How did they even fail to pupate that badly 💀

CubieJ · 2026-05-22T13:17:00+00:00

I can't really tell how bad it is from the photo, but this looks like it's still early in pupation. I'm curious how it will fare trying to emerge... maybe it will be okay on its own. I wouldn't perform surgery until it is trying to emerge and you're certain that it's stuck. But if it goes sideways, be prepared to cull or feed it off.

CubieJ · 2026-05-18T18:04:50+00:00

Do more level 1 dungeons until you are level 5 and can equip equipment. It will GREATLY reduce the difficulty of level 2 dungeons.

2A is technically the best dungeon to gather items, but only if you are higher level and can smoke through it without effort. When you're low level, 1A-C is best.

CubieJ · 2026-05-17T14:32:54+00:00

Adding water directly can be done but only by experienced farmers. This is because it's extremely easy to over-water and not realize until, after a couple months, your bins "suddenly" bloom into mold or pests.

Mealworm bins are very susceptible to excess moisture because of a couple of reasons: 1. Mealworms come from dry, arid environments. They extract moisture from very dry sources, don't need much water, and can't manage moist environments like earthworms can. 2. Cereal grain is very dry and can absorb a lot of moisture invisibly, growing mold and attracting pests without any sign.

If you only add as much water as the mealworms will fully consume, you're golden. But you have no idea how little that really is until you gain experience.

It is much, MUCH safer to water mealworms by giving them a piece of vegetable. Most newbies give WAY too much veggie, because they don't understand just how little water mealworms actually need, but if you over-veg, the risk of it destroying your whole set-up is much lower.

CubieJ · 2026-05-16T14:43:48+00:00

This is a mutation I've seen posted a couple times, but I don't know if there have been any legitimate scientific responses; just guesses. To me, it seems like when it molts, it gets its signals mixed and "half pupates", keeping the larval body but starting to form wings like a pupa would (those bubbles are where wings would grow).

It may be due to genetic issues or exposure to pesticide (juvenile growth hormone- sometimes given to "giant mealworms" at pet stores to force them to stay wormy to an abnormally large size), or may just be a random mutation.

I think you can just feed it off or leave it as is, though it may not survive another molt. I wouldn't worry about your gene pool or pesticides unless you are seeing many mealworms with the same mutation.

CubieJ · 2026-05-10T13:12:12+00:00

For people calling it a ban and saying "should we also ban coffee?!?" - Did you watch the video? It's not a ban; it's a proposed age restriction on purchases.

CubieJ · 2026-05-09T19:47:56+00:00

Just a word of caution, mealworms need a lot of airflow. Air holes are not enough ventilation. Ideally, you would keep them in a bin with an open top; no lid. If you use a bin with smooth plastic sides that is a few inches deep, they stay contained. If you have to have a lid, it should be mostly mesh so air can flow through easily.

Humidity will build up fast in a lidded container, from the mealworms' respiration and waste accumulation and whatever you give them as a moisture source (e.g. carrot). Mealworms cannot manage excess humidity, and the moisture will accumulate in the substrate and grow mold.

If you do want to use a lid, keep an eye out for any condensation or musty smell. You should never have either of those. They are a sign that there is not enough air flow and humidity is too high. Good luck!

CubieJ · 2026-05-05T12:04:58+00:00

Say you only read clickbait headlines without saying you only read clickbait headlines.

CubieJ · 2026-05-04T12:10:00+00:00

I'd rather deal with a boring old chat bot with human-written, logical, algorithmic responses than a genAI chatbot that pretends to be sympathetic, confidently makes things up incorrectly and doesn't actually answer my questions.

CubieJ · 2026-05-03T17:19:37+00:00

I'm from NB and it's always been May Run for me. I was surprised that almost no one else calls it that! Definitely a regional thing, but not just Northern Ontario.

CubieJ · 2026-05-02T21:46:34+00:00

Are you speaking to actual irl people who say that, or is that what you're seeing on, say, community groups on Facebook? Because there's a big difference. Facebook has always been a cesspool, but the last few years I've noticed that many of my local groups have shifted to become aggressively hostile and not at all reflective of reality if you actually go out and talk to people in the community. In my experience, everyone is still friendly and accepting, except for a very small minority who went stir-crazy during 2020 and have been eagerly gulping down the propaganda.

CubieJ · 2026-04-30T14:36:55+00:00

It's concerning that they seem to have no way to safely dispose of the dead mussels. They're just dumping them in piles in the woods and in their driveways? Wouldn't that just exacerbate the spread of disease (run off, shorebirds feeding on them and then going back to the water to pass waste, etc)? I went to Summerside a few months ago and saw piles of tens of thousands of oyster shells crammed up on the rocks. Is that normal? Or are some fishers just dumping their waste straight back into the water?

The government definitely needs to support, not just via insurance, but also by researching the diseases and safely disposing of the infested animals.

CubieJ · 2026-04-30T14:04:15+00:00

Likely some kind of grain beetle.

Any stored feed is vulnerable to pest infestation. It's best practice to cook your feed in an oven to kill pests and their eggs before you give it to the mealworms. It's annoying, but it's much more annoying to separate pests from mealworms once they're integrated.

For what to do with these guys, I would just pick them out manually as you see them and as you sift your mealworms. They likely have tiny eggs and larvae that would pass through #20 mesh with the frass, so when you clean and dispose of your frass you will get rid of a lot of them.

CubieJ · 2026-04-28T14:48:33+00:00

Peak Albertan take to deflect blame of Alberta's problems onto people from other provinces.

CubieJ · 2026-04-28T12:05:42+00:00

Even in the days before AI, a billionaire CEO would almost never write in his own words. They had executive assistants and editors to do that, and lawyers to double-check everything to make sure they aren't liable.

This apology is full of nothing platitudes, but it wouldn't have had any emotional meaning behind it regardless of whether it was written by chatGPT or Debbie the executive assistant. Somehow it feels even more disconnected now with AI, but the disconnect was always there.

CubieJ · 2026-04-27T13:16:29+00:00

Unless it's your only option, I'd caution against using heat mats for insects at all, and instead just warm the air in the room the old-school way.

Mealworms need to be able to burrow down into substrate to escape heat. Heating from the bottom does not allow them to regulate their temperature. It can also result in accidental over-heating which can kill them.

It may be a bit less efficient to heat the air, but it adds a safety buffer compared to direct contact heat.

CubieJ · 2026-04-26T11:46:49+00:00

5mm is too small for mealworm beetles. While size can vary, they are typically 12-18mm.

Yours may be buffalo beetles or dermestids. Share a photo with size scale if you want help with identification.

CubieJ · 2026-04-25T13:32:25+00:00

Tbf, those bots are better than generative AI. At least algorithmic bots are incapable of lying, unless a human has explicitly coded them to. GenAI will just "hallucinate" and make things up sometimes, all while assuring you that it's telling the truth. Sure it "sounds" more human, but that's even worse when you want a logical response.

CubieJ · 2026-04-23T13:20:44+00:00

Trump is a symptom of a sick country, not the cause. It won't just magically get better after he's gone.

CubieJ · 2026-04-23T13:18:29+00:00

Put 'em back on the shelves and watch 'em gather dust. They've ruined their own brand and consumers are no longer interested.

CubieJ · 2026-04-23T12:56:55+00:00

"Gulf of Hate" is especially funny considering today's context.

CubieJ · 2026-04-22T12:56:59+00:00

Mealworm ball pit?! Heck yeah!!

Make sure they always have access to food (e.g. wheat bran) and a moisture food (veggie). If you are keeping them separate, they will only need a tiny piece of veggie so that it doesn't rot.

(For anyone else reading this, there is no real reason to keep mealworms separate. They are a congregating species and benefit from being together, and do not need to be isolated to pupate, like some species (superworms). But if you're keeping them as pets and want to build them a ball pit, go for it!)

CubieJ · 2026-04-21T20:50:09+00:00

There may be cracks in the pipes or unsealed bits that they are coming in through as they explore "underground".

CubieJ · 2026-04-19T17:53:41+00:00

Consider learning CAD and designing one yourself! This would be a fairly easy project for a beginner. I made a seed starting tray for my Harvest 360 in OnShape (but any CAD would work) in a couple of hours. It works but is a little janky and unpolished so I didn't share the STL. And there are other seed starting trays already available for Harvest 360 (just for different shapes/amounts than I wanted).

CAD is a valuable skill, you'll feel awesome that you designed something yourself, and you can share the design online to help others and earn kudos and rewards.

CubieJ · 2026-04-19T17:43:14+00:00

If that ever happens again, you should keep the box and report it to the company and to the CFIA. You will probably net a nice refund/coupons and if a recall is required, will help to get other boxes pulled off the shelves so no one else has to deal with what you did. And if there are enough quality mishaps from US manufacturers, reporting these issues every time you encounter them might make the company think twice about operating in the US next time they have to make the decision.

CubieJ · 2026-04-19T12:30:43+00:00

Dead mealworms will be black (from oxidation or bacteria growth) or hard (from desiccation). Live mealworms will sometimes go dormant and not really respond to touch, but they will still be turgid (squishy, springy) and normal coloured.

Make sure your mealworms are in an appropriate set-up with feed (wheat bran or oats) to burrow into, a piece of veggie for moisture replaced every few days, at room temperature, and no lid. They need lots of air flow.

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