Mealworm farming

[centrarchid]

I am looking for input in thread below. I wish to avoid detracting from this thread otherwise.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...rm-cultures-for-k-12-classrooms#post_17732174

 

[azygous]

I discovered two pupae in my worm farm! Two! Out of thousands of huge, fat larvae that are eating and just getting fat and not much else. Not dying. Not morphing. No pupae in months!

I read up on super worms since mine are mimicking them in size and failure to pupate. It suggested separating each worm so they can't touch any others if you want to force them to pupate. So I got a stack of ice cube trays and installed a larva in each compartment a couple weeks ago. I placed a bit of wheat bran and a bit of carrot in with each worm.

In the stack of ice cube trays, I discovered a big, fat pupa this morning! Then, when examining the two trays of larvae of huge worms, I found one pupa!

Please don't make fun. Heck. It's a start.This is my star pupa!

No pupae in this newer tray of larvae. Just big fat lazy worms.

One pupa in the older tray of larvae

This is how I stacked and stored the separated larvae to try to force them to pupate.

 

[Kusanar]

I discovered two pupae in my worm farm! Two! Out of thousands of huge, fat larvae that are eating and just getting fat and not much else. Not dying. Not morphing. No pupae in months!

I read up on super worms since mine are mimicking them in size and failure to pupate. It suggested separating each worm so they can't touch any others if you want to force them to pupate. So I got a stack of ice cube trays and installed a larva in each compartment a couple weeks ago. I placed a bit of wheat bran and a bit of carrot in with each worm.

In the stack of ice cube trays, I discovered a big, fat pupa this morning! Then, when examining the two trays of larvae of huge worms, I found one pupa!

Please don't make fun. Heck. It's a start.This is my star pupa!

No pupae in this newer tray of larvae. Just big fat lazy worms.

One pupa in the older tray of larvae

This is how I stacked and stored the separated larvae to try to force them to pupate.

One point, when they separate superworms, they do not give them food or moisture, it is the lack of anything to eat that forces them into pupation early (superworms can stay larva for 3 years I believe before they pupate naturally). I'm going to try separating out one of my big boys without food for a little while and see what happens.

 

[aart]

Star Pupa........ROFL!
Interesting....maybe try a few without any bedding/feed...I bet lack of food is what spurs pupation.

 

[azygous]

Thanks for the suggestion! I will try that!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thanks for the suggestion! I will try that!

I think the ice trays is a great idea & very efficient on space.... which is something we never seem to have enough of.

After they turn to pupa can you put them back together again before they morph? ......
I can't believe I'm talking about things morphing!

Turns out it's science reality, not science fiction. Ah, life is so much fun and entertaining.

And yes, I have both watched the paint dry and the grass grow.... Started doing fodder this past week.

 

[aart]

Thanks for the suggestion! I will try that!

I think it's very interesting that they pupated when taken out of the bin.

 

[azygous]

I sneaked a peek at the worms several hours after I posted last. Lo and behold, three more pupae, one in the ice cube trays and two in the worm bin! One was morphing out of its exoskeleton as I watched! My meal worm ranch appears to be recovering!

Has anyone ever stopped to consider that most humans have never had the pleasure of seeing worms morph? Gads! Are we lucky, or what?

 

[FuzzFaceFarm]

For the benefit of BYCers who haven't yet experienced grain mites, they first appear as a "fog" on the sides of your worm trays. If you're particularly busy and preoccupied and don't notice them right away, you will see "drifts" of a fine "sawdust" on the shelves and floor under the trays.

I used to have a reputation as a fastidious housekeeper. Hah! My worm trays are a centerpiece on the shelves beside my wood stove in my living room. It looks like I haven't vacuumed all summer. Which I haven't.

I freaked out when I had my first mite infestation several years ago. As with anything small and novel, I examined them under a hand lens to see what they looked like. You need to get your eye right on them to see, and I inadvertently snorted some up my nose. Good times.

That time, all my beetles and worms got a good hosing with a change of bedding. Now I just take the lids off the trays and let my arid climate do its thing on them. I've gotten lazy or more efficient, take your choice.

"I inadvertently snorted some up my nose. Good times."

This made me laugh so hard!!! I needed that.

Grain Mites are some gross little things. I am battling an infestation right now and since I live in Florida and it's nice weather outside I thought I would take some of my bins outside because it's actually less humid outside then in my house and totally didn't think about the possibilities of ants invading my bins!!! I took two bins out this morning, my beetle bin and my pupae bin and by afternoon noticed tons of black ants in with them. I moved the bins and am hoping I can get them out of there or I can't bring them back in the house!!! At least I didn't take them all out.

 

[FuzzFaceFarm]

I have a question for everyone who cares to chime in. It's about the feeding of your mealworm farms and grain mites.

I know that many people use dog food or chicken feed as the substrate for their mealies or mixed in as part of a mixture for their mealies. I also know that diatomaceous earth is used widely as a natural pesticide or anti-parasitic agent for many animals (even people) as well as an anti-caking agent in many bags of feed. So I always assumed that the people using chicken feed were using brands that didn't have DE as an ingredient. My organic chicken feed has diatomaceous earth in it so I thought that using it as food for my mealies would hurt them or possibly even kill them but I have recently learned of many people using chicken feed that in fact does had DE in it. I currently use wheat bran for the most part with some rolled oats mixed in and I do freeze then microwave or bake the substrate prior to adding it to my bins but have still gotten an infestation of grain mites

(now coming under control much better and I hope to have them gone soon).

So here are my questions...How many of you are using or have used chicken feed as a food source for your mealies and did it have DE in it?

Of those of you that have used it, have you had many grain mite infestations or not?

Do you think that the small amount of DE that is in the feed is maybe not enough to hurt the mealies but enough to kill off grain mites or keep them more under control?

What do you think of all this? Thanks & patiently waiting for responses!!!!