Mealworm farming

[azygous]

Eggs will hatch at just about any "room" temperature. Between 80 and 85F, you get much quicker hatches, though, and the worms grow much faster, too. The beetles are far more active and will lay more eggs. Yes, it does require additional heat or keeping your worm farm near a heat source IF you desire speeded up life cycles. I have mine beside my wood stove so it stays around 80-85 when the stove is going in the winter. I heat tubs of hot water to place under the worm and beetle trays to keep them warm all night until I start the fire in the wood stove in the morning again.

Note: I went back and edited my original post to reflect this clarification.

 

[drewskimac]

Eggs will hatch at just about any "room" temperature. Between 80 and 85F, you get much quicker hatches, though, and the worms grow much faster, too. The beetles are far more active and will lay more eggs. Yes, it does require additional heat or keeping your worm farm near a heat source IF you desire speeded up life cycles. I have mine beside my wood stove so it stays around 80-85 when the stove is going in the winter. I heat tubs of hot water to place under the worm and beetle trays to keep them warm all night until I start the fire in the wood stove in the morning again.

Note: I went back and edited my original post to reflect this clarification.

That's a good idea, you're dedicated to your worms

 

[Cluckies]

I bought 1000 from amazon, Garden at Home, the large ones. some of them just started pupating. I'll let you know how they come out of it (deformed or not).

 

[Cluckies]

First (real) beetle!

Congrats!

 

[Varglet]

My mother is completely creeped out by all of this. She's afraid to go into the laundry room to get to the freezer and mini fridge. Showed her a handful of wiggly pupae and she had the most amusing look of complete disgust on her face.

Have to get my amusement somewhere if I have to keep living with her (neither of us could afford our own separate places out here).

 

[Sidhe13]

I bought a new tub of mealworms on Thursday....and am disgusted! The smell of rot and mould...so many dead...some other unknown isopod in there...heaps more have died since Thursday and even with new container and bedding they smell wrong. I will be calling the store tomorrow and in the meantime they are strictly quarantined! I actually feel sorry for the wee buggers! They are useless to add to my breeding colony!

 

[Latestarter]

I bought a new tub of mealworms on Thursday....and am disgusted! The smell of rot and mould...so many dead...some other unknown isopod in there...heaps more have died since Thursday and even with new container and bedding they smell wrong. I will be calling the store tomorrow and in the meantime they are strictly quarantined! I actually feel sorry for the wee buggers! They are useless to add to my breeding colony!

If you already have your chickens, feed them to the birds and be done with them. Not worth the hassles trying to "save" them. Just let the seller know about the situation and your disappointment and start again.

 

[Latestarter]

My mother is completely creeped out by all of this. She's afraid to go into the laundry room to get to the freezer and mini fridge. Showed her a handful of wiggly pupae and she had the most amusing look of complete disgust on her face.

Have to get my amusement somewhere if I have to keep living with her (neither of us could afford our own separate places out here).

Why not convince her that they stand the best chance of thriving by being kept under her bed?

 

[Sidhe13]

9 worms left....86 pupae...385 beetles! I need a bigger Beetle Barn! The idea was great but I didn't plan on near 400 beetles being in there! I fear it may be too small and they may not breed to the best of their ability. I am also worried about them laying eggs in the layers of paper, and the eggs not falling through the mesh bottom.
The current Beetle Barn is 10.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches approx.
Thoughts? Opinions? Advice?

 

[kubotafoot]

My experience with raising meal worms is that things happen not necessarily because of you, but rather, in spite of you.
Stop already with the counting and watching of these things. They are kind of hermit-like and have private lives under the bran/oats/cornmeal and do MUCH better, in my experience when left alone! Keep the temp in the 80's.....have enough veg and fruits and damp paper to give them the drinks they need and cover them up and walk away! Come back in a week and see what has happened in your absence! It is miraculous. If you need more heat, I put a light bulb in an old popcorn tin and set it next to the "condo." It gives off enough heat to raise it a bit and they morph even faster. Warmer temps and more water in veggies makes all the difference in the world, and leaving them alone to do their thing. Unless you are keeping track for a scientific experiment, stop with all the counting. You'll know when you have worms....trust me.