Mealworm farming

[Cebarmlds]

My DH brought home some wild bird seed that was infested with pantry moths we never had them before so didn't know what they were until they started multiplying then DH went online to find info. I took all the wild bird seed outside but the moths kept coming, I bought moth traps which caught a few but the moths kept showing up even when we'd go on a killing spree. More moths! I was vacuuming and cleaning... As you probably guessed they had invaded my meal worms

I had them 4 years I think (the mealies) , kept them in the basement. Two large bins with the covers just across not locked tight. I had bought screen to make covers but never did, I thought everything was working fine. I wondered if it was my worms that were infected as I lay in bed last night so when I got up this morning I went and looked and yep a moth flew out!! I just brought the bins up and outside. So I'll feed them out to the hens eventually and maybe by then the moths will all be out of the house. I will have to go through everything in the pantry also. And I will wait a long time before I order more worms to make sure everything is clean. Really horrible. And I told DH years ago I didn't want to keep bird seed in the house, I also bought him a locking type metal garbage can to keep seed in on the deck but he didn't use it.

 

[Kusanar]

Well, I just got my 2nd beetle, the first one was a chestnut brown, but it seems to have died within a day of becoming a beetle, the 2nd one is black and is running around and looking healthy... now I just need 1 more, of the opposite gender... lol

 

[Tika75]

My DH brought home some wild bird seed that was infested with pantry moths we never had them before so didn't know what they were until they started multiplying then DH went online to find info. I took all the wild bird seed outside but the moths kept coming, I bought moth traps which caught a few but the moths kept showing up even when we'd go on a killing spree. More moths! I was vacuuming and cleaning... As you probably guessed they had invaded my meal worms

I had them 4 years I think (the mealies) , kept them in the basement. Two large bins with the covers just across not locked tight. I had bought screen to make covers but never did, I thought everything was working fine. I wondered if it was my worms that were infected as I lay in bed last night so when I got up this morning I went and looked and yep a moth flew out!! I just brought the bins up and outside. So I'll feed them out to the hens eventually and maybe by then the moths will all be out of the house. I will have to go through everything in the pantry also. And I will wait a long time before I order more worms to make sure everything is clean. Really horrible. And I told DH years ago I didn't want to keep bird seed in the house, I also bought him a locking type metal garbage can to keep seed in on the deck but he didn't use it.

Is there anywhere you could keep your worms outside to raise until the moths are gone? I don't know anything about the two so I don't know if that is an option or not.

 

[Cebarmlds]

Is there anywhere you could keep your worms outside to raise until the moths are gone? I don't know anything about the two so I don't know if that is an option or not.

I thought the worms would all be dead because it got below freezing several nights but they're still alive probably just not multiplying. So I decided I'd keep one bin and it'll stay outside as long as they last or for the summer.
Hardly any moths left in the house and they never got into any food. I cleaned cupboards and put everything into jars.

 

[Kusanar]

Quote:
I left my worms at the barn through a few cold snaps down to freezing, during the bitter cold, I put them in the fridge to insulate them some, but when the bottles of water in the fridge started freezing on the shelf next to the worms I snuck the worms home to be in the warm, I haven't noticed any dead worms either so they seem to handle prolonged cold pretty well since they were in at least fridge temps for a few months solid.

 

[Latestarter]

I've noticed that a thick "pile" of worms will actually produce some heat themselves. If you stick your hand down into the substrate (don't worry... it'll be very dry) you'll see what I mean. So if you have a bunch, they can handle lower temps to a certain degree. The main thing is that as it gets colder, it gets harder for them to maintain a higher temp as they get chilled and slow down. When you place them in a refer, it slows them down even more, and they can handle temps down into the low to mid 40's for prolonged periods if in good health (well fed/hydrated). but eventually you will need to take them out and warm them up so you can feed/water them before putting them back into "suspended animation" in the fridge. If you freeze them, they will NOT come back, they'll be dead. If you leave them frozen, they will lose moisture just like any other thing you place in a freezer for a prolonged period of time until they become "freeze dried".

 

[Cluckies]

My DH brought home some wild bird seed that was infested with pantry moths we never had them before so didn't know what they were until they started multiplying then DH went online to find info.   I took all the wild bird seed outside but the moths kept coming, I bought moth traps which caught a few but the moths kept showing up even when we'd go on a killing spree. More moths! I was vacuuming and cleaning...   As you probably guessed they had invaded my meal worms   I had them 4 years I think (the mealies) , kept them in the basement. Two large bins with the covers just across not locked tight. I had bought screen to make covers but never did, I thought everything was working fine. I wondered if  it was my worms that were infected as I lay in bed last night so when I got up this morning I went and looked and yep a moth flew out!!  I just brought the bins up and outside.  So I'll feed them out to the hens eventually and maybe by then the moths will all be out of the house. I will have to go through everything in the pantry also. And I will wait a long time before I order more worms to make sure everything is clean. Really horrible.  And I told DH years ago I didn't want to keep bird seed in the house, I also bought him a locking type metal garbage can to keep seed in on the deck but he didn't use it. 

Oh no, sounds terrible erlibird. What a mess! I'm sure your worms will be fine though. I even find them in my garage all the time, wild ones, and in my compost bin. They seem to survive the winter here somehow... Hope you are able to get rid of the moths. I keep my birdseed in 5 gallon pails in the garage when i have any. Good lesson for all of us, no birds seed in the house :/ i didn't know that could happen.

 

[Cebarmlds]

We only see a moth in the house once in a while now so they are almost completely gone. The bin outside is doing good in these temps so they should survive through the summer. I wonder if I'll want them in the house again.
You are right Cluckies no bird seed in the house ever again!

 

[Wellington W]

hi, I'm new here, and I haven't read all 828 pages yet, so forgive me if this has been covered. I recently bought a pound of mealworms and 100 pupae to start a little mealworm farm for my birds. The pupae are hatching but the beetles (we have ten now) seem to spend most of their time on their backs feebly waving their legs in the air. If we turn them over they beetle off to one of the egg boxes no problem, but every time we check them they are nearly all lying in their backs again. We check often, as I have a fascinated five year old.

They are on wheat bran with bits of squash. Are they OK? I have hungry chicks to feed!

 

[Jensownzoo]

hi, I'm new here, and I haven't read all 828 pages yet, so forgive me if this has been covered. I recently bought a pound of mealworms and 100 pupae to start a little mealworm farm for my birds. The pupae are hatching but the beetles (we have ten now) seem to spend most of their time on their backs feebly waving their legs in the air. If we turn them over they beetle off to one of the egg boxes no problem, but every time we check them they are nearly all lying in their backs again. We check often, as I have a fascinated five year old.

They are on wheat bran with bits of squash. Are they OK? I have hungry chicks to feed!

I don't know what you have them on, but mine can't right themselves on wheat bran...there's just no purchase for them. So I covered the bedding with slices of whole grain bread and cabbage leaves where the egg crate wasn't and now they can use those to grip and turn over (as well as eat).