Mealworm farming

[Gallo del Cielo]

Well, I took the leap into meal-worm farming. I have a 3 drawer plastic bin. The drawers are 8" high, 12" wide and 16" deep. I filled them about 4" high with wheat bran and some regular oatmeal and about 3 or 4 cups of all purpose flour. I bought 200 meal-worms and put 100 ea. in the top two drawers. I put some newspaper on top and but some shaved carrots on plastic lids in each drawer. I thought maybe I would save the 3rd drawer to expand with. Is 100 in each drawer too many?

Carrots was all I had. I'm grocery shopping tomorrow so I can pick up some apples, etc.

100 is not too many. Good luck!

 

[AliciaM]

Well, I took the leap into meal-worm farming. I have a 3 drawer plastic bin. The drawers are 8" high, 12" wide and 16" deep. I filled them about 4" high with wheat bran and some regular oatmeal and about 3 or 4 cups of all purpose flour. I bought 200 meal-worms and put 100 ea. in the top two drawers. I put some newspaper on top and but some shaved carrots on plastic lids in each drawer. I thought maybe I would save the 3rd drawer to expand with. Is 100 in each drawer too many?

Carrots was all I had. I'm grocery shopping tomorrow so I can pick up some apples, etc.

I got 1000 today and put them in the same size container.. Is this too many for that size? They are realy small worms. I can set up another bin if that is too many. I had planned on moving the beetles into another bin once they started to arrive..

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I got 1000 today and put them in the same size container.. Is this too many for that size? They are realy small worms. I can set up another bin if that is too many. I had planned on moving the beetles into another bin once they started to arrive..

I recommend starting with at least 1000 worms in a container the size of a 10 gallon aquarium. It will easily hold 10 times that number (or more) when the colony is at peak production. You should be fine!

 

[hannakat]

galanie ~ we'll keep our

that the cedar strips will work!

AliciaM ~ That size container will hold THOUSANDS of worms, you're good to go! I started with a thousand last year and am now feeding my flock of 4 hens a couple hundred a few times a week. I froze the surplus from last summer since my birds free range but we've used them up. So plan ahead. I let almost all of my original 1000 pupate and morph into beetles. The next generation I started freezing a portion and let some develop for the next generation....so think ahead and have fun.

dmclain ~ Congrats on your farm!! Not sure I'd encourage the use of white flour in the substrate.... whole wheat flour would be a better choice. 200 worms will not eat much. I was amazed at how little 1000 would eat. Check the veggies daily and if anything looks the least bit moldy, take it out pronto!

 

[hannakat]

This is a plate of frozen mealies thawing out to give to the girls. I've meant to upload this for a while now! Beside it is the container I kept in the freezer. I had 2-1/2 containers by the time winter set in. Yummmo! Once they thaw out, they are the same consistency of a live mealie without the wiggle.

 

[Kassaundra]

dmclain, I wouldn't shred the carrots they will dry out to quickly. Even the tiny meal worms won't have any trouble eating off the large carrot piece or potato or any other fruit/veggie you give them. Carrots are an excellent choice mine love the carrots.

 

[Emily1220]

Stalks of celery, especially the leaves, and cabbage leaves are the favorite choice at my house!!

 

[dmclalin]

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Gallo del Cielo, Hannakat, Kassaundra, AlliciaM and others,

Thanks all for the feedback. I was a little concerned about temperature. Good thing I'm divorced, the ex would have my hide for keeping them in the bathroom LOL! Humidity is pretty low here in MI but I'll see how they do. They love my showers!!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

This is a plate of frozen mealies thawing out to give to the girls. I've meant to upload this for a while now! Beside it is the container I kept in the freezer. I had 2-1/2 containers by the time winter set in. Yummmo! Once they thaw out, they are the same consistency of a live mealie without the wiggle.

Fantastic photo! Thanks for sharing!

I do not get on this thread as often as I like but I try. I am logged into BYC most all day every day but spend a lot of time answering PMs so between that, emails and poultry and Meal worm farming, I stay blasted busy.

UPDATE on my incubator mealies.......

AWESOME! They are super active, begging for food and active as all get out. Temp is 99 and humidity is 40% with the hygrometer beside them. It may not be as correct as it should be but they are trying to climb out of the container. I will be adding a bunch of little ones later today in another container to see how fast they also will grow.

How back to work!

 

[Emily1220]

Please pass the ketchup!!!!!