Mealworm farming

[zarafa121]

There's nothing that is guaranteed to drive a meal worm farmer to panic than the sight of grain mites. It makes you itch just to look at them, never mind the itch you get when trying to inspect them up real close and accidentally snorting them up your nose. (Yeah, done that.)

When I had my first infestation, I took every larva and beetle out and rinsed them under warm water, and carefully replaced them in new, fresh bedding that I had carefully microwave heated .

Sometime later, I discovered the mites were ba-ack. Yikes! But I microwaved the @#$%^& bran! Well, turns out microwaving doesn't heat uniformly and some grain mite eggs survive. So I oven heated a new batch of bran and rolled oats at 200 F for twenty minutes and moved everyone back in again.

But, guess what! They still returned! Along about now was when someone here suggested I simply removed the lids from my worm farm and let the substrate dry out for several days instead of giving all the worms and beetles a bath and replacing the bedding. This dries out and kills the mites, and they vanish like magic.

I also discovered that if you really, really want to make sure you don't get grain mites, you need to oven heat the substrate at 300-350 F for fifteen minutes to half an hour, stirring halfway through. I now make it a practice of throwing some bran and oats in the oven whenever I'm baking cookies or making a cake. That way, I always have treated substrate handy when needed. And no more mites since.

Thank you for this most understanding post. I roasted the bran but not to 300 degrees and moved everyone to new and hopefully successfully treated bran. I also threw out what could have been mealworm eggs because there was no way I could "move" any of that over. That set me back I'm sure. So far, for the past week anyway, I haven't seen any new outbreaks, and I will definitely remove the lids as another precaution. It's been warm and rainy the past couple of days, so the humidity was up - not good. I also tried putting everyone in the fridge, but that didn't kill anything. You are right about feeling itchy . . . a little unnerving. I know these haven't been feel-good posts, but I hope they have been helpful to those starting out. Definitely roast the bran, oats, whatever you use and watch for creepy little white dots.

 

[azygous]

When I was drying out the substrate to get rid of grain mites, I had my worm trays on shelves by my wood stove. It was winter, and I had the thing blazing away, so it was a good 80 degrees F there. So by heating the bathroom you are on the right track. Just make sure no one takes long, steaming baths during this dry-out period!

I'm so sorry you had to lose a tray of eggs. But your farm will recover quickly and you'll be on your way soon to another good population. And look at all you now know that you didn't know before!

If you want to speed up the life cycles and get some nice sized larva in record time, rig up something to keep them at around 80 degrees. I have a cookie tin light bulb heater under my stack of trays, with the egg tray sitting at the bottom of the stack right over the heater. I get hatches in just weeks, and the larva grow like mad. Beetles are in a smaller set of trays sitting right next to this heated stack, so they benefit, too, from the heat. But it's winter now, and the wood stove will be going often, so I'll have a very happy, warm worm farm. And no grain mites!

 

[evemfoster]

When I was drying out the substrate to get rid of grain mites, I had my worm trays on shelves by my wood stove. It was winter, and I had the thing blazing away, so it was a good 80 degrees F there. So by heating the bathroom you are on the right track. Just make sure no one takes long, steaming baths during this dry-out period!

I'm so sorry you had to lose a tray of eggs. But your farm will recover quickly and you'll be on your way soon to another good population. And look at all you now know that you didn't know before!

If you want to speed up the life cycles and get some nice sized larva in record time, rig up something to keep them at around 80 degrees. I have a cookie tin light bulb heater under my stack of trays, with the egg tray sitting at the bottom of the stack right over the heater. I get hatches in just weeks, and the larva grow like mad. Beetles are in a smaller set of trays sitting right next to this heated stack, so they benefit, too, from the heat. But it's winter now, and the wood stove will be going often, so I'll have a very happy, warm worm farm. And no grain mites!

For an alternative heating idea. I have been using the following method to keep the worms warm in the winter for a few years now.

I have some 4 watt heating pads sold to heat insect farms in pet stores like PetSmart. They are made to stick onto the sides of cricket farms. The cricket farms are tiny, about a gallons worth of area. So they say to stick the heating pad on the side so the bugs can get away from the heat and won't cook in the tiny container.

My mealworm farms are large enough (28 quart shallow containers). I can slide one heating pad under each mealworm farm and be alright. It is a more efficient use of the heat. But I do have to make sure there is some space between the heating pad and the bottom of the farm (1/8-1/4") so there can be some air movement under the farm. That way a hot spot the size and shape of the heating pad isn't created. And, The heat can spread out nicely over a larger area. In any case the heating pads don't get very hot, they just feel warm. When the heating pad is used this way it warms up the bran to around 80f in a 60 degree room in a circle up to 16 inches across.

If the worms are in a chilly room you have to make sure there is plenty of ventilation or the moisture in the farm will condense on the inner walls of the farm and weep down into the bran. Take the lid off if you have to, the bran will still stay warm.

Last Sunday I started up the heaters placing one heating pad under each farm and plugging them in. By the next morning all the worms had migrated to the heated center of the farm. Today, a week later the bran over the heaters has sunk a half inch lower than the bran at the unheated ends of the farm. The heated part of the bran is in constant motion with a circle of shed skins on top. The growth rate has also picked back up, i can see they are getting larger in just one week.

 

[aart]

For an alternative heating idea. I have been using the following method to keep the worms warm in the winter for a few years now.

I have some 4 watt heating pads sold to heat insect farms in pet stores like PetSmart. They are made to stick onto the sides of cricket farms. The cricket farms are tiny, about a gallons worth of area. So they say to stick the heating pad on the side so the bugs can get away from the heat and won't cook in the tiny container.

My mealworm farms are large enough (28 quart shallow containers). I can slide one heating pad under each mealworm farm and be alright. It is a more efficient use of the heat. But I do have to make sure there is some space between the heating pad and the bottom of the farm (1/8-1/4") so there can be some air movement under the farm. That way a hot spot the size and shape of the heating pad isn't created. And, The heat can spread out nicely over a larger area. In any case the heating pads don't get very hot, they just feel warm. When the heating pad is used this way it warms up the bran to around 80f in a 60 degree room in a circle up to 16 inches across.

If the worms are in a chilly room you have to make sure there is plenty of ventilation or the moisture in the farm will condense on the inner walls of the farm and weep down into the bran. Take the lid off if you have to, the bran will still stay warm.

Last Sunday I started up the heaters placing one heating pad under each farm and plugging them in. By the next morning all the worms had migrated to the heated center of the farm. Today, a week later the bran over the heaters has sunk a half inch lower than the bran at the unheated ends of the farm. The heated part of the bran is in constant motion with a circle of shed skins on top. The growth rate has also picked back up, i can see they are getting larger in just one week.

Fascinating, huh?!
Got a link to these heating pads you use?

 

[evemfoster]

Fascinating, huh?!
Got a link to these heating pads you use?

I had quite a search to find the 4 watt heaters. Its not a bad price, they were more expensive in the store a few years back.

http://www.petmountain.com/product/...46/zoo-med-repti-therm-under-tank-heater.html

Its the 4 watt heater pad. I think the larger ones could cook the worms.

 

[zarafa121]

My darling darklings (the beetles) went from 62 degrees this morning to a toasty 72 degrees this afternoon - back in the bathroom. I haven't seen any more creepy critter mites, and the beetles have picked up their pace considerably since the temperature went up. The larvae came to the top, and the pupae began wiggling. Amazing what ten degrees will do! I appreciate the supportive and encouraging community on BYC. Thank you!

 

[lightchick]

Is it OK to keep them in oat meal instead? I don't think I can find any wheat bran. They seem to be doing fine.

 

[estamets]

Is it OK to keep them in oat meal instead? I don't think I can find any wheat bran. They seem to be doing fine.

From what I understand, they prefer wheat. Can you get bulk cheerios?

 

[evemfoster]

Is it OK to keep them in oat meal instead? I don't think I can find any wheat bran. They seem to be doing fine.

Oatmeal will work but the worms grow slower in it. I think its because its harder for them to eat the big chunks. Back when i first started growing mealworms I used to run the oatmeal through the blender so it was in smaller pieces. The worms seemed to eat it faster that way.

Oh, while all types of oatmeal works try not to use the "instant" oatmeal. Its precooked then freeze dried causing a loss of nutrition in each step. That translates into a slower growth rate. Besides the instant oatmeal is more expensive pound per pound.

 

[lightchick]

Quote: OK. I haven't been using instant. I can grind it up a little. I've had them for several weeks and I have been seeing pupae, but no beetles yet.