Mealworm farming

[Mavrk]

Make sure the chick feed is not medicated before feeding it to the mealworms

 

[DMRippy]

Make sure you run it though the oven too to kill the mites or whatever living in it.... even the chick/chicken feed.

 

[cluck-cluck]

sure they will just burrow their way around. No worries!

Yes, they did find their way back up, LOL

Make sure you run it though the oven too to kill the mites or whatever living in it.... even the chick/chicken feed.

I had those awful pantry moths get into my bran, so I gave it 2 minutes in the microwave, and they were all dead. Then I added the bran to my mealies, a bit warm still (not terribly) and I think they liked that bit of warmth, LOL. So, yah, the microwave is grate to kill bugs!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Yes, they did find their way back up, LOL
I had those awful pantry moths get into my bran, so I gave it 2 minutes in the microwave, and they were all dead. Then I added the bran to my mealies, a bit warm still (not terribly) and I think they liked that bit of warmth, LOL. So, yah, the microwave is grate to kill bugs!

I tell everyone, there's a huge amount of info in this thread, so when its snowy and miserable out (if it gets cold where you are), try to read it all if you can. You will learn a so much from all the information shared and LAUGH a lot in the process! i took my 50 pounds of bran, cooked it in the oven like 30 min. My oven is ancient 1970s and the thermostat has never worked right. I have to use a temp gauge for it. the gauge showed 160 for the lowest setting. I just kept baking 2 filled up 1/2 sheet size cake pans till it was all done (smelled really good in my kitchen too BTW) let it cool, then put it all in the freezer a few bags at a time. My small chest freezer is almost empty right now so it worked out well, and still have plenty of room. I use the little one to put a few weeks of meats n veges etc to avoid opening the 2 big ones so often. All that bran will probably last a year easily so now i know it won't go buggy by then.. I do the same with any other bedding, even the oats. Some of the folks here had an awful time with grain mites so i took their advice from the start. I also use newspaper, spent paper towel & bathroom tissue rolls for hiding places, they really like that too.

 

[Turkeytruff]

I would go with wheat bran.

OK

Hehehe! Wish we could play sound bites, i hear that old organ funeral march playing for the turkey Dday!! I use wheat bran for the wormies, and rolled oats for the beetle bin. I bought 50 pounds of the bran early in Sept and i still have a LOT. I just got a small bag of rolled oats, need more already. Have 3 large totes going now and my 3 drawer. Beetles seem to have an issue of being upright, they are always on their backs LOL!
the oats really helped that. it also lets the eggs fall thru the screen easier, and the new lil wee wormies. The chicken feed is also a good choice for worm bedding. Ona posted a while back she uses chick starter 24% i think, and the worms are really nice. You can "gut load" by using high quality bedding to produce a healthier worm, and it benefits your birds health too. That's the main reason i feed mostly carrots to the worms.

I like the idea of the 3 drawers but am now committed to my aquarium! Interesting that you use the rolled oats for the beatles...They are thriving in the boiler room anyway. I may as well use some of the smashed cabbage leaves left over by the *&%$ turkeys in the mealworm palace

I finally made some suet cakes yesterday and fed 2 to the flock today. Hilarious! They were running all over the place trying to hide their bits and gulp them down at the same time

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

OK

I like the idea of the 3 drawers but am now committed to my aquarium! Interesting that you use the rolled oats for the beatles...They are thriving in the boiler room anyway. I may as well use some of the smashed cabbage leaves left over by the *&%$ turkeys in the mealworm palace

I finally made some suet cakes yesterday and fed 2 to the flock today. Hilarious! They were running all over the place trying to hide their bits and gulp them down at the same time

Your aquarium will be fine, the person that started the mealie farm idea uses a 10 gallon. He has had it going for years. the beetle drawer idea has really helped me save time. i wait till the 2nd month on each bin, and put all the beetles into that drawer, I keep a spreadsheet so i can keep track, i was an accountant before i retired, can u tell?!

(WAY OCD on numbers ROFL) Oh i can't wait to do the suet cakes.. my pig Bacon will go sometime in Dec.. i have all my notes for processing and the fat is top of the list. It will be so good for the birds with the cold weather coming, i have a bad feeling this winter will be a rough one for this area.

 

[Turkeytruff]

Your aquarium will be fine, the person that started the mealie farm idea uses a 10 gallon. He has had it going for years. the beetle drawer idea has really helped me save time. i wait till the 2nd month on each bin, and put all the beetles into that drawer, I keep a spreadsheet so i can keep track, i was an accountant before i retired, can u tell?!

(WAY OCD on numbers ROFL) Oh i can't wait to do the suet cakes.. my pig Bacon will go sometime in Dec.. i have all my notes for processing and the fat is top of the list. It will be so good for the birds with the cold weather coming, i have a bad feeling this winter will be a rough one for this area.

you and my husband would get on just fine! Do you actually count all the wormies? I can't see the tiny baby ones to do that

So, so far I am going to just keep on using wheatbran and throw in carrots, potatoes, and apples.
Bacon will be very tasty - you will be glad when it's over.
The suet cakes are a bit messy and the kitchen was smelly when I finished, but seeing the animals going crazy for them made it worth it

I am going to have to get another freezer!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

you and my husband would get on just fine! Do you actually count all the wormies?


I can't see the tiny baby ones to do that

So, so far I am going to just keep on using wheatbran and throw in carrots, potatoes, and apples.
Bacon will be very tasty - you will be glad when it's over.
The suet cakes are a bit messy and the kitchen was smelly when I finished, but seeing the animals going crazy for them made it worth it

I am going to have to get another freezer!

OMG!!!!!! ROFL!!!!

noooo way, i use the one cup = 1000 adult mealies measuring. the new babies are so small its insane, i can see em if i use a magnifier. Hehehe, we have chicken math and freezer math, whats next!! (thats why i have 3)

 

[Moosetails]

First, I want to thank everyone that have posted information here. I've been trying to read 50 pages each time I'm on the site, but I start to fall asleep before I reach my goal. So, my story is this: I've had mealies since 11/2. I have one beetle, four grubs, and about ~565 mealies, not counting the black ones. We keep the temp in the house at 63 degrees when we're at work, so I think it is going to be some time before I get more beetles. The beetle morphed about a week ago. Should I refrigerate the one beetle until more come along? I don't want her to die before she has a chance to mate, but I'm not sure what the chill will do to her. Any suggestions?

 

[DMRippy]

First, I want to thank everyone that have posted information here. I've been trying to read 50 pages each time I'm on the site, but I start to fall asleep before I reach my goal. So, my story is this: I've had mealies since 11/2. I have one beetle, four grubs, and about ~565 mealies, not counting the black ones. We keep the temp in the house at 63 degrees when we're at work, so I think it is going to be some time before I get more beetles. The beetle morphed about a week ago. Should I refrigerate the one beetle until more come along? I don't want her to die before she has a chance to mate, but I'm not sure what the chill will do to her. Any suggestions?

The others will follow very soon. Don't worry. I think they have a harder time surviving when refrigerated. Do you have a warmer place you could keep them? Like on top of the fridge? or in the kitchen over the stove area or a microwave area? I have mine on top of the incubator in the room with the hatcher and brooder so it stays a little warmer in there but the incubator heat is doing the trick mine are growing like crazy.