Mealworm farming

[hannakat]

Quote:
Sounds wormperfect to me!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I have 3 tubs going of the mealies, beetles and pupae and am now invaded with ants! I found a bigger tub and set the worse invaded tub inside with water moat to keep any others out and DH and I killed as many ants as we could. Now I have to find 2 more bigger tubs to put the others in. I suppose setting them next to the wall was not a great idea but they like the warmth coming in.

Anyone have any other ideas to keep the ants out of my mealie bins?

I am hearing of a lot of other people fighting ants this year of many different kinds. So far the fire ants haven't popped up as badly as in past years but I know those are coming. But ant invasion in people's homes are what I am hearing a lot of.

 

[drgnflyz]

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Because they free range and they have all the bugs they can find. I do use the mealworms if I need them back to the coop before they're ready. They come running when they think worms are being offered

I'm doing this because I feel bad that they don't have bugs in the winter with all the snow and freezing temps..... they LOVE bugs (even stink bugs)... and cucumbers, and kale, and lettuce, and cheese, and yogurt, and melon, and celery leaves, and pumpkin inners.......

I would put some on craigslist..like 2000 for $10..I bet you would sell them!

I would totally buy some from you- I want to start a breeding population! I really like listening to the meal worms- weird I know, but when it is quiet in my house (which is rare) I put my ear up to the box (I dont use a lid) and they sound really cool! Also, I use a water pillow for my meal worms, I am always concerned they won't get enough water. You can buy a pkg of 6 water pillows for a couple of bucks. Just wet it and stick it in a corner of your box- they use it like crazy!

I feed veggies and oatmeal, interested in other things to throw in.

 

[drgnflyz]

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Okay folks, I want to buy 2500-5000 meal worms for a breeding colony. I live in SE Idaho- anyone localish I could buy some from, or who would you suggest I mail order them from?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I ordered mine from Speedy Worm. They are nice worms. I ordered in 5000 and am still finding little ones but most of them now are very big. mine started pupating a week after I got them and I saw beetles 2 weeks after I got them. There are so many I am having a hard time keeping up with moving them over to other bins.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[greeneggsnham]

Has anyone ever given their mealies spirinula powder? I have some that I'm not going to be able to use before it goes bad and if I can give it to them will it hurt them or the chicks?

 

[hannakat]

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Personally, I wouldn't but if you want to try it, just put some on a piece of newspaper or a lid. I doubt they will eat it. I wouldn't feed it to the chickens either but that's just my thoughts about it.

You can freeze it to extend the expiration date. Google it...says to let it come to room temp after freezing it.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I went to the store today and purchased a few bigger tubs to put my other tubs in and make a water moat. So far the ants have stayed away but cleaning the table with Lysol is only a temp fix.
The beetle bin is in a water moat and now I will do the other 2 like that. We put down DE around the house because that is all we feel is safe. Our chickens and ducks graze right up to the edge of the house and when it rains the ducks play around the down spouts.

I found a piece of paper that DH had taken out of my beetle bin laid out on the table and heard lots of scratching. I asked him how long it had been there and he said since yesterday. Poor beetles! The ants had gotten in the paper and were bothering the beetles so I had to hand pick them up while DH killed the ants. Now the dear beetles are back in their rightful place and happily munching on carrots.

Incidentally, my mealies and beetles do not care for potatoes! They eat the carrots with relish and the mealies adore the cucumbers. I bought their favorite apples today and pears to try but plan to try celery, too. We are having salad for supper so any tomato left over gets to go in for a short while. They love it but it can't stay long or gnats show up. They won't touch kale either. But what they don't eat, the Guinea Pigs do so there isn't ever any waste around here. Not that I take it from the mealie bin to the pig pen!

DH, DD and I spent about an hour going through the meal worms trying to get out all the pupae and beetles but we missed a lot. Wow! At least this farming is inside with AC!

 

[monsterkx500]

I did alot of reading. I want to know what is the right temperature and location for the worm?

 

[hannakat]

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It's been so terrible to read about the ant problem

You'll conqure it though! I love the idea of a moat...a pain, I'm sure, but what a brillant idea

Mine don't seem to like potato either. I gave them some summer squash today since it's been so hot! It seems to have a ton of water in it. We're also cutting up a cantaloupe tonight for a snack and I'll give them some tomorrow....on the rind of course!

I love lifting the lid on my bin colony and seeing all those black bodies running around! I still have not found wee wormies in the second drawer of the 3-drawer colony. My grandson came over today and one of the first things he wanted to check was the worms

.... hoping he'll always remember Nina's worms and chickens!!