Mealworm farming

[hannakat]

OwensMom ~ I've had this on my mind and haven't come up with anything...sorry.

I had a bunch do that but they were my fridge worms that I put back in the drawer to continue growing. I kept them in a separate container and when I put some dandelion leaves in and closed the lid (lid had some holes for ventilation), that's when they started morphing correctly again. And the leaf made it easy to get the beetles since they liked to hang out on it.

Maybe try putting some in a smaller container with a leaf of some sort and put the lid on. Check it every day for beetles but otherwise leave it alone. Gotta try different things to see what works.

sending good vibes!

 

[OwensMom]

Thanks hannahkat. Actually I just took them out of the small container because i was afraid that overcrowding was a problem. They now sit under beet leaves and have carrots. I had lots and lots of pupa in there so maybe this is a non-issue. We will see Lynn

 

[LibertyChick]

Quote:
I thought I read that you could also freeze them. That might be easier and quicker. How long would you have to freeze them? I bought organic wheat bran from the store (human consumption). Should I have put it in the freezer or nuked it before? It's not like it was coming from a pet store or something like that.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Yeah, I agree with LibertyChick, I'd freeze it if you wanted to keep using it (and why not?). A couple days ought to work.

OwensMom, do you have beetles too or are they just starting to pupate? If you have beetles, what color are they, black, brown, or tan?

 

[LibertyChick]

Quote:
I think it's also much healthier for your mealies if you freeze it as opposed to nuking it. Nuking it irradiates it and kills all the beneficial enzymes and bacteria that may be in the food. I haven't eaten anything out of a microwave in a very long time...well, accidentally recently when I went to a cafe that served organic food. I had chicken soup and my husband had a veggie burger. It all tasted good, but within minutes of leaving the cafe, we started getting sleepy and didn't feel right. Nuking your food changes it and I'm sure the mealies notice the difference too.

Just wondering...have any of you, who nuked the grain notice a difference with the mealies after nuking it? Was there a lot of them that died or just not as healthy afterwards?

 

[JSLKelly]

Quote:
LOVE the research!!! I may just have to go for the 'drawer method'. Sounds like it might save me a bit of time.

 

[JSLKelly]

Quote:
*sigh* I was afraid of that. I'm wondering if I might not have ended up with mislabled giant mealworms in one of my batches. I have many worms that are 1.5" and fairly large around....not as big as a pencil, but round. They would morph but not beetle......don't know. Lets see if the food change works.

 

[JSLKelly]

Quote:
I thought I read that you could also freeze them. That might be easier and quicker. How long would you have to freeze them? I bought organic wheat bran from the store (human consumption). Should I have put it in the freezer or nuked it before? It's not like it was coming from a pet store or something like that.

I store all my wormie bedding in the freezer. Then I nuke it a bit when I go to use it so the wormies don't get a good shock on their little wormie butts!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Freezer would be easier than nuking. I can get a lot more in the freezer at one time than in the microwave. Didn't think about that with the bugs attacking. Great idea and very helpful. Thanks!

I ordered more mealies but with the heat wave hitting the US again this week they have stopped shipment so it will be next week before I get them.

Anyone put any flax meal in with the bran or oats? I thought to add a bit for more nutritional bedding.

 

[Klwright1122]

How long should I nuke it for?