mealworm farm question

[chkinut]

hi guys....i don't know if any of you started a mealworm farm for your chickens....but i started one about 4 - 5 weeks ago. there was a slight mold problem and it was way too moist in there. so i changed out all the chick crumbles (their food....which i do NOT feed to the chickens....it's for mealworms only).....and picked the mealworms out and put them in a new box with new crumbles, new apples (for moisture) and newspaper on the top. well, i noticed a few days ago that it seems very dry in there and the mealworms are now looking almost dead....whereas before they were quite lively. so i sprayed the newspaper with some water and put in 2 more apple slices. they're all alive, but they just arn't as lively. i even have to pick some up to make sure they're not dead, and they do move, but very slowly. some slower than others. i'm wondering if it's too dry, OR are they all changing into pupa? they don't LOOK like pupa yet. it can't be the temperature, cuz they've been at the same temp since i started the farm (around 69 degrees) and they use to act fine.

 

[HEChicken]

I don't add any moisture to my farm. I use potatoes, and occasionally carrots or an apple core for food and they get their moisture from those. I have never sprayed down the substrate. I had only had mine 2-3 weeks before they started to pupate, so it is possible yours are getting ready to pupate. They will do better at higher temps. I actually keep my farm at DH's office because we keep our house a lot cooler than they keep the office. However when summer arrives, I'll move them back home so I can check on them daily.

 

[chkinut]

so did yours act slow when they were starting to pupate? or you couldn't tell, maybe, cuz you didn't have them at home..... thanks

oh, and another question....is it necessary to separate the pupa from the larvae? and if so....why?

 

[IggiMom]

I just started a worm farm, too.

Here is an odd thing. They seem to be multiplying, but I do not see any beetles? So where are they coming from? There are REALLY a lot of worms in there.

I have just been giving them chicken feed. Layer ration. With a couple of apple slices.

Why are you putting the newspaper in there?

Some evenings I give the chicks a few worms for a treat. They really like them and run all over.

Catherine

 

[chkinut]

when i was researching mealworm farms, i found a lot of people did that. the mealworms like to crawl between the layers of the newspaper and it makes it very easy for you when it comes time to get some worms out to give to your chickens. just pick up the newspaper, and pour them into a bowl! and waala! yummies!

(for the chickens that is!)
and i agree, my mealworms seem to be growing in population a bit. i've only seen one beetle, one pupa, and tons of worms....some even really small...like baby worms.....and who knows where it came from since i could only find one beetle?! go figure!!

 

[HEChicken]

Quote:
I think they did slow down a little before pupating. I haven't separated any of mine. I've heard several times that you need to separate the beetles because they'll eat the baby worms but I haven't seen any evidence of that happening. I have mine in one container which is a sweater box sized Sterilite container (air holes drilled just under the rim). I started with only 50 mealworms, which pupated, then developed into beetles. Some have since died of old age but I still have 25-30 beetles. (I collect the dead beetles to feed to the chooks - its still protein for them). I have no idea how many babies but the container is crawling with them. Some of the babies are getting quite big - possible to the point that they will start pupating soon

I visit them every other day or so, so I'll try to remember to take the camera and take some pics, if you like, though it might be hard because they definitely prefer the dark. I have the container covered with a dark towel. When I first lift it off and open the lid, there is tons of activity on top but they immediately start burrowing and within 20 seconds, there are only a few left on top of the substrate.

 

[BriteChicken]

I don't know if I could do this is it terribly gross? and does it smell? I might because it would beat buying them all the time but I wouldn't like it LOL!

 

[IggiMom]

Well, it is gross to me. But mine do not have any smell that I can notice.

The gross part is how they wiggle all around and look like, um, worms. They look very wormy.

And when they wiggle they actually make a wiggly noise. That you can hear.

Catherine

 

[BriteChicken]

That's what I was worried about is there any chance that the beetles will get out when you open the the lid that's what worries me the most. Beetles getting out I can deal with the wormy sites and sounds but the beetles getting loose freaks me out! Plus I've seen what feeding beetles can do in the crop (reproduce) and kill chick/ens because the worms eat the grain and basically starve them... so I'd only be feeding them the worms.

 

[IggiMom]

Well, it is the strangest thing, but I don't see any beetles!

I guess someday I will, but they don't fly, so I wouldn't think they could get out.

Mine are in a plastic coffee can. Maybe I should divide them again, as they are starting to look a little crowded.

I don't know if they object to being crowded or not.

Re the worms that did not seem vigorous. Are you sure they have enough air? One of my coffee cans did not seem as vigorous as the other, so I made some more air holes and they perked up--haha pun intended.

Catherine