A question about the Mealworm Beetle (Tenebrio molitor)?
Question:Hello
I live with my friend in his house in the UK. Recently, he's had a number of Mealworm Beetles emerging in his lounge. Either they're coming in from outside, or they've been living under the carpet and have just started to venture out so we can see them. Whenever we see the adults, they're either dead (half-eaten by our cats!) or almost dead. More worryingly, after a quick search yesterday, we found a dead mealworm larvae.
Each morning, I go downstairs to find yet another almost-dead adult, roughly in the same place as the ones we found the day before. They seem to like hiding under the rug or near the chair in the corner of the room near the window. So far, we've found half-a-dozen adults, and one larvae. In a way, they're quite cute little bugs...
My questions are: Should we be worried about them? Are they a health-risk? If they are a problem, what steps should we take to get rid of them?
Thank you.
Answers:
Have you actually SEEN them emerging? Since you said they are half eaten by the cats, perhaps the cats are bringing them in.
I've looked around at sites about mealworms and I'm pleased--and amazed--to report that the sites I've found are about raising mealworms, not getting rid of them.
Sites talk about what great bait they make for fishing, what good food they are for pets, and how easy they are to take care of, "Wikipedia" even has a short section on human consumption of mealworms:
"Mealworms have been incorporated into tequila flavored novelty candies. However, mealworms are not traditionally served in tequila or mezcal drinks, the latter sometimes containing a larval moth (Hypopta agavis). It is also common practice for some reality television shows to challenge participants to eat mealworms, sometimes alive."
I guess this proves that you can relax about the health ramifications of your buggy visitors. As for me, the whole discussion has made me feel kind of itchy.
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