Mealworm compost

[Erin Meta]

Hi all-

I'm considering starting a mealworm farm for my flock of 5 hens, and am wondering if anyone has tried using mealworm waste as a vermicompost product.

Years ago, I had a set up with red wigglers to create the infamous "black gold", and I'm curious if mealworms can produce a product that is worth harvesting. I assume it wouldn't be as valuable as what the wigglers can produce, but I'm having a little trouble finding information about mealworm frass or castings other than when to clean it out of your farm setup.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[tigger19687]

I think people do this, but the "poop" is tiny.
I have not cleaned my bins out yet (waiting for Spring) but I am just going to toss it all in the garden as is.
Honestly think it would be not worth all the work to separate it out. Course, I am lazy

 

[Erin Meta]

@tigger19687 , thanks for the feedback! With the red wigglers, I would wait until the majority of their living medium was poop, basically. Then I'd move all their food to one side of the bin, wait a few days for the worms to congregate around the food, and scoop out the poop! I'm not sure yet if that would work for mealworms, but I'd probably try something like that or like what you're describing and toss it into the garden.

We'll see- I'm still learning. Also, mealworms gross me out in a way earthworms do not.

What kind of set up do you have?

 

[tigger19687]

I have wheat bran as bedding so hard to separate.
I also only have beetles now lol

 

[Maneiac]

Hi all-

I'm considering starting a mealworm farm for my flock of 5 hens, and am wondering if anyone has tried using mealworm waste as a vermicompost product.

Years ago, I had a set up with red wigglers to create the infamous "black gold", and I'm curious if mealworms can produce a product that is worth harvesting. I assume it wouldn't be as valuable as what the wigglers can produce, but I'm having a little trouble finding information about mealworm frass or castings other than when to clean it out of your farm setup.

Thanks, everyone!

You don't need to go through the effort of vermicomposting the frass. The n-p-k of the frass is 2-2-2 and readily available bit the biggest reward is the 16% chitin is the best part

 

[paneubert]

You don't need to go through the effort of vermicomposting the frass. The n-p-k of the frass is 2-2-2 and readily available bit the biggest reward is the 16% chitin is the best part

Beat me to it. People actually SELL the mealworm frass as a garden soil amendment. So just take a bit of time to sift it out and then you are good to go. Just put it in your garden beds.

 

[Maneiac]

the chitin stimulates the defense response of plants!!! It's great stuff.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I have wheat bran as bedding so hard to separate.
I also only have beetles now lol

A 1/30 screen will separate even small particles of bran from frass (that's my final sift tray when sifting bins)