Mealworm farming

[Hunterlauren93]

I also use bread, its like whole wheat or something.They make holes and crawl all threw it. We go to the discount bread store (flowers bakery) that sells the day old bread and get a shopping cart full of bread for 4.00 for the chickens. I thought id try bread with my mealworms since its whole wheat. They seem to like it they go up under neath it and lay there. i put a little bit in my baby mealworm drawer, and a slice in superworm and beetle drawer. The supperworms like the potato, my mealworms dont. I added an apple last night to see what they would do. I havent checked it yet.

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
Definitely canNOT put them in the sun....so sorry!!!

Quote:
Many people use non-organic potatoes without problem....but there's still so much to discover! They do eat the substrate so try modifing that as well. It'll take a couple weeks to see a difference but keep us updated!


Hunterlauren93 ~ but remember ~ you have US!!!

My goal is to freeze them but I'm still waiting for my first generation to get big enough to try.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I don't know if it was the heat or what but my wormies from ExocticNutrition have not done too well.
I have lost about 50 since they arrived.

I fed them again yesterday and noticed a few more dead ones and removed them then this morning quite a few more.
I know the ones that survive will gift me with babies eventually but I hate that I had to order more in and then to lose any is upsetting. I have a lot of mouths to feed here!

I have been feeding fresh homegrown tomatoes, fresh homegrown cucumbers and some store bought organic carrots. The beetles and new wormies are eating like mad right now. They have their own crisper bin in the fridge! Which is the bin I will be putting them in when I have so many I can start doing that. Somehow I don't see that really happening. I will probably feed as many as I can to my chicks, ducklings and keets.

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
Please don't despair! Maybe it is the heat.

It's been rough on everything. It really is happening already in your other bins...you'll see!

Tomato? That's a new one! Mine have a 'container' in the fridge for veggies. Everytime I cut up a cucumber or squash, the ends go into that container for the worms! There's also a section for the chickadees!

 

[Klwright1122]

Quote:
How did you find the babies? Are they in clusters? I've put all my beetles in one bucket so they can mate and lay eggs...maybe this isn't such a good idea?. How long does it take them to lay eggs after they have mated? I see a bunch of them mating.

Those beetles were in the bin for about 3 weeks now. I received them as part of an order ...so they could have mated before they got here...but I put them in their own bin...and I noticed the babies along the corners of the bin...about a half dozen so far... I also noticed on the bottom of the bin ( looking underneath while holding it above my head)

some " skinny trails" in the dust on the bottom
...so I was sure there were worms in there--just couldn't see em. But I finally noticed them this morning along the edges of he substrate in the corners of the box. No bigger then ? --no kidding...
I put all my beetles in one bin, they mate, lay their eggs and hatch worms in one bin. They are roughly all the same age...as the bin matures (3-4 MOS fm now) I will remove a couple hundred worms and put them in another bin to start the process over again...
I have 2 bins with beetles right now....one bin is about a month further ahead of the other. I have another bin with younger worms...as they mature I will start another...so I am hoping to start a new bin every other month or so...all at various stages so I'll have a constant supply. As I harvest the bin I will refrigerate the worms...

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Anyone know if I can feed my mealworm farm beets?

They are just chowing through carrots and celery and I have to buy those. But I grew a ton of beets this year and could toss in one now and then to mix it up.

 

[LibertyChick]

Quote:
It was a ten day, paid for, mother in law /grandma visit . very nice

Not sure how many I have I think its approx 2,000.

Glad I am not the only one with the potato problem. I'll get celery and try that. It's only the potato they die on.

Try organic potatoes.

 

[bobbyc1970]

Good day everyone. well wanted to update. Went to feed the bins today. and WOW got alot of beetles

i put cut up egg cartons and cut up paper towel roll. I have been feeding small carots and lettuce. And yeah some of them are almost black. lol. will have to wait and see to the next stage for babies.

 

[LibertyChick]

Quote:
How did you find the babies? Are they in clusters? I've put all my beetles in one bucket so they can mate and lay eggs...maybe this isn't such a good idea?. How long does it take them to lay eggs after they have mated? I see a bunch of them mating.

Those beetles were in the bin for about 3 weeks now. I received them as part of an order ...so they could have mated before they got here...but I put them in their own bin...and I noticed the babies along the corners of the bin...about a half dozen so far... I also noticed on the bottom of the bin ( looking underneath while holding it above my head)

some " skinny trails" in the dust on the bottom
...so I was sure there were worms in there--just couldn't see em. But I finally noticed them this morning along the edges of he substrate in the corners of the box. No bigger then ? --no kidding...
I put all my beetles in one bin, they mate, lay their eggs and hatch worms in one bin. They are roughly all the same age...as the bin matures (3-4 MOS fm now) I will remove a couple hundred worms and put them in another bin to start the process over again...
I have 2 bins with beetles right now....one bin is about a month further ahead of the other. I have another bin with younger worms...as they mature I will start another...so I am hoping to start a new bin every other month or so...all at various stages so I'll have a constant supply. As I harvest the bin I will refrigerate the worms...

How do I choose a younger worm to feed to my chickies as opposed to older worms that are getting ready to change into a pupa?

 

[LibertyChick]

Quote:
I put a few pieces of beet in there but it didn't look like they ate any of it and I took it out when it looked pretty dried up.