Mealworm farming

[latenighter]

I'm new to mealworms farming. I started my colony last Saturday with 1500. I can not find wheat bran anywhere near me. I have been to 3 feed stores. I currently have them in oatmeal. Is there a better alternative to wheat bran?

 

[Latestarter]

you're using it already...

 

[latenighter]

Thanks so much! I did order some wheat bran off of eBay too

 

[Sidhe13]

Oats work fine...
@drewskimac now i want to recheck mine....that looks familiar?

 

[Sidhe13]

Oats work fine...
@drewskimac now i want to recheck mine....that looks familiar?

Ok so had a look tonight. I found 5 with moderate to severe deformities. Of those, 2 were bad enough that I have culled them....they were a "back wigglers like yours and one who could not close his wing casings at all and so couldn't move or burrow very well. So minus those 2, I have a total of 29 beetles!
Culled



Not so bad...



Culled

The 2 culled beetles

 

[Cluckies]

I'm new to mealworms farming. I started my colony last Saturday with 1500. I can not find wheat bran anywhere near me. I have been to 3 feed stores. I currently have them in oatmeal. Is there a better alternative to wheat bran?

You can also get wheat bran in the grocery or Walmart stores "Bob's Red Mill" brand is what I get. You can also get it in health food stores, etc.

 

[drewskimac]

Ok so had a look tonight. I found 5 with moderate to severe deformities. Of those, 2 were bad enough that I have culled them....they were a "back wigglers like yours and one who could not close his wing casings at all and so couldn't move or burrow very well. So minus those 2, I have a total of 29 beetles!
Culled



Not so bad...



Culled

The 2 culled beetles

Ahhh yes that looks very familiar. I have a small bowl of water crystals in my pupae container because it is supposed to help them shed properly. Who knows if it actually helps lol

 

[Varglet]

We're lucky to have the one store here, and they don't have wheat bran. Closest Walmart is 2-3 hours away. I live in the middle of nowhere with no way to travel, so I have to live with what I can find here. Oatmeal.

 

[Bugseye]

I get my wheat bran in the bulk food section of the supermarket, but I can also order it on Amazon.

 

[Varglet]

Can't use foodstamps on Amazon. Plus we get oatmeal from the food pantry every month.

Have about 100 pupae, no beetles yet.