Meal Worms

[Ol Grey Mare]

I’m just starting out with a 3 drawer self sorting system... praying my Pupae make it to beetles ATM because winter hit last night and we now have a foot of snow... my trailer got down to 4 degrees Celsius last night. Not the best environment for my worms I think

They should be fine, just perhaps a bit delayed. I find pupa in my "hibernated" worms (stored in refrigerator) because when I bring them out every couple of weeks to warm, wake and hydrate some also decide it's time to pupate....I find them the next time I pull the bin out, toss them in the pupa drawer (if I need more beetles....if not they get fed to the flock) and they develop from there. It's pretty hard to kill them short of extended actual freezing....

 

[Kris5902]

Mine came in on January 30... supposed to have been 5000, but it doesn’t seem like that many. I’m getting 5-10 Pupae a day now. So far just the one lonely beetle that came in the box. I’m going to need to sift the frass out soon.

Excuse my mess... they usually live in front of my heater in my dirty laundry basket for extra insulation until temps improve in here, but I washed it yesterday so I need to find some extra coverings for them.

They seem to really like Broccoli stem slices over carrots and potatoes.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I raise mine on (mostly) styrofoam and carrots. I initially fed them wheat bran, but when that ran out I threw in a bunch of styrofoam (because I read a scientific study where that was used for feed). Has lasted well over a year so far. Recently I found a case of out-of-date ramen noodles that I had stored away, so I've started adding that.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I raise mine on (mostly) styrofoam and carrots. I initially fed them wheat bran, but when that ran out I threw in a bunch of styrofoam (because I read a scientific study where that was used for feed). Has lasted well over a year so far. Recently I found a case of out-of-date ramen noodles that I had stored away, so I've started adding that.

While they are known as able to digest styrofoam, I choose not to use it for those raised as feed animals as I am not personally desirous of what they take in and break down being passed into the animals they are fed to.....after all, you are what you eat.

 

[Kris5902]

Mine came gnawing their way through blue styrofoam packing in the shipping box... I’m not sure how comfortable I am with using that as their feed though.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Mine came in on January 30... supposed to have been 5000, but it doesn’t seem like that many. I’m getting 5-10 Pupae a day now. So far just the one lonely beetle that came in the box. I’m going to need to sift the frass out soon.

Excuse my mess... they usually live in front of my heater in my dirty laundry basket for extra insulation until temps improve in here, but I washed it yesterday so I need to find some extra coverings for them.

They seem to really like Broccoli stem slices over carrots and potatoes.
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Depending on worm size, 5000 isnt really going to look like much. Most sellers sell by weight after establishing weight per 100....multiplied to right # + 10% so, in the end, orders end up over the promised count

 

[Kris5902]

I figured since many threads stated 1000-2000 for a start up that 5000 would give me a start up and treats to hold me over... anxiously awaiting those beetles so I know I’ve got some breeding stock going! I just took 40 or so out to placate my chickens as they’ve been locked up thanks to the freak weather systems.