Mealworm farming

[aggie9296]

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had them in a plastic bowl with 3 inch sides with no top. No one escaped.

I think mine would get eaten by a cat or chicken if they did escape.

 

[sadies chicks]

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So glad to hear it! Tucson is a fantastic place, even if it is in the middle of a drought and is overpopulated

I miss the desert EVERYDAY, so I have pictures all over my house to help me cope

Don't get me wrong, Oregon ROCKS but there is just something about the desert

The Mexican food in Tucson is the best!! Oh and there is a steak house "El Corral" that you should check out, oh and Pinnacle Peak's

We grew up on Eegees, so definitely try that.....oh man, now I am hungry

We haven't tried EL Corral yet but I DROOL over the building every time we drive by..we used to live up the street from it...Pinnacle Peaks was one of the first places we took the kids with the inlaws and we all loved it. I am a Mexican food whore..I was in CA too..I have a Hispanic aunt and cousins so I grew up on it.

Long story...the better half grew up in CT...he is a twin..about 20 years ago the twin moved here so the better half did too..then the better half moved back to CT...then met me 11 years ago...moved back here to help his brother with a business..then moved to CA to be with me. LOL Well, during that time his twin brother got married and had babies..so their mom and step dad moved out here..and their dad and step mom would come out to visit every year...about 4 yrs ago we came out with my 4 kids and it was my kids who INSISTED on moving here. Even though they would be leaving their friends, their dad and grandmother..they wanted to move here..it took us over 2 years to make it happen...drained us emotionally and financially...we were then in a vacation house for 9 mths becuase we could not find a large old place with land that we wanted to rent...so now..we ended up in Picture Rocks 4 mths ago..we didn't want to come out this far but we got a great place..and now here come the chickens!

I love Tucson more than I ever thought possible. The economy is horrid, as most places...but the monsoons, wildlife, views..just amazing...AND..I dealt with prescrip meds for asthma and allergies for 30 years...moved here, they all went away!! PLUS...the "heat" oh please..I handle the heat here better too..the lack of humidity makes a 105 degree day feel like 93...where we came from 105 was normal in the summer and 105 there is like 112 here..which it rarely gets...I really do love it here. And the breezes fill our house every morning and evening...I constantly hear birds...we have baby bunnies in our front yard...it's just awesome.....I miss the trees of northern CA...but I feel very blessed to have this opportunity and put my kids in a much better state!

Drool is right, their cheese onion bread is to die for! and yes, everything about the DESERT is amazing, totally a life changer, however, it is the population and economy that makes you (well, makes me) rethink living there. I miss it everyday. My mom is hell bent to get out of there, she can't deal with heat anymore and I don't blame her, but the winters and springs are heaven!! I am so glad you enjoy it as much as it deserves to be

 

[luvmesomechicks]

So this post got me motivated to start my own. So far I got a container, oats and 50 worms...and a few questions.

1. How long does the mealworm stay in its worm "stage"? I bought a cup of 50 at a local pet store and the cap says "3/2, which im assuming those worms arrived on march 2nd? If they started to go into the cocoon stage I fed them to the chickens thinking they were just dead...also what color is the cocoon?
2. I read somewhere that the worms make their way to the top to go into the next stage....is that true?
3. Since I only have 50. Should I go out and get a few hundred more? My storage container is 12" x 6" x 6" deep. I really want to get right into it instead of waiting a few cycles.

 

[hannakat]

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Answered in bold above! I've put a few hundred in the fridge now .... way too many beetles (yippy) to deal with at once. I am stopping the worms from developing further and will bring them out of the fridge in a couple months to complete their cycle. ***whew****

 

[NEINER]

i raise mealworm by the tens of thousands and yes much less gross than the maggot idea i have just a 4ft by 4ft container thats is easy and sustainable all year round just fyi ... dont throw out the frass thats the biggest mistake a lot of people make if you think the bedding is done for sift and set in small litter pan with small potato adn cover with newspaper 2 weeks later ill bet you have thousands of new mini mealies the babies are impossible to see with the naked eye so they tend to get thrown out thus missing out on potentail 1000's of new stock mealies. if you keep in a larger container with 5 inches of bran and use no FRUit only potatoes you will have thousands all year round and only need to change bedding yearly sift bi weekly keep all extras in shallow litter pan in bottom of fridge will keep for weeks

 

[luvmesomechicks]

Sounds like you got alot more than u bargained for. As of right now I think I have about 25 of the 50 I purchased. Im not sure id they are mealworms or superworms (at work can't check receipt) and is something I do not want. Im gonna stop by and get another 500 and take it from there. I have a couple containers I can use if it looks overcrowded. And thanks!

 

[hannakat]

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From what I've read, you don't want the super worms since they were given artificial substances to make them super..... guess it's conterproductive to keep your chickens natural! IDK!!!

 

[hannakat]

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Since mine is a new colony, and am using the 3-drawer method with a screen, any babies coming along are very safe. Even though I'm going to have to move some beetles to another container, I will still put the screen in the bottom for the newly hatched larva to drop into. I've read a recommendation that cleaning the colony should be done at least 3 times a year. From everything else I've read, many people do it many ways and still end up with lots of worms!

Only a small portion of what is hatched from these beetles will be kept for next year. I plan to freeze them for winter chicken consumption....not interested in selling them! Might take some with me for treats when I'm visiting chicken friends though!

 

[galanie]

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That is not something you need to fear. If they ate all their larvae, we wouldn't still have them breeding more. If a bunch was under your house and left alone, a giant colony would develop without intervention

Lordy, that's a scary thought. Imagine going under there for something and seeing those things making the ground come alive! LOL!!

 

[galanie]

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Adorable! Give little Patrick a hug for me!