Mealworm farming

[Kassaundra]

I put thick slices several throughout the bin, they take care of most of them before they dry out, I used to do smaller chunks too, but had the same problem w/ dry out before they ate them, (but there were fewer then too)

I use the same feed out container, it is metalic (stainless steel) and high sided for the dubia (so they can't climb out) and the chickens go nuts when they see that container, they don't forget it EVER no matter how many days between feed out.

 

[gale65]

I'm going to start doing slices too-thanks for that idea. I was doing halves or chunks and like the pp said, they dry out and get all hard before they eat much of it.

 

[binders]

I do slices too because when I did halves I would have a big dried out chuck in the bin forever with a few beetles still trying to munch on it but not having much luck. I like to use sweet potatoes more than regular potatoes because they seem to eat all of them whereas the potato they will usually leave some of it.

 

[Kassaundra]

I do slices too because when I did halves I would have a big dried out chuck in the bin forever with a few beetles still trying to munch on it but not having much luck. I like to use sweet potatoes more than regular potatoes because they seem to eat all of them whereas the potato they will usually leave some of it.

I totally agree, that has been the same w/ my mealies.

 

[Terri O]

You can use rolled oats and they'll do just fine. I pay a crazy amount for wheat bran from Ebay.....costs me as much for 5 pounds as it would if I bought 50 pounds at Agway! eeek...but I have no room for 50 pounds!

Locally, Agway and Diamond Milling both sell 50 pound bags of wheat bran...can't find anyone to sell a smaller amount

Hey Hannakat--I was just at my local Sentry store and guess what I saw right by the oatmeal? YUP--wheat bran! Sure wish I would have known that before I bought my 50# bag! I did talk to the man at the mill however, and he says that all animals can eat it so I have been adding it to feed for my horses, goats and sheep. I guess I am the only one that CANT eat it...Celiac's! It shouldnt tak too long for them to eat up the remaining 40#! LOL! I agree about the smilies...I just dont use them any more! Terri O

 

[Kassaundra]

Hey Hannakat--I was just at my local Sentry store and guess what I saw right by the oatmeal? YUP--wheat bran! Sure wish I would have known that before I bought my 50# bag! I did talk to the man at the mill however, and he says that all animals can eat it so I have been adding it to feed for my horses, goats and sheep. I guess I am the only one that CANT eat it...Celiac's! It shouldnt tak too long for them to eat up the remaining 40#! LOL! I agree about the smilies...I just dont use them any more! Terri O

Me too, well not the celiacs but gluten intolerance.

 

[lolita117]

Why don't you recommend Uncle Jim's? My order hasn't shipped out yet and I can still cancel if it is that bad.

 

[bloom_ss]

Why don't you recommend Uncle Jim's? My order hasn't shipped out yet and I can still cancel if it is that bad.

If you read a few pages into this thread at the beginning, there were quite a few people that were having problems with them. I guess a lot of the worms were arriving dead and the people were having a hard time with the customer service there.

 

[lolita117]

Oh Okay, thanks for answering. I'll see if I can get that cancelled. What's a good place to purchase from? I'm not needing to start out with 10,000 but would like to order 3,000-5,000 depending on the price. I've already got everything set up for my worms to get here!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

As I was going through my two better bins today, getting a few harvested for shipment and looking over the growing numbers, I noticed a few interesting things. (Y'all love it when I share this stuff, eh?)

Meal worms put on their backs will flare their sides out and arch to turn themselves over. Real cool the way they flare their sides out! I watched that time and again. Probably had not noticed it before because I do not wear my reading glasses but my eyes are to the point that I can't see squat in the mealie bins if I don't.

Also, I have so many growing up that I now have several thousand in the bottom of a Guinea Pig cage that is plastic and has tall sides. It fits on the arms of the chair in my living room very well so I like it. It is much bigger than my plastic bins and at this time I am not buying more. So anyhow, I laid a big plastic lid in there on the substrate and would use my shaker to get the little ones out onto it and the big ones would be left for me to collect up. When I would lift the big plastic lid off the substrate there would be lots and lots of mealies crawling between the lid and substrate. It happened time and again and I am wondering if the mealies prancing around on the lid or the gentle bumping of them falling onto the thin layer of substrate was a type of calling to the others? The substrate in that huge bin is about 4" deep since I have so many growing up in there. Just odd that in only a few minutes the mealies would all be up there and I could set it right back down after scooping the mess of worms up in the shaker and within a few minutes they would be back again.

So there are my weekly observations of meal worm farming. I always love to read everyone's adventures and share my own.