Mealworms are not actually worms at all, they’re the larvae of flour beetles that are plentiful throughout the World. They are considered pests when they infest grains and areas where garbage is not properly disposed of, but they also have many useful applications including providing excellent nutrition to pet reptiles, chickens and even humans. They prefer to live in high density closed spaces that are dark, slightly humid and warm. Mealworms usually live about 4 - 6 weeks before becoming pupae and then adult beetles. They can be stored live for long periods of time in the fridge or for even longer in freeze dried form, making them practical as well as nutritious.

Mealworms are the Perfect Reptile Food

Mealworms are the perfect food for a wide range of reptilian pets including bearded dragons, crested geckos, veiled chameleons, blue-tongue skinks, green basilisks and leopard geckos. There are many other options for feeding pet reptiles such as crickets, wax worms, superworms, grasshoppers and hornworms, but none of these feeder insects has as perfect a nutritional profile for reptiles. Mealworms are an excellent source of protein and contain just the right amount of fat to assist with the absorption of vitamins and the maintenance of body temperature. These are easy to feed because they are slow moving, aren’t strong enough to injure reptiles, even juveniles, and can be stored in the fridge for months in a dormant state. Mealworms are the only food source that can be fed exclusively to leopard geckos and some other types of lizards. 

Mealworms are Mouth Watering Morsels for Birds

Over eight percent of birds eat insects as a part of their diet, making mealworms a great way to attract birds to your yard. Unlike most reptiles, birds are happy to eat freeze dried mealworms as well as live ones. They provide an excellent balance of protein, fat and fiber, making them nutritious additions to the diet of wild and pet birds. Adding mealworms to feeders is also a great way to attract species that aren’t so interested in seeds, such as cardinals, nuthatches, chickadees, thrushes, titmice, wrens and kinglets. To increase the nutritional profile of live mealworms, feed them some apples, loose bran or oatmeal one or two days before feeding them to birds. Live mealworms should be placed in a rimmed dish or on a platform feeder so they don’t get away before the birds can get to them. Backyard chicken coop farmers are discovering how appealing their flocks find dried mealworms. That’s great to know because they are packed with the type of protein that helps your chickens' plumage stay lustrous and promotes egg laying. There have been accounts of how adding mealworms to a chicken’s diet improves the size and flavor of their eggs. Mealworms are especially helpful during molting season when it’s essential to boost your girls’ protein intake. They are also a great addition to the diets of a wide range of pet birds, including parrots.

A Great Treat for Pet Fish

There are many varieties of aquarium fish that will thrive on a diet rich in mealworms. Due to the risk of parasites or bacteria in live mealworms, it’s best to only feed your fish dried mealworms. Goldfish love mealworms, but they’re omnivorous, so you can’t feed them mealworms exclusively. Pond fish such as Koi and large goldfish can eat either live or fried mealworms and gobble them up like there’s no tomorrow. They can be a bit difficult to digest due to their hard shell, so feeding mealworms to fish should be done in moderation.

Mealworms for Farming

Farmers are discovering that cultivating mealworms for animal feed is an economical alternative to importing soya for this purpose. This is because they are easy to cultivate and pack more protein than steak. They’re also rich in amino acids, fats, vitamins and minerals making them an excellent source of feed for poultry and aquaculture. Mealworms thrive on organic food waste and take up much less space then livestock, making of them a very eco friendly source of nutrition. Research is now being conducted to increase the usefulness of mealworms to agriculture by customizing the nutritional profile of mealworms for specific purposes. For example, producing low fat mealworms for aquaculture and high fat mealworms to feed poultry.

Should Humans Eat Mealworms?

Eating mealworms has become increasingly popular among foodies, heralded for their nutty taste and as an eco-friendly protein source. This led the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to investigate the safety of human consumption of dried yellow mealworms in 2015. EFSA released its report in 2021 with the conclusion that they are safe for human consumption. Eating insects is still difficult to sell to Americans and Europeans, but has a long history in other cultures. For example, in Mexico it’s common to find such delicacies as chocolate covered locusts and candied worms. The Brazilian town of Silveiras is known for collecting ants and either frying them or dipping them in chocolate. In Ghana, insects make up more than fifty percent of the protein in the diet in rural areas, providing crucial fats and proteins when other sources are not available. In Thailand, grasshoppers, crickets and worms are considered great snacks, eaten while sipping tea. In the Netherlands, progressive eco-conscious citizens are trying to bring the culture of eating bugs to their country by promoting products such as chocolate infused with ground mealworms. The Netherlands restaurant Bugalicious has crickets, grasshoppers, buffalo worms and mealworms on the menu. Gastrobug, a website about eating bugs, publishes a list of restaurants throughout the world that have some type of insect on the menu. The lion’s share of American restaurants with insects on their menus are in California, with San Francisco’s La Oaxaquena receiving accolades for their cricket tacos. For grasshopper sushi, a trip to Portland Oregon’s Sushi Mazi might be in order and mealworm connoisseurs will feel right at home at BensBugs restaurant in Belgium.

The Future for Mealworms

It’s no secret that livestock is destroying our planet and that eating animals that can smile, laugh and cry is falling out of favor. The large amounts of land that are needed for growing protein rich vegetables such as soybeans is also taking its toll on the environment. That’s why we’re likely to see an increase in the use of mealworms not just for feeding reptiles and birds, but as a protein source for humans throughout the world.