Mealworm farming

[Kusanar]

Need video Just kidding(mostly)

I don't know if I can get a video of the frass since I would have to shoot though clear plastic or get frass everywhere, but, I can totally get a video of the crazy pile of worms... I'm going to be taking some of the frass out and using it as fertilizer for the first time soon. I have some I'm pretty sure doesn't have any micro worms in it, but I'll put it in a bag and pop it in the freezer for a few days first to make sure.

 

[mobius]

the screen is a GREAT idea thanks may try that wasn't sure how to separate the frass with out a lot of bother...I want it for fert too!

 

[Kusanar]

the screen is a GREAT idea thanks may try that wasn't sure how to separate the frass with out a lot of bother...I want it for fert too!

Now, I have small worms dropping through the screen, so you need to watch for that. Any frass I suspect may have small worms in it, I tossed a few more cheerios in there and will keep it for a few weeks, then run it back through the screen a little at a time to get the worms back out. Any that I think doesn't have small worms, I will freeze to kill any worms I may have missed as they will chew on your plants if you put them at the base of the plant

 

[mobius]

Thank you @Kusanar that is very helpful instruction!

 

[jigfishnut]

I'm wanting to have more than one bin of mealworms, how long do the beetles live and how often should I move them to a new bin to lay eggs.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm wanting to have more than one bin of mealworms, how long do the beetles live and how often should I move them to a new bin to lay eggs.

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Meal worm farming is fun. The beetles live approximately 6 months.

How often you should change out your bin might depend on the density of your beetles. But it seems like every 2 weeks to 1 month might be the norm.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I just wanted to update information on a container of meal worms that I started back in February of this year in a container of wheat mill run, which is different from wheat bran.

I discovered, much to my surprise, that these meal worms wouldn't pupate on this substrate. They just kept growing to enormous sizes, reaching a length of an inch and three-quarters.

Well, I'm now reporting that, after five months of being in the larvae stage, some are finally going into the pupae stage and one has even reached the beetle adult stage! The pupae are enormous, twice the size of normal meal worm pupae.

The chickens of course have been thrilled with the enormous size of their snacks as I feed out some of these monsters, keeping back enough to continue my experiment.

Normally my larvae begin to pupate at around three months. I'm not sure what to expect with these pupae. They could as easily sputter out at this stage and not reach the adult stage. I will continue to update.

If you desire huge meal worms without going the super worm route, try getting hold of some of this wheat mill run to use as substrate.

After about 1 year I have gone through my 50# wheat bran. I called my LFS yesterday and they do indeed have wheat mill 50# bags. Can't wait to try it! Will update how it goes...

 

[azygous]

I need to mention that wheat mill run has a tendency to promote grain mites, even after being heat treated. I have the critters on a walk-about right now under my living rooms shelves where the mealies are housed.

I had oven treated the substrate for 45 minutes at 275F, but that wasn't adequate. At 300F, it begins to scorch, but I suppose I need to do it anyway.

 

[aart]

I had oven treated the substrate for 45 minutes at 275F, but that wasn't adequate. At 300F, it begins to scorch, but I suppose I need to do it anyway.

Maybe go longer at 275 and stir the stuff up every 20-30 minutes?

 

[azygous]

I just re-did all my previously treated substrate (not the stuff with meal worms in it), at 300F and stirring halfway through. If that doesn't do the trick, they need something much stronger, like a nuclear explosion.