Rainbow Mealworms, Inc

Welcome to Rainbow! Come and join a family of bird, mammal, reptile lovers, fishermen, zoos, museums, universities, and even the food (yes human!), television and movie industry. Our founder Fred Rhyme started Rainbow Mealworms in 1956 in Southern California. Fred always loved to fish and mealworms were his favorite bait. When he was a young man he bought a small culture from a local fisherman and started raising mealworms in his garage and selling to the local bait stores out of the trunk of his car. After years of hard work, Fred was selling his worms full time. He was able to purchase some properties in Compton, California. He worked making Rainbow into a large scale farm adding other critters like crickets and waxworms over the years. Today, the city block that Rainbow sits on is fondly known as "Mealworm City" to customers and neighbors alike. Rainbow exists in three locations and has 46 employees with a retail bait shop and two wholesale stores. With the passing of years, a strong bond of family was formed between Fred and the employees of Rainbow Mealworms. Many of Rainbow's present employees have been here for over twenty years and work alongside their own children! This bond of family is extended to our customers. Some of Rainbow’s first customers of 59 years ago remain customers today. We lost Fred to cancer at the end of 2011, and honoring his tradition his step-daughter Gillian Spence manages Rainbow today. She has worked hard to keep Rainbow at the forefront of the feeder industry introducing new feeders to the line like Dubia, silkworms, and hornworms. Being a biologist and reptile enthusiast, she loves working with the insects she grew up with. She has pet Leopard Geckos, Panther Chameleons, Praying Mantis, and many Hissing Roach species!