Difference between mealworms and giant mealworms?

Are giant mealworms the same as mealworms but bigger? If so, then why do my mealworms turn into aliens (is pupate the correct term for this?) before they reach giant mealworm sizes? And where do superworms fit in to the picture?

Giant mealworms are plain mailworms that have a certain chemical added to their food/substrate that keeps them from pupating. They just keep growing and growing and growing. You'd have obtain the chemical (the name of which I forget) and seperate out a certain number of the mealworms to Super Size if you wanted to breed them.

Superworms are a whole different beastie. Raising them involves film containers and waiting and stuff. Don't remember off the top of my head, it seemed like a lot of work.

Reminds me, I should get some mealworm and roache colonies setup for my hopefully-soon-to-be leo colony.

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Originally Posted by Maarken

You'd have obtain the chemical (the name of which I forget) and seperate out a certain number of the mealworms to Super Size if you wanted to breed them.

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You can breed mealworms if you prevent them from maturing through the life cycle? That doesn't make sense to me.

No, you breed them normally and pick out like 10% each month to move to a substrate containing the chemical. Same as harvesting to feed, you just let them get really big first.

a small mealworm will give you a smaller beetle....but it will still breed. i suggest if you don't want any aleins, keep them refrigderated.
superworms are tropical mealworms. they won't pupate (aleins) unless they are completly isolated from each other. i wouldn't suggest refridgerating these guys.
if you start a colony to breed, may i suggest supers or (zoophobes)same thing. good luck.

Mealworms turn into beatles right? thats why there was a beetle in my little mealie container... wierd

Thanks for the info!