Mealworms
Types of Use
Farmed for human food and animal feed
Species Impacted
Tenebrio molitor, other species of Darkling Beetle larvae
Total Animals Impacted
290B to 310B killed annually for food
Key Welfare Considerations
Mealworms frequently die prior to being slaughtered from drowning and disease.
Mealworms are typically killed by being frozen, shredded, or cooked.
The mealworm industry is growing extremely rapidly, due to increasing interest in raising mealworms as animal feed and fish feed.
Organizations
The Insect Institute
The Society for the Protection of Insects