Mealworm farming

[3scorpios]

Quote:
1. An aquarium makes a dandy farm container. (actually, most are doing the single bin (or multiple bins) with same result as an aquarium). Don't think they eat the eggs but will munch on a dead worm, pupae or beetle, so yes, your colony will do just fine. You do NOT need to separate the stages to have a successful farm.

2. No tossing yet. Wait and see. If you have mites, they will make themselves known in great numbers. Very few people have problems with mites. It's usually from some other source (I think Amy's infestation was from guinea pig food). Some of us have taken to freezing bran and chicken food to be safe.

3. It is our pleasure to help others and keep the mealie farms growing!

We love to answer questions...ask away...

and

Welcome to the farm!!!!

Thanks so much. I'm so happy with those answers. I can't wait to start feeding my girls mealworms!

 

[Kassaundra]

Quote:
I wonder if there is a tipping point where the temps don't make drastic changes anymore? Obviously there is a huge diff in 70 - 77, but I wonder if the difference would be so great from 77 - 85. I have been debating the adding of heat, but unless I move my colony to the garage (the other posters refrigerator idea is still cluttering around in my head) I don't think I will add any, especially since I think it would complicate the humidity issues.

 

[Kassaundra]

Quote:
Love both A$$ Frass and this one!

The picture on the bag could be a mealie sitting on a toilet reading a mother earth news magazine!!!!

 

[Kassaundra]

Quote:
Several on this thread do the one container method, including me. Gallo's posts have a link to his one container set up that has been established for 20+ years. Mealies are easy and fun, and the best part it you can spend as much or little time as you want, completely personalize your method of growing, as long as you provide the safe home, and food nature will take it's couse. There is even one poster on this thread that grows them in dirt instead of grains, b/c in her area there are a lot of grain moths and she didn't want to attract them.

I have no experience w/ mites.

 

[oneofseven]

Quote:
Love both A$$ Frass and this one!

The picture on the bag could be a mealie sitting on a toilet reading a mother earth news magazine!!!!

You took the thought right out of my head. Meally sitting on toilet.

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
Love both A$$ Frass and this one!

The picture on the bag could be a mealie sitting on a toilet reading a mother earth news magazine!!!!

 

[hannakat]

Kassandra ~ Approximately every 2 months your colony explodes, and with each 2 months that explosion explodes. Between the dubia roaches and the mealies....how much do those chickens of yours think they need already?!

 

[Kassaundra]

Quote:
How much THEY think they need, every insect in the world!!!!!! every day!!!!!!

I've had my dubia colony up and going for a year now and just started feeding out 30 at a time 3-5 times a week. I'm keeping an eye on the colony hoping that isn't to much and cause it to crash. Even if I got to feeding 30 dubia a day and 2 cups of mealies (one for each group) they wouldn't think it was enough.

My dubia colony is having some smelling issues right now I am working on, my next thing is I'm going to put river sand in the bottom of the aquarium, see if that takes care of the issue. I am really considering one of the previous posters ideas of placing bins inside dead refrigerators, easier temp / humidity control and contain any smells, easy access, they could be kept in the garage and I could go BIG with all the colonies. My first and main goal is enough for my girls to have at least one dubia a day and the group of 15 to have 1 cup of mealies a day (if I could get more that would be even better, the more insect protien / calories I provide the less they have to eat in layer pellets.) But I am very interested in the options of selling insects locally to fishing markets, as well as reptile owners, chicken people, other bird owners etc.....

 

[hannakat]

I remember you mentioning a smell in the dubia colony previously and actually was wondering if you were able to get it corrected. I didn't think they were supposed to smell. I've heard crickets are terribly smelly but thought roaches weren't. Guess that's another good reason I still don't have a roach colony!

I considered getting seriously into the selling but just don't have the energy for it!! My colony is getting big enough for my girls and if there's too many extra, I have 2 friends who don't free range their birds and don't raise feeder insects so I can be the good Auntie and share the wormies with those chickadees less fortunate! If I don't purposely slow the colony down with lower temps, it would only be for this reason.

It would be very interesting and fun to check out the available markets and I hope you are successful! I'm still at a stall with local dubia breeders selling/sharing their overstock

Just don't get it. One guys sister told me he destroys the excess when he can't manage the colony....dang....doesn't make sense. I always try to be a good steward of what is given or produced.

 

[Kassaundra]

Quote:
They have not had a smell until recently, I don't know if the colony has out grown the size of the container or what. I have made some modifications and there has been improvement, I was thinking the sand would help w/ what is left. I also think dividing them into another tank will help. I have the new tank almost ready, just finding a place for it.

I can't imagine destroying the insects instead of just feeding them out, unless he is feeding reptiles those you have to be careful about over feeding. Even so I agree there has to be better ways of disposal that are useful.

I don't know how far into the selling I am going to be able to get, I've had the roaches for a year and am no where near a level where I could sell, and haven't fed any out until recently. Right now I have 20 chickens, next year I would like to add 10 more, so I'm having a hard time imagining having more then I need to feed my own chickens. Especially if the numbers the other poster figured are anywhere near acurate ............. 600 beetles a month for 1 cup a day harvest of mealies. I would like a minimum of 1 cup / 10 chickens / day. I have looked everywhere I can think to find something about an amount / chicken/ day that would be adequate for treat, or for suppliment, or for primary protien, and cannot find anything, so my numbers of 1 cup / 10 are completely arbitrary.