Mealworm farming

[aggie9296]

Well, I haven't been on here in a while. Update: 1000 meal worms ordered 2/11. Let about 300 beetles reproduce. Now have about 15000+ mealworms. Have 3000 in fridge. Rest are in the big bin. Just started getting another round of beetles. It seems the hot weather caused them to grow tons faster.

Also, I got a mite problem after adding some layer crumbles to the bin. I did NOT throw it all away as all the sites and info recommended. I tried various cleaners and sprays to kill mites to no avail.

Then I started spraying around bin just above substrate line inside and out with suntan oil. Yes, suntan oil. Banana Boat Dark Tanning Oil. SPF 8. I seems the mites drown in the oil and the worms don't get into it or bother them. Misting any type of oil would probably work to kill the mites or at least keep them in check. I do a spray around the bin when it seems to dry out every week or 2. No more gobs of mites. It probably would work as a preventative as long as the food was not harboring mites.

Obviously this does not kill the mites in the food. But I am not selling mine so I don't worry about contaminating someone elses colony.

So if anyone else gets a mite problem, try this before you toss everything out and lose all that time and effort.

 

[ROCKIN R FARM]

that is a great idea. I will try and remember this. I am going to wait and start mine colony when we move. we are expecting to move up the road in 2 weeks anyway.
Do any of you have your bins set up in your barn for those that have them. I am thinking of putting mine in there sense it is attached to my chicken coops and run.

deana

 

[ROCKIN R FARM]

Quote:
OMG I'm glad I'm not the only one. I've been considering bees as well. And yes, vermicomposting project already under way. I had to finally put the bin on cans that are in little tubs of water to keep the fire ants out (Even in the middle of the garage!!!) but they are now thriving.

Is vermicomposting hard to do? I am also going to start the mealings when we move.
wow someone else that wants to do bees. that is another topic to learn about and find someone in my area that does bee keeping to teach me.
deana

 

[sassifrassi]

Quote:
OMG I'm glad I'm not the only one. I've been considering bees as well. And yes, vermicomposting project already under way. I had to finally put the bin on cans that are in little tubs of water to keep the fire ants out (Even in the middle of the garage!!!) but they are now thriving.

Is vermicomposting hard to do? I am also going to start the mealings when we move.
wow someone else that wants to do bees. that is another topic to learn about and find someone in my area that does bee keeping to teach me.
deana

Not hard at all. Basically you add worms to your compost. Red Wrigglers to be exact. Other worms are not as useful. You can get them at a bait shop - although I have been having a hard time lately. Check Craigslist/Kijiji - thats where I got my first batch. I grind up my organic waste (you don't have to) add it to the compost, and it turns into worm poop. Great for the garden. My master plan was to breed the worms so I would have enough of them to add straight to my garden, so they would eat the chicken poop that is attracting so many flies!
As for the bees I'm thinking one or two Top-Bar hives. They seem the easiest. I think there is a BackyardBees.com as well!

 

[ROCKIN R FARM]

I will be starting a compost area when we get to the new place have the perfect place for it and there is already a box set up there I think I can use. Not sure what the other owners used it for. But its right next to the chicken coops we built. I was thinking the samething about using the worms for the chicken poop. I was thinking ony 1 or 2 layers for the bees as well. Want it more for pollenating my plants. Not sure if we would get to much honey from them with only 2.
deana
Quote:
Is vermicomposting hard to do? I am also going to start the mealings when we move.
wow someone else that wants to do bees. that is another topic to learn about and find someone in my area that does bee keeping to teach me.
deana

Not hard at all. Basically you add worms to your compost. Red Wrigglers to be exact. Other worms are not as useful. You can get them at a bait shop - although I have been having a hard time lately. Check Craigslist/Kijiji - thats where I got my first batch. I grind up my organic waste (you don't have to) add it to the compost, and it turns into worm poop. Great for the garden. My master plan was to breed the worms so I would have enough of them to add straight to my garden, so they would eat the chicken poop that is attracting so many flies!
As for the bees I'm thinking one or two Top-Bar hives. They seem the easiest. I think there is a BackyardBees.com as well!

 

[feliciamckee]

Quote:
I will be vermicomposting as well. I ordered my red wigglers along with my mealies. And bees too!!! I thought I would be good at it...I have never been afraid of them, and my kids gets stung in the yard all the time and they just pull the stingers out,(usually out of their bare feet) proudly go around showing it to everyone, and then go about their business. I want to get my worms started first. I need to do some more research on keeping bees first. I have read they are struggling and may be on the verge of extinction...but Im not sure how much of that is true. I would hate to lose all the honey bees.

I got an email from Uncle Jim and it was a little confusing...it said my package had been shipped but the shipping date was July 25. It even had a tracking number. I am just assuming they are preparing to ship the worms next monday??? I hope it is cooler next week.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

LibertyChick, I think the likelihood of having bugs in substrate you've purchased from the grocery store is relatively low, but probably worth the extra step of freezing. I really wouldn't worry about what you have right now, just be cautious in the future. I haven't ever frozen my wheat bran prior to adding it to the colony, but I will going forward. I used to remove the old dried up vegetable matter when I had few beetles. I was sure that they were laying eggs on it and I didn't want to lose them. Hannakat's observations suggest that maybe they don't stick to it well anyway, so maybe it isn't worth worrying about. I don't think there is any harm in leaving it in there, it just makes it more difficult to collect the worms. I remove the old dried up stuff just a few times a year, but I'm a pretty lazy mealworm farmer. BTW, I wouldn't nuke the substrate either.

aggie9296, that is an interesting solution to your mite invasion. Do you have any beetles yet and do they seem to be impacted at all by the oil? I also find it interesting that you think the mites might have come from the layer crumbles. Another reason to freeze prior to adding. You're right, the high temperatures make them grow fast!

ROCKIN R FARM, I keep my colonies outside. I do worry about ants eventually finding them (they haven't yet in four years of being outside

). Make sure you have a wire or screen lid to keep out birds and lizards. Also, be sure to bring them inside in the winter if it freezes where you live. I agree with the others, vermicomposting is great. It might even be easier than raising mealworms!

feliciamckee, I think a lot of invertebrate suppliers have suspended shipping due to the current heat wave. It sounds to me like yours will be shipped on Mon. Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of mealworms.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
I ended up calling them the other day..
they ship on mondays
their cut off time to ship on monday is the saturday before.. so if you order sunday.. it won't ship out until the next week

I ordered mine sunday July 17th .. so they sent me a tracking number for July 25th.. which follows right in with their shipping policy

 

[Urban Chaos]

anyone know the best way to ship mealworms?

 

[HenCrazyMom]

MY MEALIES HAVE ARRIVED. Farming here I come!

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I can't wait to take some out to the girls.