Mealworm farming

[sassifrassi]

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The truly simple way is a single bin allowing them to develop all together. Many people have the single bin set up and are very happy and successful. I have the 3-drawer for observation, research and 'play' but the bulk of mine are now in the single bin all moving along beautifully. I have too many to keep in the 3-drawer colony now and I know at one point I'll be done fussing with them. Gallo del Cielo's colony has been going strong for over 20 years in one container....that's where I want to be!!

I agree. I have split my colony into 12 bins. (I thought they needed a little more wiggle room.) I am now using the 2'X3'X5" (approx.) Sterilite bins that I found at Walmart.They are stacked criss-cross on top of each other. I found that the drawers were keeping too much humidity in and therefore causing my mold problems. With more air circulation and a bit less substrate I think I'll have the mold beat!

 

[hannakat]

WOW

12 bins??? How many chickens are you feeding?

I have had no problem with mold in the 3-drawer colony but then I'm very particular with what vegetables are used and how much. Don't have any ambition to do more than 1 big bin. I love hearing how other people are managing their wormie farms! Certainly impressed with a 12-bin colony. Do you also sell them? That would have to be millions!

The worms are now being frozen for wintertime use..yea! and a healthy amount of pupae are being set aside to keep the farm growing. As soon as they morph into beetles, the current top drawer beeltes will be fed to the chickens since they are now almost 4 months old...make way for the young and fertile!

Everything in my single bin colony will be left alone to follow it's course....not moving anything in or out (except for adult wormies).

 

[sassifrassi]

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I have 4 chickens. Maybe its overkill. No, i don't sell but I have friends with reptiles that get freebies. My mold wasn't coming from the vegetables. Over the past couple of weeks I noticed a lot of heat was coming from my drawers. I needed to clean my set up so I bought the bins. Last night, as I sat there sifting, I noticed that the last few inches of substrate (which was 5-6 inches deep) was compacted and had green mold on it. Only at the front and bottom of the drawer. I figure, even with the drawers kept open an few inches for air circulation, there must have been some condensation forming in the drawers. I was using oatmeal flakes as substrate (never again!) which must have absorbed the mioisture. The mealworms didn't seem to mind it as I saw them happily climbing through it. But still...eww.

Four of my new bins have at least 4 sifters full of worms each - I might freeze some of these.
Four bins have tiny sifted babies - the nursery - they might become my new breeding stock - I will bring these guys inside from the garage.
And I have four bins of mixed beatles and varying sizes of worm - I will continue to feed these as they are still mixed in with some oatmeal flakes (what a pain!)

Have you frozen the worms before? Do they end up like mush like some vegetables do when you freeze them?

 

[galanie]

I have to say, there's nothing worse than mold in your drawers.

After raising mine in the 3 drawer thingie, I have to concur that one bin/box/whatever is easier. It makes it more difficult to pick out certain sizes, but if you've got a healthy bunch in there, who cares? You'll get a buncha big ones easy anyway.

 

[Kassaundra]

When I get far enough in to harvest I was planning on a big holed collander to get as many of the big worms as possible, and let as many babies back into the bin to grow, that will work won't it?

 

[CluckyJay]

I don't see why not Kass!

I just saw bazillions of eggs in my containers! I can't wait to see the bazillions of babies to come, LOL.

 

[DMRippy]

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[Cakela]

Hello

Trying to convince my DB to let me get some wormies.


I was wondering what all they can use for water/food stuffs?

I've looked up a few different fact sheets and they only mentioned potatoes and apples.

 

[earth_ma]

Where do yall keep the bins or drawers at...I mean as far as garage shed etc...?

 

[hannakat]

sassifrassi ~ "Nursery"!!! I LOVE IT!!

How appropriate!

Just started freezing them and next step is to roast them. They froze well and if I keep them in that form, it'll work. I can grab what I want, let it thaw a little and then throw em to the little dinos (chickadees). If drying them turns out to work well, I'll let ya know.

The substrate in my 3-drawer is only 1-1/2 to 2" so guess it can't get packed too badly or ucky...besides, I'm in there 'stirring things up' regularly looking at all the little ones...

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Carrots, kale, lettuce, dandilion, banana peel, celery, zucchini....anything you want to try!


earth_ma ~ In my office