Mealworm farming

[Arielle]

LOL, no, the only space available at this time, lol. Dresser still needs to have clothes moved and drawers treated. More work than buying a sterlite box.

 

[aart]

LOL, no, the only space available at this time, lol. Dresser still needs to have clothes moved and drawers treated. More work than buying a sterlite box.

hehe...you have a couple three months before your numbers surge and that dresser is needed.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

LOL, no, the only space available at this time, lol. Dresser still needs to have clothes moved and drawers treated. More work than buying a sterlite box.

Sure sounds like a sterlite is a better way to go Arielle, I would be so worried about them escaping from the wood. I got a used 40 gallon aquarium off of Craigslist for $20--works perfectly!

I have 7 turkeys still bouncing around! Shipped eggs, such a crapshoot. I have 20 eggs I candeld today, shipped. May be lucky to get 2 birds, almost every one is clear and has seriously busted aircells. It's like gambling at the slots, LOL. But, I've never been a gambling man --just have to in this case!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: yup!!

ANd if any get loose, well there is always a chicken trying to get into the house!! THeysure remember where they were brooded and come back to visit!!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Yes, shipped eggs are a challenge.

Only the fresh ones are shipped---I eat a lot of turkey eggs.

 

[beverly evans]

LOL, no, the only space available at this time, lol. Dresser still needs to have clothes moved and drawers treated. More work than buying a sterlite box.

Hi Arielle, What's a sterlite box? I have one of those clear plastic 3 drawer units about 3 feet tall one buys at Wal-Mart to store little things. Would that be similar? Would it work? I have outgrown it and need to put the contents elsewhere anyway. So if I've got it right, 3 drawers is what I need? One for beetles, one for worms, and one for pupae?? THX

 

[aart]

Quote: Sterilite is a brand name of storage containers......google search

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Meal worms are a totally new adventure for me . . . . .sterlite is a brandname and usually the sides are clearish and have fitting lids. Great variety in sizes. Does that help?? the one you talk of may have the same capcity as my model.

 

[azygous]

I have what I think is a good container to start my first colony of meal worms. . . . a sterlite flat box. I would like to keep the lid on. DO I need to cut holes in the lid and cover with screen?? For now it is going under the bed and would like to make sure they get adequate ventilation under a dark bed.

( I get the need to drill hole along the sides at the top, though perhaps that is nute of the top has screened areas.)

Box is about 5-6 inches deep.

Hey you guys! Beware of the ability of worms to escape! Not joking here.

What happens is the worms will reach a tipping point where they have reached almost full size, and they've eaten most of the wheat bran, leaving mostly frass. Now picture this: They gather in corners because they adore corners and each other, but they are piled an inch deep on top of each other, too. This enable them to reach the top of the tray, and if you have air holes along the sides near the top, they will escape.

If you ever have an escape episode where the worms find their way out of their container and are at large in your house, you won't find it a very pleasant or amusing experience. Some people forego any air holes at all, since the containers are not air tight. I wouldn't bother screening over the lid. Just drill a few tiny holes in a couple rows on the lid.

But keep in mind that you may be distracted by other life events and forget your worms for a stretch. Keep the bedding level low enough that they won't be able to pile up and reach the top of the sides and climb out. That's why I like the latching lids. The file drawers are real vulnerable to worms escaping however. The drawers have no lids, just the outer case. My worms piled up and got out through the air holes I had in the sides, and even after I taped them over, the worms continued to escape by piling up and using the buddy system to vault the sides of the drawers.

For this reason, I now only use my three-drawer file box for all my beetles, collecting their eggs every few days and transferring them to the Sterilite containers to hatch and grow with lids latched tight to prevent any escape. But if I have the rolled oats bedding too deep, even the beetles will escape. And don't believe it when you read that these beetles don't fly. It's true most don't, but I had one buzz over my head one night ending up in bed with me. In the morning, I found it was one of my beetles. If they have enough opportunity, they can adapt and discover why they were born with wings.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Quote: Great post--it's the truth folks!