Mealworm farming

[aart]

I use rolled oats from the feed store and cabbage leaves for my moisture. I had problems with carrots going moldy. The cabbage leaves will dry up completely before they think of molding, so it has really been working for me. I like that the oats stay in the sifter for the most part...that way the frass can be removed. I find it less stinky if I can do that once monthly. I do see the benefits of the bran though. But, my chickens like getting some oats with their worms, so it works out.

I like the cabbage idea.
I wonder if the mold is coming in on the oats?
When I tried using grain from the feed mill for growing fodder, I had much more molding problems that when I used health food store grains.
Then again...wonders since they are rolled oats, they might be exposed to heat during the rolling process.
Just pondering possibilities.

 

[ccrow]

Cabbage is one of my favorite things to use- the worms like it and yes, it dries up rather than getting moldy. I've tried potatoes but they don't seem to like them much, they never eat all before they dry up and get hard. Carrots and broccoli stems work well for me too. Apples are nice because then the bins just smell like apple

 

[Jensownzoo]

I like the cabbage idea.
I wonder if the mold is coming in on the oats?
When I tried using grain from the feed mill for growing fodder, I had much more molding problems that when I used health food store grains.
Then again...wonders since they are rolled oats, they might be exposed to heat during the rolling process.
Just pondering possibilities.

When I was getting moldy carrots, I had yet to find feed store rolled oats (most just had crimped) so was using human-grade.

Interesting about the fodder though. Filing the info away for winter when I start fodder again.

 

[Isaac 0]

Hi,Im new to this meal worm thing but i went to pet-co to buy some meal-worms and all they had was giant meal-worms they don't look that big will they still produce eggs they didn't have any small all they had was giant and super so i picked giant so will they lay?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi,Im new to this meal worm thing but i went to pet-co to buy some meal-worms and all they had was giant meal-worms they don't look that big will they still produce eggs they didn't have any small all they had was giant and super so i picked giant so will they lay?

Sorry, meal worms don't lay eggs.

They have to pupate into beetles which comes after the pupa stage. And then the Darkling beetles would lay eggs. Meal worms are considered the larva, then come pupa, then beetle, next egg and finally again larva which is the actual meal worm.

It's my understanding that giants will not pupate until they are put completely separate so they don't feel movement from other worms. Sometimes into 35 mm film cases or something like that. I don't know for sure that my understanding of the Giants is accurate.

I have successfully ordered from these guys twice.
http://www.rainbowmealworms.net/shop-mealworms/

Hope this helps. Welcome to the wide world of insect raising!

 

[Isaac 0]

Thanks

 

[balloonflower]

Actually, IF they are labeled correctly, giant mealworms are different than superworms. Superworms are the ones that must be separated, and are a different species that I can't name off the top of my head.

Now, some giant mealworms are just that--darkling larvae that managed to grow big and will still continue with their life cycle, pupate and give beetles that will lay eggs. But many in pet stores have been fed/sprayed/treated somehow so that they will not complete the life cycle and pupate, thus continuing to grow and resulting in the large size for feed.

So, you can try to farm them and see if you get pupae, or you can just feed them to chooks now and order some regular size.

 

[Isaac 0]

I will see if they will lay eggs as they are pretty small Ive looked at giant and super meal worms and these are smaller but ill see what happens

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Actually, IF they are labeled correctly, giant mealworms are different than superworms. Superworms are the ones that must be separated, and are a different species that I can't name off the top of my head.

Now, some giant mealworms are just that--darkling larvae that managed to grow big and will still continue with their life cycle, pupate and give beetles that will lay eggs. But many in pet stores have been fed/sprayed/treated somehow so that they will not complete the life cycle and pupate, thus continuing to grow and resulting in the large size for feed.

So, you can try to farm them and see if you get pupae, or you can just feed them to chooks now and order some regular size.

Oh I see.

Here is the link to care sheets which confirm what @balloonflower said. That the Superworms are the ones that don't pupate.
http://www.rainbowmealworms.net/care-sheets/#super

Good luck!

 

[vkwheeler09]

I don't know if this question has been asked or not, and I'm not looking through the hundreds of posts, but can the beetles and mealworms live together? I know I have to pull the pupae out and put them on their own, but I as wondering if the other two stages can successfully cohabitate. Thanks from a newbie!!