
Mealworm Responses to Light, Moisture, and Vinegar
Easy
What happens when you give mealworms a choice between light and dark? Place them in a shoe box with one end open to light and the other covered. Then watch where they go.
Next test moisture. Set out one wet paper towel and one dry paper towel. Place the mealworms between them. After 30 seconds check which towel they chose. Repeat the same test with vinegar-soaked towels to see whether the smell attracts or repels them.
By the end you learn three things about mealworm behavior. Do they prefer light or dark? Wet or dry? And how do they react to vinegar?
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that mealworms will move in predictable ways when exposed to different environments.
Method & Materials
You will observe mealworms in light and dark, and between wet and dry paper towels.
You will need five mealworms, a shoe box with lid, three paper towels, a small amount of water, and a small amount of vinegar.
Results
Our observations showed that mealworms prefer the dark, and that they are attracted to vinegar and repelled by water. The most interesting observation was that mealworms were attracted to vinegar and repelled by water.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it allows us to observe the behavior of mealworms in different environments and see if we can predict their behavior.
Also Consider
Experiment variations to consider include observing mealworms in different temperatures and in different types of liquids.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.Related video
These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
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