Mealworm farming

[coberdor]

If you bake it, the best way to dry out bread, turn the oven on to about 300. Put the bread in on the rack, not on a cookie sheet, because you want the bread to dry out evenly. As soon as you put the bread in and close it up, turn off the oven and let it sit all night. This way, you don't have to watch it and don't use much energy. The closed oven will usually dry it out well. This is how I normally make bread crumbs for cooking. I will usually just put in a whole loaf on the rack, without overlapping the slices.

 

[galanie]

Finally some good news. Just in review cause I posted this part pages ago, I had a moth infestation forever, which meant few worms and tons of dead pupae. I moved one of the two bins into new bedding (again) in a larger container with a moth trap inside, sealed as best I can get it from moths being able to get in and a few cedar strips on the outside. That one is now TEEMING with worms finally!

So yesterday, I'd decided the other one was a loss. No matter what I did, they just kept getting in there. I swirl through periodically and pull out the moth webby things if I see them and squish the little @*&%s inside and keep it covered tightly, but I never got many worms and again, dead pupae everywhere. So I was going to just feed that one out to the chickens. So I open it, swirl through the bedding like I do sometimes, and it was alive with wormies!

Finally! I am still keeping moth traps up and around though. I think for the rest of my life! lol

 

[drott3]

Just spent the greater part of the morning trying to find wheat brand.None of the feed stores or feed mills in my area have it.I found some in the balk section of our one grocery store.It's pricey.Has anyone been successfully with rolled oats or whole oats?Or a combination of oats and wheat brand?

 

[hannakat]

Just spent the greater part of the morning trying to find wheat brand.None of the feed stores or feed mills in my area have it.I found some in the balk section of our one grocery store.It's pricey.Has anyone been successfully with rolled oats or whole oats?Or a combination of oats and wheat brand?

Hi! If you read the mealworm information pages linked on the first post of this thread, you will find lots of information condensed and made easy.

Rolled oats make a perfect substrate for raising mealies and many of us use it. No worries!

I have one container that I use the wheat bran in and the only way I can get smaller amounts is to buy it online. I order the wheat bran on Ebay. Five pounds cost as much as 50 lbs locally, but I have no need for that much and nowhere to store it.

Hope this helps.

 

[hannakat]

Wonderful news galanie!!

 

[hannakat]

Quote:

 

[hannakat]

At last I have wheat bran in my freezer! I found a local place that sells mealworms by the thousands (mostly for Bluebird feeding) so will be picking up my starter batch in about a week. Hoping for the best. I am sure following along on this thread will give me a good shot at this.

Welcome to the farm Stark! You are the first person I've seen who found a local bulk mealie store. Awesome!!!!!!!

 

[drott3]

Up date made just one more call to a mill 28 miles from me in Amish country.They have it.7.00 On my way now.

 

[Kassaundra]

I HAVE BEEN WIPED OUT!!!!!!!!!


All my mealies are gone, disappeared!!!

I have tracked down the issue and have installed safty measures. I never did put the lid on my bins, they couldn't crawl out, they were in the dresser set up so I never thought it was ness. Well appearently rodents eat mealies. We had a mouse (trapped that sucker and fed him to the chickens) and he ate all my mealies while I was at work (2 days). Now I have the lids on (drilled holes for ventilation) and I also smeared vasoline on the edges where the lid meets the bin to act as a barrier against ants while I was at it (two bird one stone and all) Anyway I should have plenty of eggs in the bins so I'll see how it goes.

 

[Ivywoods]

I HAVE BEEN WIPED OUT!!!!!!!!!


All my mealies are gone, disappeared!!!

I have tracked down the issue and have installed safty measures. I never did put the lid on my bins, they couldn't crawl out, they were in the dresser set up so I never thought it was ness. Well appearently rodents eat mealies. We had a mouse (trapped that sucker and fed him to the chickens) and he ate all my mealies while I was at work (2 days). Now I have the lids on (drilled holes for ventilation) and I also smeared vasoline on the edges where the lid meets the bin to act as a barrier against ants while I was at it (two bird one stone and all) Anyway I should have plenty of eggs in the bins so I'll see how it goes.

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear this has happened to you! You have been lots of help to me on this thread in my process of getting mine started. Maybe there are plenty of eggs in there to get you going again, but what a bummer to have to wait from them all to grow again. Maybe they will grow really fast over the summer.