Mealworm farming

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote: Well, that is another whole problem. The quickest and most direct way to rid them is to reduce the humidity below 60% so the mites can't reproduce. Yes, DE will destroy the colony. The larvae are somewhat resistant to it but the beetles are highly susceptible.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Quote: Well, that is another whole problem. The quickest and most direct way to rid them is to reduce the humidity below 60% so the mites can't reproduce. Yes, DE will destroy the colony. The larvae are somewhat resistant to it but the beetles are highly susceptible.

Well at the moment I am fairly new to all this, so my colony doesn't have a constant beetle supply, my colony hasn't staggered out fully yet. So at the moment all my beetles have laid their eggs and have died, so I don't have any live beetles that could be killed by the DE.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I wouldn't use the DE around my mealworms at all. It cuts up the exoskeleton and as far as I can tell, the worms are softer than the beetles.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I wouldn't use the DE around my mealworms at all. It cuts up the exoskeleton and as far as I can tell, the worms are softer than the beetles.

Most people think it's because of the sharpness of the particles that works to cut the exoskeleton, but in fact it's the sorptive nature of DE. It pulls the outer layer of cuticle from the insect by adsorption, not by cutting. It works like a sponge on the waxy cuticle, drawing it away. This may seem like a trivial distinction, but it helps to explain how and why it works. Arthropods depend on that outer layer of cuticle to maintain hydration. As ambient moisture decreases, it has a greater effect. Indeed, it's effectiveness increases as humidity decreases below 70%. Here is the abstract to a great article that examined the process in detail: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17972301 I went back and checked the article I first got my info about DE and mealworms. They found no impact of DE on larvae at all, but who knows what stage they used and how recently they had molted, which may have an impact. It's not entirely surprising though, the larvae have a specialized organ that extends out their bums that can collect moisture directly from air. It took very little exposure to DE by beetles to have a negative impact. I'd worry that a small amount would transfer with the larvae and cause problems further downstream. So yeah, I wouldn't use it in the colony. Work on getting it dried (remove all moisture) and mites usually clear up quickly (unless you live in a humid environment).

ETA: I guess the bottom line is that in order for the DE to work on the mites, your humidity would have to be somewhere south of 70%, which is also near the value that would eliminate mite reproduction anyway. So, there wouldn't be any added benefit.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

wow, that is a lot of great info. I always wondered how DE worked. I just thought the particle where drawn in and the insect suffocated.

My colony is very dry though, we are in winter here so there is very little humidity. they are under cover so don't get the morning dew.
Where would be a good place to move them then?

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I would remove any remaining vegetable matter from inside the colony--the worms will do just fine for a couple weeks or so without it. That will help to immediately lower the humidity inside. Then I'd recommend keeping it anyplace dry and in darkness (the mites are attracted to light). Good luck!

 

[nxb161]

Finally got to see what everone was talking about. I've had beetles for a while so I figured I'd shift through the bran with my fingers. Then the bran started to move on its own
Very tiny still, but i can clearly see them. Now to see how long it takes them to grow up.

 

[MalMom]

Finally got to see what everone was talking about. I've had beetles for a while so I figured I'd shift through the bran with my fingers. Then the bran started to move on its own Very tiny still, but i can clearly see them. Now to see how long it takes them to grow up.

I'm glad you found then!!!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

I would remove any remaining vegetable matter from inside the colony--the worms will do just fine for a couple weeks or so without it. That will help to immediately lower the humidity inside. Then I'd recommend keeping it anyplace dry and in darkness (the mites are attracted to light). Good luck!

O.K, will do.
I do hope they clear up!

 

[NewMomma]

MY FIRST EVER PUPA!!!! Wow, got them in Wednesday and I just found this little guy sitting on top of the oats, just chilling I have so much more than beetlemania!!!!