms a good feeder insect.
Breeding Mealworms
Because mealworms are a larval stage rather than a standalone species, breeding them means letting some pupate into beetles, which then lay eggs in the substrate. It's a slower, different process than breeding roaches or crickets. Full setup instructions are in how to breed mealworms in Australia.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Storing mealworms at room temperature and finding a tub of beetles a few weeks later
- Keeping them in a hot and humid environment (asking for grain mite problems)
- Using mealworms as a sole staple without dusting or variety
- Letting substrate moisture build up and mould
For the complete list with explanations, see common mealworm feeding mistakes.
Getting Started With Mealworms
We at Reptifauna ship mealworms across Australia (excl. WA & TAS). You can find them below:
Browse the wider range in our mealworms & superworms collection, or compare mealworms against other feeders in our guide to choosing the best feeder insects for Australian reptiles.
Final Thoughts
Mealworms are convenient, low-maintenance, and easy to store — the trade-off is a tougher exoskeleton and a nutrient profile that works best alongside other feeders rather than as a sole diet. Get storage and dusting right and they're one of the easiest feeders to keep on hand.
Browse the full complete guide to feeder insects in Australia, or see best feeder insects for Australian reptiles to compare your options.