Grow your own meal worms

Meal worms are a good source of protein. It contains no fat or difficult to digest proteins.

Although some rats don’t like meal worms, most will enjoy it as an occasional treat. It is especially good to feed to pregnant and lactating moms as well as growing pups that need a little bit more protein in their diet.

Use a plastic tub and cut a hole in the lid for ventilation. Cover the hole with fine mesh to keep the worms safe from predators. You will need to use a finer mesh or cloth if you have an ant problem.

Fill the tub to about a third with bran and add a tub of meal worms obtainable from the feeder section of a pet store. The worms turn into pupae and then black beetles which lay eggs.

Add raw potato slices and/or used wet tea bags about once a week. The beetles especially need some moist to keep them alive for as long as possible. The first cycle may take a while but eventually you will have a constant supply of meal worms. Add more bran every few months.