Mealworm farming

[2many2count]

I have 3 tubs going of the mealies, beetles and pupae and am now invaded with ants! I found a bigger tub and set the worse invaded tub inside with water moat to keep any others out and DH and I killed as many ants as we could. Now I have to find 2 more bigger tubs to put the others in. I suppose setting them next to the wall was not a great idea but they like the warmth coming in.

Anyone have any other ideas to keep the ants out of my mealie bins?

I am hearing of a lot of other people fighting ants this year of many different kinds. So far the fire ants haven't popped up as badly as in past years but I know those are coming. But ant invasion in people's homes are what I am hearing a lot of.

I would use WHITE chalk not colored and draw a line around the ants will not cross the white chalk line.
I would also use peppermint essential oil. Place the oil on a cotton ball rubbing it around the entry ways and/or put the cotton ball in the window seal and leave it sit there.

I have to say this is a very interesting thread...I am learning alot about mealworm farming and I am getting my supplies in line to start my own.

 

[ChickenWifey]

Well, I havent posted here in a few weeks. I just wanted to update my farm I found 21 pupa on Mothers day!! I was sooo excited! I check it 2-3 times a day now, cause im a bit obsessed, lol. I sorted my mealworm bin the other day and counted them, I was bored, lol I found a few very small mealworms that were dead though. Is it normal? Am I killing them? IDK, I just know im loving this! My girls are loving it too. Every night they each get 3 worms Not enough to make a dent in the farm but enough to make the girls happy!


My farm: With a screen bottom on the beetles to let them fall through

 

[BeccaSmith]

Well, I havent posted here in a few weeks. I just wanted to update my farm I found 21 pupa on Mothers day!! I was sooo excited! I check it 2-3 times a day now, cause im a bit obsessed, lol. I sorted my mealworm bin the other day and counted them, I was bored, lol I found a few very small mealworms that were dead though. Is it normal? Am I killing them? IDK, I just know im loving this! My girls are loving it too. Every night they each get 3 worms Not enough to make a dent in the farm but enough to make the girls happy!


My farm: With a screen bottom on the beetles to let them fall through

Great to see pictures of your set up! I am using the screen as well, but when hubby put it together for me he put the screen on the outside and not on the inside of the container and eventually the weight (although not much) eventually cause the screen to fall off and all the contents to fall through to the container below so I am essentially having to start over again with sorting out the beetles from the mealworms. The problems with my set up is that I am using the three drawer system that sits in a tower, so every time I pull the drawer open with the beetles in it, little pieces fall through the screen when it is open, I'm always worried that there will be baby wormies falling through the outside of the containers that I will never be able to see until it is to late. So if I want to open that drawer, I have to remember to open the drawer below it as well, which I can never remember to do!

 

[destin0709]

I have alot of pupae in my worms, I am thinking of trying this cause my chickens just can't get enough mealworms. Love the drawer systems, going to store today think I'll get one. So you want the screen bottom so the worms fall threw? Also I have been feeding my mealworms apples and oats, I have celery in fridge can you use that?

 

[Ivywoods]

Great to see pictures of your set up! I am using the screen as well, but when hubby put it together for me he put the screen on the outside and not on the inside of the container and eventually the weight (although not much) eventually cause the screen to fall off and all the contents to fall through to the container below so I am essentially having to start over again with sorting out the beetles from the mealworms. The problems with my set up is that I am using the three drawer system that sits in a tower, so every time I pull the drawer open with the beetles in it, little pieces fall through the screen when it is open, I'm always worried that there will be baby wormies falling through the outside of the containers that I will never be able to see until it is to late. So if I want to open that drawer, I have to remember to open the drawer below it as well, which I can never remember to do!

That is exactly what I do. Not only do you catch any eggs or tiny wormies that might fall through, but you catch that frass, too.

I'm hoping to not have to sort beetles and pupae out of my bottom 2 drawers. I am hoping I can just keep the top drawer as a self perpetuating unit. I've noticed tiny wormies in there, so I know they will grow and repopulate that drawer. I only intend to switch out the 2nd and 3rd drawer when the worms get big enough in the second drawer, and I will feed the worms out from there while the ones develop in the next drawer.

 

[wolftracks]

I'm lazy. One tub. I know I'd start forgetting to move things around, so I figured the one tub and I'm good. I have mine in with 30% Game Bird Crumbles and they get either potato or carrot every few days. Been watching my one lone beetle but I have lots of pupa this time around.

 

[wolftracks]

HA! I have more beetles today! I think I've got it now. Put them in the container and leave them alone and they grow. Hope that thing fills up with lots of wormies soon.

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

I'm lazy. One tub. I know I'd start forgetting to move things around, so I figured the one tub and I'm good. I have mine in with 30% Game Bird Crumbles and they get either potato or carrot every few days. Been watching my one lone beetle but I have lots of pupa this time around.

Yeah, I used to keep them seperate, but I decided just to stick them all together. After all, that is how they do it in the wild! I'm just going to let them sit all summer and part fall, then out come the mealies!



Today I found some babies - I have finally gone through the whole stage! I got the worms, then got the pupa, then got the bettles, then I must have gotten eggs, and now I have tiny worms! Funny, I've gone through the whole process with chickens too - Got the babies, then they grew up laid an egg, one wanted to hatch some eggs, and now I have babies, again! Yippie!


EDIT: I do keep a few in a smaller seperate container. This way if my big main one gets infested and I have to dump it, I can just use my mini farm instead of buying more worms.

 

[wolftracks]

Yup!

I figure since I haven't shut of my incubators in over 2 years I'd go easy on myself with the worms. LOL Besides, they seem to be doing just fine without me. Wish everything went that way.

 

[Ivywoods]

I have alot of pupae in my worms, I am thinking of trying this cause my chickens just can't get enough mealworms. Love the drawer systems, going to store today think I'll get one. So you want the screen bottom so the worms fall threw? Also I have been feeding my mealworms apples and oats, I have celery in fridge can you use that?

Actually, it is the eggs that fall through and maybe newly hatched worms, but the larger worms will not go through the screen.

Mine seem to really like celery. I cut the root part of the stem off and put it in there for them.