How to grow your own mealworms instructions

[rajanomm]

The best way to not handle the worms when feeding chickens....use cardboard egg cartons. Cut the top and bottom apart. Stack together with lids on bottom and bottoms on top. When you peel the layers apart, you will find your worms have crawled in to hang out. Simply carry the piece outside and shake a few out for your hens. Easy peasy. I use this method so I dont have to dig and separate them out.

 

[Romoshka]

Ants! Ive got ants in my worm farm. Never had that before. Ive ignored the the little black ?Grain mites or ?mealy bugs as they peacefully coexsisted without harm but the ants are attacking the worms. Short of starting all over again anybody have any ideas?

 

[diamond chick03]

This is my second batch of mealworms. First order (2K) pupated and huge black ants carried them off one by one. Then after moving my bin the humidity killed most of the others. The Beatles that survived were not Mealworm Beatles but a small sub species which I found out after pampering a bunch of black tiny mealworms. Which I now know are called mealies. I threw them all out. Cleaned my bins. Ordered 4K new giant worms and now one week in I have over 900 pupaes. And probably over 1500 dead black ones and a the rest are being constantly messed with gnats. How do I get these gnats to leave my larvae alone? I though I might have put too many carrots in the bin. So I threw the entire bin out after I picked out each live worm. I've added 0 carrots. It's just pure oats and corn meal. But the gnats are still there. Drives me crazy. Help!!

 

[lovemealworms]

Ants! Ive got ants in my worm farm. Never had that before. Ive ignored the the little black ?Grain mites or ?mealy bugs as they peacefully coexsisted without harm but the ants are attacking the worms. Short of starting all over again anybody have any ideas?

I use petroleum jelly. A line of it around the outside of your bin will keep them out. Otherwise you can put diatomaceous earth on the shelf or floor your tub is on.

 

[lovemealworms]

This is my second batch of mealworms. First order (2K) pupated and huge black ants carried them off one by one. Then after moving my bin the humidity killed most of the others. The Beatles that survived were not Mealworm Beatles but a small sub species which I found out after pampering a bunch of black tiny mealworms. Which I now know are called mealies. I threw them all out. Cleaned my bins. Ordered 4K new giant worms and now one week in I have over 900 pupaes. And probably over 1500 dead black ones and a the rest are being constantly messed with gnats. How do I get these gnats to leave my larvae alone? I though I might have put too many carrots in the bin. So I threw the entire bin out after I picked out each live worm. I've added 0 carrots. It's just pure oats and corn meal. But the gnats are still there. Drives me crazy. Help!!

how is the humidity of the bran. If it isn't dry to the touch stop giving water sources for a few days. The gnats are probably there to lay eggs on water sources or in humid bran. The ant problem you had can be fixed with petroleum jelly around the outside of the tub. Just a finger wide or so. They hate walking through sticky stuff that isn't sweet.

 

[Romoshka]

Hey lovemealworms -

Thanks for the response. Ive employed the DE and its working wonders.

Thanks
Steve

 

[diamond chick03]

Thanks. I took away their water source and added a tall jar of apple cider vinegar and dish soap combo w a plastic wrap lid to draw all the gnats away. It worked.

 

[lovemealworms]

Thanks. I took away their water source and added a tall jar of apple cider vinegar and dish soap combo w a plastic wrap lid to draw all the gnats away. It worked.

nice i had no clue how to draw the gnats away. Thanks for the info.

 

[chickenraisers]

Does anyone know where I can find the chicken starter and the wheat bran?

 

[lovemealworms]

Does anyone know where I can find the chicken starter and the wheat bran?

look up feed stores in your area. Even most large cities have them. Rural areas have more.