Mealworm farming

[OwensMom]

Hannahkat and Nadine, Quite by accident I found that a paper towel roll does the trick for collecting worms. Just push it down into the substrate being careful not to get to much bedding into tthe tube. Leave it for a couple of days(one day). then empty contents into seperate container. I got a nice haul of worms for my girls the other day this way. The worms don't seem to drag much bedding into the tube.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Hey, cool! What a great idea. I am sure the Guinea Pigs will be fine with me not giving them all my paper towel rolls. I'll try that!



Uh-oh, I better be careful in what I try and take from the beetle bins. I bet some are already laying eggs and I am so slow to get much done for their bins since I didn't get screen put in so now it is wait and see what emerges.

Hannakat, I am glad that meal worm farming helps with you not being able to be out and about as much. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I were to break an ankle (as my ditzy old self bumbles about the farm) because no one else could do all this. Certainly not DH, as he has a job and bad health. I would love to spend more time observing the beetles and wormies.
The beetles really scampered about in the newspaper yesterday when I laid a cold carrot on top. I think the cold upset them but if I leave it setting out the cats get them. My rotten pets.

I still talk to the worms and beetles. They need a bit of encouragement to produce well.

I try not to let them know I will feed them or offspring to chickens though.

They certainly may decide to not reproduce.

I will try and put in some cartons or some such to see if I can see beetles laying or eggs attached .....using a magnifying glass, of course!

 

[hannakat]

Oh Nadine! You're too much!!

NEVER let the wormies know their final destination.... tell 'em they're going to nicer digs!!

I love hearing about your guinea pigs....they are such adorable furballs. Now those I talk to!!! wheek wheek



Thanks for the tip OwensMom! When this new generation is big enough to be called 'treats', I'll know how to gather them.

 

[galanie]

You two are nutballs. I talk to my chickens, at least they understand and answer back

Just kidding! I talk to everything, sentient or not!

 

[OwensMom]

Nadine, We love Guinea pigs!! We had one constantly from the time our oldest was 2 yrs old til she left for college. The last one, B-Zeus, stay with us and he finally left for greener pastures when he was 6 or 7 yrs. old. I almost feel guilty having you take their paper towel roll away from them!! But they will get over it.

Hannahkat, had to find a simple way to gather those wormes. I'm fine with the beetles and pupae but the wormes........... I don't want to touch them and I don't want them to touch me!! I knock off the wormes on the outside of the tube and then slide the contents of the tube into the Taj Mahal of plastic containers. There is dry milk, showbird grower and assorted vitamens and minerals in there for their dining pleasure. 24 hours of wormie bliss then to the dinosaurs. Such is life. Lynn

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Now see, you can't being telling them there are dinosaurs out there to eat them!

They will never go into that long dark tunnel!

Yeah, DD loves all her Guinea Pigs. She has been breeding and showing them for about 6 years. We have 2 litters due any time now so we will have something for the fall shows. That will probably bring her up over 70 again and I know she will hate that. It is a lot for her to go to school, have a job and boyfriend and clean all those cages, too.
Ah, to be a teenager again!

She isn't thrilled with the beetle bin much but she seemed to have a grand time helping me pick out pupae until I realized the beetles were hatching out in the first bin anyhow so now she just checks on them about once a day. Every once and a while she will shake the newspaper to stir up the beetles to hear the noise. I told her it would give her nightmares!

They have really chowed down on the celery. I guess it holds a good bit of moisture. And carrots have definitely been a favorite.
The only cactus I have her are the round ones with huge thorns so I haven't offered any of that.
I did put in fish flakes that were left over from our tanks. I now use the tanks for chicks fresh out of the hatcher until everyone is out and then I take them all down to the barn. The brooder room is nice and warm....okay, hot.

I have some wheat that is letting loose of the grains right now out in the field. Do you suppose they would munch on that? The stems are pretty thick but soon it will all be gone so I suppose I will try and remember to bring some in today and give to the bins and see what reaction I get. We haven't had rain in a while so it should be getting pretty dry.

 

[OwensMom]

I don't know about whole grains. Their mouth parts must be pretty tiny and could they eat those hard kernels? I don't know. I put in some old chicken feed pellets and they have gone largely untouched. I fguess worth a try though.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Well, I was thinking more of the stalks of the wheat rather than the grains. The Guinea Pigs are getting some of the stalks and grains. But there are lots of stalks so I might snap some of those in there and see if they like it. I have 2 dirt chicken pens that I harvest for, too. All other surrounding pens have grass and weeds but this year, for some reason those 2 pens are just dirt.

Now, come on. I talk to everything! With mostly animals surrounding me I have learned to enjoy the sound of my voice as well as theirs. But yeah, the wormies do not answer as well as the chickens and ducks. And the Guinea Pigs!

Maybe if I were to listen more closely.....

 

[nursecat9]

So my wormies finally came yesterday...got 1000. I'm still a little squeamish about WORMS in my house, even though I know they can't climb or fly out....but I'm trying to lose the yuck factor! I even touched a couple yesterday! He he he!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Oh, the wormies are all right. Wait til you have beetles! All that noise can give you the heebie jeebies but then after a few minutes it sounds hypnotic. I guess it is the scratching of their little footsies on the newspaper. I like the worms much better and pupae is funny the way they roll their tails around and jump a bit.

I had forgot about them for a few days as I was busy with other things and realized they may need more fresh food. I was thankful to see they still had some celery but added more carrots since that is their favorite food.
I still haven't added any wheat stalks as I am just too busy.