Mealworm farming

[ladyearth]

I made a fuss one time when mail person left them in mailbox.... Rah I called and complained. Later the mailperon brought them to the door and handed them to me....
yeah if You arent home I am sure post off will hold them inside for you

 

[aatx]

I just started raising mealworms this week. I've got 6 large and 6 medium containers available in my current setup. I ordered 5,000 mealworms of assorted size from Rainbow and also a kit from a member here who I found through a facebook group. I divided the 5,000 mealworms into two of the large containers. Plan is to feed some from one and allow other bin to pupate. The kit I divided up into 3 containers - one small container for the pupa, one large container for the beetles, and one large container for the rest (bedding with eggs plus some mealworms). After a few weeks, I'll move the beetles into another container.

 

[chixcoop]

How would one separate the eggs from the beetle? What is your best method? I'm hoping to not have to hand pick out every beetle, because there has to be a faster way.

 

[aart]

How would one separate the eggs from the beetle? What is your best method? I'm hoping to not have to hand pick out every beetle, because there has to be a faster way.

No need really to separate beetles, pupae, larvae and eggs.
But if you use a fine bedding, like corn meal, it's pretty easy to sift out the beetles, pupae and larger larvae.
But in many things with meal worms, no not faster ways.

 

[azygous]

The advantage to separating the beetle eggs from the beetle tray is to keep them safe from being eaten. I cut a hole in the bottom of the beetle tray and glue a window screen (metal since the beetles chew on nylon screening) and I use rolled oats in that tray. I set the beetle tray onto a tray filled with wheat bran and the eggs filter down into that tray. The lid of the egg tray has been cut out so the beetle tray can rest safely on top of the egg tray.

Once those eggs hatch and I see the bran substrate alive and moving, I fill a fresh tray with bran and switch them out. It usually takes a month during warm weather for the eggs to hatch, while six weeks to two months during cooler months.

 

[chixcoop]

The advantage to separating the beetle eggs from the beetle tray is to keep them safe from being eaten. I cut a hole in the bottom of the beetle tray and glue a window screen (metal since the beetles chew on nylon screening) and I use rolled oats in that tray. I set the beetle tray onto a tray filled with wheat bran and the eggs filter down into that tray. The lid of the egg tray has been cut out so the beetle tray can rest safely on top of the egg tray.

Once those eggs hatch and I see the bran substrate alive and moving, I fill a fresh tray with bran and switch them out. It usually takes a month during warm weather for the eggs to hatch, while six weeks to two months during cooler months.

So the window screen method does work? I read that it didn't work out... but maybe I'll try it.

 

[Mini Meat]

I have a question for you all.

I have a growing Super worm colony. They are doing great but I unclear on something.

I have heard the oat/bran referred to as bedding or substrate and the fruit/vegi matter referred to as their water source.

My question is, which is their PRIMARY food source? I know the crew holes in the vegis so they must eat some of that.

Do they eat the bedding too?

I know that some people use water crystals as a water source and not vegis to avoid problems with mold and fruit flies.

Thanks

 

[azygous]

The screen in the bottom of the beetle tray should work very well if you remember two things.

One is to make sure the screen material is metal. Beetles will chew holes in the nylon screen and then drop into the egg tray below. This has happened to me. No biggie except then you have to re-do the screening with nylon and catch the escaped beetles. Do it right in the first place and that will be the end of it.

The second is to make sure your beetle substrate is course enough not to sift through. This has also happened to me. I used wheat bran in the beginning, and wondered where all the substrate had disappeared. It had all fallen though to the egg tray. Use rolled oats. The beetles love them and they stay in the beetle tray except for the pieces the beetles have chewed up small enough to fall though.

 

[azygous]

Beetles not only eat the substrate, they eat other sources of cellulose that you place in there, such as toilet paper rolls and newspaper. It's the vegetable matter where they also get their moisture from, in addition to cellulose.

 

[chixcoop]

The screen in the bottom of the beetle tray should work very well if you remember two things.

One is to make sure the screen material is metal. Beetles will chew holes in the nylon screen and then drop into the egg tray below. This has happened to me. No biggie except then you have to re-do the screening with nylon and catch the escaped beetles. Do it right in the first place and that will be the end of it.

The second is to make sure your beetle substrate is course enough not to sift through. This has also happened to me. I used wheat bran in the beginning, and wondered where all the substrate had disappeared. It had all fallen though to the egg tray. Use rolled oats. The beetles love them and they stay in the beetle tray except for the pieces the beetles have chewed up small enough to fall though.

What size should window screen should I use? I know that there are many different sizes. Just a general small size for the window screen I guess? Is there a thread that shows your setup with your window screen method?