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Mealworm farming - Page 340

post #3391 of 4011
2/22/12 at 5:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by In2Ice View Post

Just a couple quick questions about the 3-drawer system.  I put screen on the top drawer with oats for the beetles.  The worms and eggs fall through into the middle drawer.  I house the worms in the middle drawer until they pupate.  When they pupate I move them to the bottom drawer until they turn into beetles.  Then I move the beetles to the top drawer.  Is this how the rest of you do it?  Do the pupate and worms really need to be separated or can you house the worms, eggs and pupate together in 2 drawers and just put the beetles in the top drawer?  Also, has anyone figured out a good way to separate the pupae from the worms besides just picking through them and removing them by hand?  Any tips or tricks would be appreciated.  I have 1200 worms in a 3-drawer system and they are starting to turn to pupae.
Thanks!

When I was using this system I took the middle drawer out once I saw a good population of wormies and put it in the bottom, swapping bottom and middle drawers. Then I fed out the bottom drawer while the middle drawer is getting populated.

Not all the eggs and worms will fall out of the top drawer. You'll end up with worms and pupae in that top drawer and it becomes a self-perpetuating system without the hassle of messing with separating pupae, etc.

== Easy incubator wiring chart: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=65925 Installing a thermostat: http://cmfarm.us/WHTincubator.html
Mom to a cockatiel, some sweet Buff, Black, and BBS Orpingtons, a Dark Cornish, a mealworm farm and who knows what else.
Member UOC

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== Easy incubator wiring chart: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=65925 Installing a thermostat: http://cmfarm.us/WHTincubator.html
Mom to a cockatiel, some sweet Buff, Black, and BBS Orpingtons, a Dark Cornish, a mealworm farm and who knows what else.
Member UOC

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post #3392 of 4011
2/22/12 at 12:28pm

Okchickens, you have been a great help! Thanks! 

3 things i LOVE

1.) my chicks

2.) HORSE BACK RIDING!

3.) Lily, a 19 month old girl we do Daycare for

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3 things i LOVE

1.) my chicks

2.) HORSE BACK RIDING!

3.) Lily, a 19 month old girl we do Daycare for

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post #3393 of 4011
2/22/12 at 1:03pm
So just for clarification...you leave the worms, eggs, and pupae together in the middle and bottom drawers and just separate out the beetles to the top drawer? The worms won't dine on the pupae? Will the beetles eat the pupae if I separated the pupae in with the beetles and just left the eggs and worms together?
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post #3394 of 4011
2/22/12 at 3:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chicks Galore3 View Post

Okchickens, you have been a great help! Thanks! 



Thanks! When I started a few months ago I asked many questions as well!

 

In2Ice

So just for clarification...you leave the worms, eggs, and pupae together in the middle and bottom drawers and just separate out the beetles to the top drawer? The worms won't dine on the pupae? Will the beetles eat the pupae if I separated the pupae in with the beetles and just left the eggs and worms together?

 

I separate them out for this reason. I have been finding pieces of Pupa before and the worms will not eat them. The beetles even eat there own sometimes. I havent had to clean out the Beetle Drawers yet.

 

Nate

Breeding

Imported English Jubilee Orpingtons

 Imported English Chocolate Orpingtons Bantams

Imported English Double Barred Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons

Lavender Orpingtons

B/B/S Orpingtons

Buff Orpingtons

KO Shamo

O Shamo

NPIP #3163
Hatching Eggs and Chicks Available Here    Breed Info Page

 

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Breeding

Imported English Jubilee Orpingtons

 Imported English Chocolate Orpingtons Bantams

Imported English Double Barred Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons

Lavender Orpingtons

B/B/S Orpingtons

Buff Orpingtons

KO Shamo

O Shamo

NPIP #3163
Hatching Eggs and Chicks Available Here    Breed Info Page

 

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post #3395 of 4011
2/22/12 at 8:48pm
Thread Starter 

Chicks Galore3 ~If you follow the 3 links on the first post of this thread, you will learn almost everything you need to know to get started.  Gallo and I have BYC pages devoted to the mealies and Amy has a website.  Glad you're joining in!


G-Man

How long do you recommend heating up the wheat bran to ensure all the little critters are dead?

Do I only have to do this once as long as I store it in a sealed container?

 

I'm not sure that we've had a good answer to this.  I keep a careful watch on it when I nuke it ... stirring it frequently.  It can quickly get too hot so be careful.  I've not written down the time and don't remember off hand hide.gif  I've also roasted it in the oven for about 15 minutes at 300 degrees.

 

Zookeeper

I've had beetles for at least 2 months now, no meal worms!  They are in a large black tote with 2 pans inside, one with a screen bottom sits on top of the other.  They are in wheat bran.  I give them potatoes, although I just switched to carrots.  I keep my thermostat at 67, but it may be slightly cooler where they are.  Is it just to cool for them?

Any help would be appriciated.  I'm sure the answer is in this post somewhere, but with over 300 pages, I can't find it!

 

They're in there....just tiny. 67 degrees is on the cool side.  Carrot is a good choice....don't feed them for a day then put some carrot in, wait 5 minutes then quickly lift the carrot up.  Bet you find some babies!  Beetle to beetle will probably take almost 6 months at 67 degrees.  I say this because it takes over 5 months at 70 degrees.  Hope this helps!

 

I have a question for you..... do you have anything between the 2 pans?  You'll want some space for ventilation.

 

Beccasmith ~ Doing the happy dance!!!

 

 

In2Ice

Just a couple quick questions about the 3-drawer system.  I put screen on the top drawer with oats for the beetles.  The worms and eggs fall through into the middle drawer.  I house the worms in the middle drawer until they pupate.  When they pupate I move them to the bottom drawer until they turn into beetles.  Then I move the beetles to the top drawer.  Is this how the rest of you do it?  Do the pupate and worms really need to be separated or can you house the worms, eggs and pupate together in 2 drawers and just put the beetles in the top drawer?  Also, has anyone figured out a good way to separate the pupae from the worms besides just picking through them and removing them by hand?  Any tips or tricks would be appreciated.  I have 1200 worms in a 3-drawer system and they are starting to turn to pupae.

Thanks!

 

I actually keep the pupae in a small container in the bottom drawer.  I pick them out one by one using a plastic spoon.  I check it every day and move any morphed beetle to the top drawer.  The beetles will munch the pupae and anything else that doesn't move.  Live, moving worms seem not to be bothered by the beetles.  A couple months ago, I put 2 dead beetles in my worm bin just to see what would happen and they are still there.  The worms are not interested in them.

 

Every once in a while I switch the second and third drawers.  It's like starting a new colony.  I figure one drawer can only hold so many adult wormies.  When I 'house clean', I strain out the adults, strain out the frass, and put the rest back in. 

 

Although, since winter settled in, I have been growing out the worms in my oven.  I keep the light on 24/7 and it stays at 79 degrees compared to our house temperature of 70 degrees.  Hope this helps!  

 

 


Edited by hannakat - 2/22/12 at 9:23pm

7 chickens, 3 cats, 2 dogs .... and a VERY DH. 
My mealworm farm http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=59623-mealworm-fam-experiences

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.   Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

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7 chickens, 3 cats, 2 dogs .... and a VERY DH. 
My mealworm farm http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=59623-mealworm-fam-experiences

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.   Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

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post #3396 of 4011
2/22/12 at 8:53pm
Thread Starter 


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chicks Galore3 View Post

how long do they live? As adults. Do they die soon or would you be like: "die already! my chickens are hungry!" as your shaking the bin? How do you preserve them?

 

 



Life cycle stages... this is relative to conditions such as temperature, food source, etc:
Egg Incubation:  4-19 days (usually 4-7). Another source says 20-40 days 
Larva: 10 weeks. Visible after about a week 
Pupa: 6-18 (18-24?) days 
Beetle and Egg Laying:   8-12 weeks (followed by death). Egg laying starts 4-19 days (average 12) after emergence

 

Hope this helps!

 

When I got to the second generation I started freezing the mealies in containers to have available in the winter.  I free range the girls in the summer so they find their own bugs so I just need them in the winter.  I thaw them out for about 15-20 minutes and they are back to 'live' consistency.  I didn't try drying them since from everything I've read, it's better to slow roast them on a grill outside cause it's a smelly job. They freeze very well though.


Edited by hannakat - 2/22/12 at 9:23pm

7 chickens, 3 cats, 2 dogs .... and a VERY DH. 
My mealworm farm http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=59623-mealworm-fam-experiences

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.   Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

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7 chickens, 3 cats, 2 dogs .... and a VERY DH. 
My mealworm farm http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=59623-mealworm-fam-experiences

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.   Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

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post #3397 of 4011
2/23/12 at 12:36am
If I'm going to transition to drawers I need to get it done. Maybe I'll get some drawers this weekend or maybe try to find some that I don't need around the house. I have very few live beetles left so there are a lot of wormies and before long, they'll probably be pupating again. This will be my 2nd generation. YAY!

eta: we really like looking at the worms/beetles so I think I might try some kind of open top system. Or maybe cut a square in the top of the drawer thing.

My Chicken Blog
My NEW coop!
germophobic farmwife and mom to 3 homeschooled kids, 1 dog, 2 cats, 2 rabbits, and 12 chickens (4 red stars, 2 golden comets, 3 black australorps and 3 easter eggers)

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My Chicken Blog
My NEW coop!
germophobic farmwife and mom to 3 homeschooled kids, 1 dog, 2 cats, 2 rabbits, and 12 chickens (4 red stars, 2 golden comets, 3 black australorps and 3 easter eggers)

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post #3398 of 4011
2/23/12 at 6:09am

Trying something new to water the beetles.  They just weren't doing well with carrots/moist bread/anything else I'd tried, so I picked up a jar of the cricket water stuff yesterday and gave each bin a good 'glop' of it.  Once back in the dark, they glommed onto the stuff and seemed quite content, so we'll have to see how it goes....Anybody know what happens to that stuff when the water is gone?  How do I tell?

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post #3399 of 4011
2/23/12 at 6:19am
I've no experience with cricket water but here's what I do for moisture: They have a few layers of newspaper on top of the stuff in their bins. Every once in a while I splash a bit of water, about a tablespoon, on that newspaper. They love it.

== Easy incubator wiring chart: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=65925 Installing a thermostat: http://cmfarm.us/WHTincubator.html
Mom to a cockatiel, some sweet Buff, Black, and BBS Orpingtons, a Dark Cornish, a mealworm farm and who knows what else.
Member UOC

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== Easy incubator wiring chart: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=65925 Installing a thermostat: http://cmfarm.us/WHTincubator.html
Mom to a cockatiel, some sweet Buff, Black, and BBS Orpingtons, a Dark Cornish, a mealworm farm and who knows what else.
Member UOC

Reply
post #3400 of 4011
2/23/12 at 6:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by In2Ice View Post

So just for clarification...you leave the worms, eggs, and pupae together in the middle and bottom drawers and just separate out the beetles to the top drawer? The worms won't dine on the pupae? Will the beetles eat the pupae if I separated the pupae in with the beetles and just left the eggs and worms together?

The way I did it, I never had pupae or beetles in the second and bottom drawers. I harvested all those, only allowing the ones in the top drawer to pupate. Because like I said, they won't all fall through the screen. You'll still have some worms in the top.

As soon as I'm sure there's no more moths around here, I plan to go back to that system, I loved it. But if any moths ever get in there, you're done for. Trust me, I've been fighting them for months now. Can't use poison because of birds in the house but I think my traps and removing all other food sources is finally doing the job.
Edited by galanie - 2/23/12 at 6:24am

== Easy incubator wiring chart: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=65925 Installing a thermostat: http://cmfarm.us/WHTincubator.html
Mom to a cockatiel, some sweet Buff, Black, and BBS Orpingtons, a Dark Cornish, a mealworm farm and who knows what else.
Member UOC

Reply

== Easy incubator wiring chart: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=65925 Installing a thermostat: http://cmfarm.us/WHTincubator.html
Mom to a cockatiel, some sweet Buff, Black, and BBS Orpingtons, a Dark Cornish, a mealworm farm and who knows what else.
Member UOC

Reply
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