Mealworm farming

[Chaneys Ranch]

If I were to buy more stock, raise them all and sell the babies.... Do you think there would be a profit?

Yes, no question about it. advertising is key. I just mentioned it and got swarmed at my campground by all the guys that fish... then locally anyone that keeps lizards, reptiles etc.. Bait stores love em too.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I just want you all to know I am reading this WHOLE thread. I happen to have grown mealies for my dearly departed Wartly, and my run away Fred (common toad, and eastern box turtle respectively).

I don't know if anyone knows some of the things I know, but I guess I will find out eventually, then I can add my 2 cent to the worm bin, and join in the crazy worm fun. I think I have found my new home, reading the posts I read was like hearing myself the first time I started growing my own mealies. And it NEVER got old for me.

Just so you all know, I'm on page 50. I'm wondering how Willamina grew up, and now I am worried about dinosaur chickens eating fingers while looking for worms.

And now back to As the Worm Wiggles...

hehehe i did that too. good for you! lots of good info if you read the whole thead 1st. you will be glad you did

 

[LaBella]

hehehe i did that too. good for you! lots of good info if you read the whole thead 1st. you will be glad you did

I am enjoying the thread immensely. The mealworm stuff I knew, but I am collecting links to suppliers I wasn't aware of, which I'm very happy for.
Aside from that, the thread has great entertainment value, in so far as will the darklings fly or no, and are they eggs that fall through the screening, or are they teeny babies.
I'm 1/5th through, having gotten to page 100, and I'm still having far too much fun on this thread. I'm <---> THAT close to going out and starting to grow some. Without having a clue what to do with them. Though I do have a close friend with a beardie.. and we do have Wartly The Deux...
Sooooo Soooo tempted....

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I am enjoying the thread immensely. The mealworm stuff I knew, but I am collecting links to suppliers I wasn't aware of, which I'm very happy for.
Aside from that, the thread has great entertainment value, in so far as will the darklings fly or no, and are they eggs that fall through the screening, or are they teeny babies.
I'm 1/5th through, having gotten to page 100, and I'm still having far too much fun on this thread. I'm <---> THAT close to going out and starting to grow some. Without having a clue what to do with them. Though I do have a close friend with a beardie.. and we do have Wartly The Deux...
Sooooo Soooo tempted....

Hehe, i loved the flight tests! I wanted to tell you too,

There's so many fun threads on here. My husband thinks i went crazy cause i burst out laughing reading some of it

I do plan to give away some at our campground. if i don't they will all hate me

but our friends there are like family so i won't ask for money. There's a few of the guys that just bring me the catfish, they don't eat them, ohmygosh they are channel cat, so good! Now the bait store across the street, that's another story!
My daughter raises sugar gliders, adorable little things. Its precious how they eat the worms. the hold an end in each paw, and bit the middle first, like eating an oreo cookie

 

[Tikkajazz94]

Yes, no question about it. advertising is key. I just mentioned it and got swarmed at my campground by all the guys that fish... then locally anyone that keeps lizards, reptiles etc.. Bait stores love em too.

The problem is how do put myself out there? Right now, My friends on facebook know, my blog and my website. Thats it..... from how my opperation is going... I'm expecting to sell by Fall... the babies are growing slower than I thought. :/ I'm thinking on ordering 5,000-10,000 more mealworms... It may boost my production... which means By 2013, I'll have good stock

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

The problem is how do put myself out there? Right now, My friends on facebook know, my blog and my website. Thats it..... from how my opperation is going... I'm expecting to sell by Fall... the babies are growing slower than I thought. :/ I'm thinking on ordering 5,000-10,000 more mealworms... It may boost my production... which means By 2013, I'll have good stock

Facebook is great, I love it. very good start, make a page and set it public. Craigslist, and theres a buy, sell trade here too!

 

[LaBella]

Super Worms from the store are sterile and do not turn into grubs. I did try it as I was not sure it was true. It is true!
Fluffy2

I know this is really old, and I don't know if this has been addressed, but here you go.
Superworms are NOT giant mealworms. They are a different species, and there is a trick to getting them to pupate. You have to separate/isolate them. I used to put them in the film canisters. Worked like a charm.. Another thing that worked well was any multi-compartment storage container, for example, something that you'd put screws and nails in, or something that you would put beads in. But if you do not isolate them, they will not pupate.
The thing about the superworms, aside from needing some weird requirements is that they take much more time to mature than mealies.

 

[Mavrk]

I know this is really old, and I don't know if this has been addressed, but here you go.
Superworms are NOT giant mealworms. They are a different species, and there is a trick to getting them to pupate. You have to separate/isolate them. I used to put them in the film canisters. Worked like a charm.. Another thing that worked well was any multi-compartment storage container, for example, something that you'd put screws and nails in, or something that you would put beads in. But if you do not isolate them, they will not pupate.
The thing about the superworms, aside from needing some weird requirements is that they take much more time to mature than mealies.

Just to help clarify... The distinction here is that there is something called the "Giant Mealworm" which is a regular mealworm on hormones that makes them sterile (even if they morph into beetles which is rare). Then there is the Superworms which are different and can be breed as mentioned above. Of course, sometimes people will mislabel these when selling. But that normally only happens online or when they are not sold in commercial containers.

Thank you for the tip.

 

[Mavrk]

Just as a side note, there are also "mini mealworms" that are a different species. I actually think that species (or a closely related one) was what I found in my wheat bran before I cooked it for use with my mealworms.

 

[Kassaundra]

Just as a side note, there are also "mini mealworms" that are a different species. I actually think that species (or a closely related one) was what I found in my wheat bran before I cooked it for use with my mealworms.

They are called Lessor Meal worms, they are not generally raised en mass for any reason and can pass certain diseases to at least poultry, not sure about reptiles. But they are not raised and sold as meal worms like the others are.