Mealworm farming

[hannakat]

You're welcome Lynn!

I can't even begin to imagine the sight and sound of that many beetles.... I am envious and your chickadees will be

!

 

[galanie]

Quote:
Love this galanie! I've wondered about the 'moat' method.

Yep, that's the way country people used to keep bugs out of food in their houses back when people lived in sieves with no climate control.

Sad but true. My mother in law did that when she made tons of cookies at Christmas. Made you think "yuck" in a way but at least you knew no roaches ever got in them!

 

[hannakat]

 

[kizanne]

I have had beetles for weeks still waiting for baby worms though.

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
If you pick up the veggie you have in with them and real fast look at it and underneath in the substrate, you'll see 'em. They're in there!

 

[Cakela]

Wormies are doing better today.

I'm not over feeding or over heating them now, LOL.

They seem happy under their newspaper blanket.

Can't wait for beetles!

 

[Czech's_chicks]

OK, after 3 moves I think I have the ants taken care of, but I don't want to keep the meal worms in the house...I know the cats will knowck them over, or the children. I'm going to have to figure out a way to keep them outside but keep them dern ants away. Good news is they are eating good and they really do seem to love damp paper towel.

 

[appychick]

I don't have a worm farm yet ,but when I have ant problems I use a little bit of Nutra Sweet & it works well. I put out a couple of the little single serving pkts away from the other animals & sprinkle a little on the ant pile. Aspartame originally was used as ant poison-not sure how they ever got it added to the human food chain.......

 

[CluckyJay]

If I remember right, which I probably don't, it was an accident. The scientist accidentally licked a bit of it and found it was sweet. After paying off the FDA, which I know is true, they hid the cancer causing results of aspartame and now we have a wonderful, kill you, no calorie sweetener!

 

[hannakat]

Update on second generation:

Found pupae on 8/15 and as of 8/27, there are newly morphed beetles.

Takes 2 to tango and there's at least half-a-dozen in there. None are completely black yet, but they're getting there. I'm assuming sexual maturity is reached by the time they are completely black. I have no proof of this, just a gut instinct. hahahaaa

I've been trying to pick the worms out for freezing before they pupate 'cause I have enough pupae for the top drawer again. The single bin is kinda on its own and will develop undisturbed except for scooping out some of the big wormies to put in freezer camp.

In 5 months, my colony went from 1000 newly purchased wormies~pupae~beetles~thousands of eggs~wormies~pupae and to a second generation of beetles getting ready to lay thousands of eggs... awesome!

OH, and the first generation of beetles are still laying eggs. bugs, they can definitely take over the world....