Mealworm farming

[oneofseven]

This is an email response I got from an insect specialist about "grain mites"

Mites are animals that require a higher level of moisture than mealworms so you might try lowering the moisture content of the feed so that the mites will die. Most insecticides will kill both - although there are a few that are just for mites (Miticides) that normally would not affect the mealworms, but generally these require a specialized license for purchase. Good air movement and lower humidity will often lower the moisture content in and around the food that the mites will dry out. Depending on your size of the colony, you could separate the diet, heat in oven and then place mealworms back in with a very dry diet. Then the mites will be dead and the ones left on the mealworms will die in the dry diet. Mealworms can survive in very low humidity so that is the key - low enough to kill mites but not the mealworms. Makes sure you clean the surrounding area as the mites can move out of the food.

Good luck - this is a very difficult problem to correct and one that can take a long time to rectify.

Dr. Linda J. Mason
Associate Dean of the Graduate School and
Professor of Food Pest Entomology
Department of Entomology
Purdue University
West Lafayette IN 47907

 

[Kassaundra]

oneofseven, great info!!!!!

yankeefan, I have two coops of chickens 10 per coop right now hoping to increase that to 15 per coop and in a perfect world start one more coop. My goal is to be able to feed 1-2 cups of mealies per day per coop, and 30 of my dubia's per coop per day. I don't know if that is enough protien and other nutrition to take them off layer (probably will always be free choice I don't want any hungry chickies) but it hopefully would put a pretty good dent in it. I like the idea of their main protien being insect based instead of animal protien. I know they will eat any carrian they come across, but realistically they were designed as mostly insect and small animal eater (frogs, lizards, snakes, rodents etc...) not cow and pig. I also am not fond of a diet of chicken protien, not for any psychologic reason, but for transmission of disease.

 

[binders]

I have BABIES! Well I have little tiny maelworm larva!!!! I hadn't seen anything but I knew there had to be something so this morning I turned the apple slice over and there they were. I saw about 5 of them. Not a lot but if I am seeing any that means that there are more. Yeah!!

My qyestion now is now much moisture food should I put in the drawer? If there are little ones all over the drawer do They have enough strength and drive to make it over to where the apple slice is. Should I have several apple slices placed around the bin?

I am soooo excited!!! Now if my chicken would only start laying eggs I will be ecstatic!!

ee:yiipchick:yiipchick:yiipchick

 

[yankeefan]

Quote:
Good Point Amy!!

Thanks to everyone for your help and ideas.

I got my 3 drawer unit, screen and other supplies earlier today. I also bought some spray paint to paint the inside of the drawers so as to keep it nice and dark inside for the worms. Now I just need to find a good spot to keep them. I'm thinking maybe in my wife's closet! I'm sure she'll love that idea.

 

[cjwaldon]

I got one of my drawers of mealies moved today from the rolled oat Froot Loop mix into a drawer of only wheat bran. I found a small number of pupae.

When I grabbed one of the pupae to move it, the pupae MOVED! Boy did I JUMP! Didn't know they could do that!

 

[bobbyc1970]

Hi just going to update. I am on my second round of stages. done went from mealies to pupae to beetles to mealies. Now getting pupae again. And there is alot of mealies. Been feeding potatoes and carrots and now some apples. they are thriving

I use only oatmeal and they are doing great. I have found that i add tin foil with the edges folded up and add toilet paper folded up and add water and they go crazy over it. and are thriving.

 

[cjwaldon]

Quote:
foil laying flat with moist TP on top? Is that where they get their moisture or lay their eggs?

 

[bobbyc1970]

yes on top

they have been using for moisture. The small mealies have been in the waste part.

 

[kizanne]

I've got my third bin started but the beetle mortality rate still seems high. I'm still working on keeping the moisture up. Might try the foil thing.

I've started feeding out mealies but I'm keeping it down to a couple tablespoons a day but that is at least 5 mealies for each of my 11 birds.

My first bin has so many worms that I can put a whole cucumber (cut into slices) in there and not have to worry about mold because less than 15 hours later its gone the whole thing.

I'm pulling out about 20 pupa per day from that bin to go in the third bin. The second bin has many small worms we will see if the first bin lasts until the second bin has good size worms.

The first bin is now on my feed out schedule.

 

[bobbyc1970]

I was having the same problem. i would put food in and wasnt keeping up. with the foil and water supply my beetle population has leveled out. and the mealies are doing alot better. growing faster. as far as populating not sure there is so many. need to start a fifth bin/drawer. might do that with the new pupae