Mealworm farming

[Terri O]

Does anyone know where the pics of the mites are on this thread? I am going to try a search next. I opened my bins today and it looked like piles of little worms or eggs but then I saw it was moving...yup--I think I remember a discussion about mites and I think I got 'em!

Must I scrap the whole farm or can I just move the beetles into another container? Do they carry the mites on their bodies? How did I get this? Oh--I was doing so well until I had the mold problem....I could just cry! Please help!
Terri O

ETA: I found it wit a search...not the picture though. But that is what I have and now I have to go and do something about it!

 

[Kassaundra]

My new heated mealie condo is almost finished. Should put their metabolisms in hyperdrive

Just a few more finishing touches and I'll post pics.

 

[Kassaundra]

Quote:
I have never seen them, but someone posted pics earlier in this thread. They are tiny and white and show up by the gabillions!!!!! They do not harm the mealies, but they are obnoxious for keeping the area clean and are by all accounts not easy to get rid of.

The major consensus of how you get them seems to be untreated (microwaved or frozen) substrate. Also the smaller the substrate the more likely to get them.

 

[CluckyJay]

I found an article saying they can kill your mealies over time. That and to use a light dusting of sulfur powder to kill them. A light dusting is supposedly harmless to the mealies.

 

[CluckyJay]

Oh, I got rid of mine the hard way. I sifted and then rinsed the mealworms throughly under running water in a sieve. I then placed the mealworms on clean paper towels to quickly dry them so they didn't drown. I think I rinsed for about 60 seconds per wad of mealies. I also popped milo and toasted black oil sunflower seeds as their new substrate. Also added garlic to the bin. And some of my loose goat minerals. So far no more mites and my mealies are getting much larger much more quickly.

I discovered the mealies LOVE beet slices too. lol They ate the heck out of doggy vitamins as well. I am not feeding these to my chickens though. I am saving them for breeding next year.

 

[Terri O]

Well I felt REALLY itchy after cleaning out all that mounding mass of living mites! I would stop and stare at the bunch and it would look like it was swelling! GROSS! I got rid of the containers and the substrate. Put my beetles on new stuff in a new bin. There was not a single worm to be seen. I kept looking for baby ones--nothing. I think I will set the beetles on a heating pad because our house is chilly and maybe that is why they are not hatching any eggs. If I find more mites in a week or so I will dump the whole mess and start again....Terri O

 

[oneofseven]

Quote:
I posted a little while back that if you keep the substrate dry (by cooking it in the oven) the mites will die out from dehydration. The worms and beetles can stand very dry areas. The beetles can transport the mites from bin to bin.

 

[Gypsi]

For those of us who free-cycled our ovens, would stove top baking in an iron skillet work? Or should I microwave it?

 

[oneofseven]

Quote:
I think either would work as long as you don't burn it. Cooking the subtrate both dries it and kills any unwanted critters.

 

[Gypsi]

As long as the bread and potato aren't molding, they are ok? Beetles and worms didn't like the watermelon (I put it on plastic, so when it molded the substrate was unaffected). They didn't seem to like the romaine lettuce. I don't have any apples today. I see new beetles in the worm bin, live beetles in the beetle bin, but some dead ones too. Substrate seems to be dry, don't see any mites. No moths. (indoors is a big plus I'm thinking.) Should I do anything?