Mealworm farming

[AliciaM]

My beetles are "hatching"... woohooo for me... The bin with the small worms started hatching out beetles one at a time here and there.. The bin with the larger worms all turned into the pupua thingys all at once.. most of them anyway.. Then just a bit ago I checked on them and there were big brown beetles walking around..
Worms are ok.. the beetles are giving me the creepy crawlys.. Hopefully I can get past that..

How long after they turn into beetles will the beetles lay eggs??

Also.. the first bin is of smaller worms, so the beetles are smaller... Obviously, they will lay smaller eggs.... Will the worms that come out of this also be and stay smaller?? how do I get them to grow to a better size before they turn into the alien looking things??

Personaly, im thinking of just canning the small worm bin and just going with the larger ones...

 

[AliciaM]

Here are some of my beetles hatching..

 

[michaelinnc84]

I'm still waiting on my first beetles.

 

[hannakat]

Great photos AliciaM! I've never seen the smaller mealies. Did you order both small and large? I'd imagine they'd produce small worms. I think the small ones are great for feeding small lizards and birds but the large are better for the chickens...meatier! hahaaaa

sargent spurs ~ many people keep all phases in one container. It's a lot simpler and easier to maintain. The amount of cannibalism is actually quite low so don't let that worry you.

 

[hannakat]

Fun is right!

Yes, when you first get them in, they are often (I have been getting mine from Petco, so they're ALWAYS) very thirsty. First thing I do is pour about three good capfuls of dilute whatever (gatorade or tea or water, not soda) into the container, before I even pull out of the parking lot. They go NUTS. And consumption of veggies does slow down after the first week or so, sometimes sooner.

Update from my boxes:
Carrots are OK for moisture/food but the beetles just aren't 'feeling' right. Something is missing and I can't figure out what. They go through the cricket quencher water gel like nobody's business and 'feel' better at that point but...I just can't put my finger on it. *sigh* Maybe it'll change with summer temps?

I do have babies (YAY!) but not as many as I'd hoped (no 'moving ground' effect); I'm planning on moving the beetles to new quarters and letting these grow out in situ; maybe the density of the beetles is too high/low ?

Calculating by surface area, how many beetles per square foot does everyone have and how is it working for you?

A bit frustrated here...

Beetles per square foot.... ROFL!!!!! I've kept up to 2000 beetles in a 10x13 drawer with great success. These aren't chickens...they are bugs. My other container is only about 8"x10" and have hundreds in there producing thousands of wee wormies. Give them a roll from toilet paper or a bit of egg carton to hide under and climb over, maybe a bit of newspaper or paper towel, and a carrot now and then and they should be good to go. Maybe it's from the cricket quencher stuff....just a suggestion.

As long as you have a decent basic substrate, some form of veggie, and temps between 65-95, they will be fine.

 

[hannakat]

Hello everyone!! I just bought 200 wormies (not a lot, I know) and 3 containers (to use like a three drawer system, but they're not drawers). Beginner question: Is the "wheat bran" like the bran that you can use for horses? All that it says on the bag of bran for horses is "table bran". Is that okay to use for my worms?? Yes
Thanks!

ETA: I just realized that the worms that I got a couple of weeks ago and refrigerated are giant mealworms and the other hundred that I just picked up are just regular mealworms. Will the big worms hurt the little ones if I put them together?? I would not keep them together at all but Kassandra's advice is spot on.

Also, can I feed them a tomato? With just 200, you'd be wiser to use carrot or celery or something else like that. 200 do not eat much. You can give them tomato, but do as suggested and put it on a plastic lid. Be very careful about the amount of moisture in there. Tomatoes, compared to carrot are very moist and will mold much quicker.

 

[kilby]

Your name is Nate
that is so cool 'cause my last name is Nate.
Hellllooo from BC

 

[kilby]

If they get enough to eat and drink they should grow big. Mine did. The new eggs will need a good start. Stress keeps them small and with less laying for new generations if I have my science right. You might combine them after the new bigger batch. One container is about as easy as two right?

 

[onafixedincome]

Beetles per square foot.... ROFL!!!!! I've kept up to 2000 beetles in a 10x13 drawer with great success. These aren't chickens...they are bugs. My other container is only about 8"x10" and have hundreds in there producing thousands of wee wormies. Give them a roll from toilet paper or a bit of egg carton to hide under and climb over, maybe a bit of newspaper or paper towel, and a carrot now and then and they should be good to go. Maybe it's from the cricket quencher stuff....just a suggestion.

As long as you have a decent basic substrate, some form of veggie, and temps between 65-95, they will be fine.

They actually seemed better with the cricket quencher...

I don't want to settle for 'fine'...I want them to THRIVE and really take off.

Guess I should go find an insectary forum to ask that.

 

[OkChickens]

Your name is Nate
that is so cool 'cause my last name is Nate.
Hellllooo from BC

That's neat I haven't ever heard of Nate for a last name!

Nate