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Click here for a printable version of this page.
How is it possible to change mealworms into darkling beetles? What you need is a Brilliant Creatures magical metamorphosis chamber!
The chamber has everything the mealworms need to transform into beetles, so once it's made, all you need to do is sit back and watch!
You will need:
A large jar, some muslin or a pair of old tights, an elastic band, bran or oatmeal, some dried bread, biscuits, flour, an apple and a piece of kitchen towel. A useful added extra is a magnifying glass.
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Start with the jar and thoroughly wash it out to ensure that it's really clean.
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Now you need to add in some food for the mealworms.
Start by pouring in about 1cm or bran, or oatmeal.
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Add a good layer of dried breadcrumbs, crushed biscuit and flour. About 1cm is perfect.
Then add another layer of bran or oatmeal.
You may need to add another handful of food after about a week as the mealworms eat a lot!
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All the food you've poured in is dry and so, to add some moisture, put in a slice of apple or an apple core.
You'll need to replace the apple every day so that the chamber always has something fresh in it.
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To give the mealworms somewhere to sleep and a nice hiding place, add a scrunched up piece of kitchen roll.
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You can go one step further and make them a proper house like this.
It's made from a small box, with a roof cut from card, and windows and doors cut out so that they can crawl through them.
Cover with paper mache and when dry, paint to your taste.
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Whether you use kitchen towel or build a house, you're now ready to add your mealworms.
You need a couple of dozen and you can pick them up from most pet shops.
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To make sure that your mealworms don't escape you need to cover the jar - but make sure that air can get through.
A piece of muslin secured with an elastic band is great, but a section from an old pair of tights works equally well.
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A brilliant finishing touch is to attach a magnifying glass so that you can get a really close look at your mealworms as they change.
Stick it on with a couple of blobs of blu-tack.
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Now you're ready to watch the magic of metamorphosis.
The beetles will live for about two to three months and you will need to keep adding food as it runs low. Alternatively, release them under a bush in a garden or park.
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Once you've made the chamber why not have a go at our metamorphosis game, and see if you can match the adult with the baby?
Plus, you'll find some information on frog metamorphosis here.
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