Not surprisingly, mealworms are the specialty of Fred Rhyme’s Rainbow Mealworms, and he sells them to major zoos, bait shops, pet stores and, on occasion, Hollywood. But he also raises some other critters. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A sign greets visitors to East Spruce Street in Compton, site of Rainbow Mealworms. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
One of the about 10,000 Madagascar hissing roaches raised annually at the business on the edge of Compton’s manufacturing zone. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Crickets are raised by the millions in egg trays at Rainbow Mealworms. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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A worker dumps sifted mealworms on a table at Rainbow Mealworms, housed in a collection of former homes on a street in Compton. Many of the people employed there are related to one another. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Small beetles grow in a medium of wood shavings and sliced cactus at Rainbow Mealworms. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
