Mealworm farming

[binders]

Quote:
Congrats on your new arrivals.

I put my pupa in a separate container, using a plastic spoon to scoop them out. When they morph into beetles I use the same spoon to put them into the top drawer with the other bettles. I do this daily, but I also put some apples into the pupa bin so that they have something to eat while they wait to be moved. Hope this helps.

 

[CluckyJay]

I set the soldier flies up in an old deep freezer in my back yard. I filled it with leaves for added insulation and placed their container in it. I buried it completely in leaves. They are actively feeding on pretty cool days this way. Gotta see how well they do when we have a hard freeze. We have already had a couple freezes and they sailed right through. Same thing with the mealworms. I am moving the mealies into the house soon though.

Hubbie's dog got another one of my hens the other day. I put her in the soldier fly bin and at least I can get food out of her, eventually.

Actually, they sailed through the freezes BEFORE putting them into the deep freezer. I have them in a large rubbermaid tote in their own juices and organic bedding. Hmm. Tough little guys!!!

Next year should yield us A LOT of natural chicken/cat/duck--etc. food!

I should be able to give some larvae away next year to BYCers; as long as they make it through the winter.

 

[CluckyJay]

Another thing!

I set up a secondary BSF bin. Just a simple cat litter container with holes drilled in the bottom. I have my red wiggler bin beside it--on the ground. As the weather turns cold the red wigglers leave their bin and travel through the ground and are now residing beneath the soldier fly bin. They must be eating the drippings from the soldier fly bin. They are super healthy and quite fat wigglers!!! I may leave them like this and start another colony next year. I was thinking about simple trenches full of yummy chicken and goat poop! LOL

 

[LibertyChick]

What is the best way to scoop out the worms to separate it from the substrate?

LibertyChick

 

[kizanne]

I got some vent screening at Lowe's was pricey $15 for a large roll and I only needed a small amount but was metal mesh.

Cut the bottom out of a large cottage cheese container. Then cut another one where it only had one inch of the bottom and put container, mesh container bottom making a little sifter. Work well and the nice thing about the vent screen is I can actually change the size of the screen with patience and my fingernail

 

[LibertyChick]

Quote:
Kizanne,

Do you have pictures of this?

LibertyChick

 

[kizanne]

I'll post one tonight after I get home.

 

[Gypsi]

I got my mealworms today - Thank you Amy

 

[weeders n feeders]

For separating worms from substrate I use a metal kitchen strainer.the kind with the mesh screen. You can usually find them really cheap in the grocery store or dollar stores. Mine has little hooks on one side and the handle is long enough that I can hook it on one side of the bin and the handle reaches across to the other side so I can easily set it on the bin and scoop up worms and substrate and sift away till only worms left.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Quote:
Check at ACE Hardware ( or other local hardware store) for the screening. They may have it for sale by the foot instead of having to buy the entire roll - unless you need to rescreen the door where the dog went through and can use the entire roll!