Mealworm farming

[hannakat]

I bought a small set of drawers .... might wish I'd gotten a larger set!

Top drawer for pupae and beetles. I cut the bottom out of the drawer and hot glued screening so that when the eggs hatch, the small worms will fall into the second drawer.

Closeup of a couple beetles that hatched within the last 24 hours.

 

[hannakat]

This is the second drawer. I moved 100 worms into ground up oats, chicken feed, corn meal, powdered milk, and wheat flour. I am going to try this mixture for the baby worms to develop in when they drop from the top drawer. Many of the worms in this drawer have already become pupa and have been moved so everyone (! every worm!!) should be pupae before any babies are hatched.

This is the bottom drawer where most of the worms are. It's mostly oats with some of the ground mixture being added every now and then.

This is another container I just started last Wednesday. I've been putting all of the pupae in here for a week now.... don't know why I think it might be better to start these separately??? Just decided to put them in here. I also want to COUNT them this time!

 

[sadies chicks]

Quote:
Ok, that is awesome. Dumb question: does it smell?? also, what temperature can they be in? I am thinking of doing the same and want to keep them in my "outside room". My girls go ga-ga over those sicko little wormies

Oh and last question....what do you do with the beetles?

thanks!!!

 

[sadies chicks]

Quote:

I think a lot of us BYC folks would be classified as a little nuts by others who can't understand the joy of raising chickens.

@ Hannakat -- Refresh my memory on Beaver County, PA. I'm originally from Columbia County (Bloomsburg, PA). Went into the Air Force, and ended up after 25 years retiring down here outside the base I last worked on (Shaw AFB). I miss PA. My folks still live up there...so usually get there at least once a year.

AGREED!! My hubby being one of them!!!

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
No question is dumb!!! It smells like oats and grains. I'm picky and clean out any dead worms and most of the shed skins regularly. The dead worms just seem to dry up so I don't think they'd smell even if left.

I've read that the warmer the temp the faster they develope. They are in my house and it's 69-72 degrees and they are still doing very well (at least I think so!!). If your house is warmer or you can keep them in a warm garage, then your colony will grow just that much faster.

The beetles are in the top drawer. They will mate, lay eggs, the eggs will hatch and a whole generation of wormies will be growing! As the worms turn into the pupae, I move them to the top drawer (actually, now to a separate container), lay them on the oats and just wait for them to morph into the beetles.

You want to make sure the medium you keep them in (oats or other wheat mixture) stays dry. I wash the kale, cabage, carrot, apple, potato (whatever they're getting that day!) and pat it dry before I set it in a drawer.

hope this helps! What's the temp in your outside room?

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
Yea.....but then I'd have to COUNT them...pushing the yuck factor!

 

[GiddyMoon]

Quote:
Yea.....but then I'd have to COUNT them...pushing the yuck factor!

lol I am sure you could do the math and find out what a 1000 weigh...then double it..I think you could do it

 

[sadies chicks]

Quote:
No question is dumb!!! It smells like oats and grains. I'm picky and clean out any dead worms and most of the shed skins regularly. The dead worms just seem to dry up so I don't think they'd smell even if left.

I've read that the warmer the temp the faster they develope. They are in my house and it's 69-72 degrees and they are still doing very well (at least I think so!!). If your house is warmer or you can keep them in a warm garage, then your colony will grow just that much faster.

The beetles are in the top drawer. They will mate, lay eggs, the eggs will hatch and a whole generation of wormies will be growing! As the worms turn into the pupae, I move them to the top drawer (actually, now to a separate container), lay them on the oats and just wait for them to morph into the beetles.

You want to make sure the medium you keep them in (oats or other wheat mixture) stays dry. I wash the kale, cabage, carrot, apple, potato (whatever they're getting that day!) and pat it dry before I set it in a drawer.

hope this helps! What's the temp in your outside room?

Yes that helps thanks! My outside room right now is about 50 degrees. We are in Portland OR, so we won't see summer until about August 4th

thanks for the great info!!

 

[GiddyMoon]

If you look on you tube..you will find tons of videos about how to do meal worms..you buy them, dumb them in a plastic bin, shoe box, aquarium, etc with 1-3" of wheat germ bran or plain oatmeal. You put in a couple slices of potato, a few mini carrots..they love those, slices of apple, whatever, for moisture, a few sheets of newspaper and put them in a dark, warm place. Many kids on you tube make this so much more complicated than it needs to be...I think the mesh drawer idea is a great system..but I have seen kids separating them to the ninth degree and there is just no point. If one dies, leave it...the others will eat it. The skins..leave them..they will eat it..they may eat some eggs..but the beetles lay so many..it doesn't really matter. You do not have to out in new ones for "genetics" as one kid on youtube said...There is a guy on here who does it all in one 10 gallon aquarium and has had the same batch for years. Just add more grains and veggies as need be. We are in AZ..potatoes can go moldy fast so i check in on mine daily and put in a fresh slice or two. That's it..no smell....no time.

The worms are an excellent source of natural protein for the chickens..just remember..most feed now is mainly soy...chickens naturally dig around all day looking for worms and bugs...this is a very healthy thing to add to your chicken diet.

 

[sadies chicks]

Love it! My hubs just learned we were going to start farming wormies, he is very excited