Mealworm farming

[Bmmjz Chicks]

I'm curious what percent of your pupas form into normal beetles. I think I'm having a high deformity rate.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I'm curious what percent of your pupas form into normal beetles. I think I'm having a high deformity rate.

I remember someone else had that on the first generation, most will straighten out as they darken. I think if they get moved around much while a pupa it may cause some damage. I only move beetles about once a week, and I rarely see any deformed. That's just my guess from what i see.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

I'm curious what percent of your pupas form into normal beetles. I think I'm having a high deformity rate.

from what I've seen almost all my pupae turned into normal beetles.





How do you guys take out worms to give to you chickens? It took me a half hour to get out a 100 for my chickens! or longer...

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: sifter works great.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

That makes great sense. Thanks!

 

[onafixedincome]

I grab a shoebox, toss a couple of large worm-rich handfuls in one end, and then 'toss' and shake. You'll find the right vibrations to get the worms out and down to your end while the bedding stays pretty much at the far end. That's what I do--takes me about five minutes to get a few hundred for the winged pigs.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

LOL winged pigs!!!!!! I loved that.

 

[onafixedincome]

Hehe...'S true... they use those darn wings to get up to the worm boxes while I'm working and cause all kindsa havoc...!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

WOW it sure got quiet.. hows everyone's farms doing? My 1st generation of beetles are slowly dying off. they have lived a lot longer that i expected.

 

[cluck-cluck]

My mealies got infected with mites (those awful microscopic buggers that look like dust all over the place?) I put my buckets outside on the patio, and just couldn't throw them away. The mites have reduced quite a bit, but they're not gone. I really wanted to see if I could save my mealies, so I took some of the darkling beetles and put them into a small container with pre-heated (to kill anything in there) chick mash 'cause i had nothing on hand for them. Anyway, is it possible that there might not have been any eggs or mites on my mealies? Or is this futile? I'm so frustrated and depressed about them, 6 months dealing with mealworms and still nothing to feed my birds! Ugh!