Mealworm farming

[Kassaundra]

Resolution are you refering to Black Soldier Fly larva?

I tried to raise those this year but was unsuccessful, I had several irons in the fire though so it could have been my bad. We also had a record breaking drought and heat wave (as in breaking records since they have been kept)

I am going to try them again this next year, but it's my understanding they cannot be raised year round outside where temps get cold at least not easily or cheaply.

If you are refering to some other fly larva, which one?

 

[oneofseven]

Black Soldier Fly Larve are awsome. They are a natural part of our composting process.

 

[FrenchToast]

Quote:
Frozen mealworms actually return to their unfrozen consistency but they don't move. They are not mushy. If left out for a couple of hours they will turn black but I only let them thaw for about 15 minutes before feeding them to the girls.

Mealworms are not hosts for parasites. Hope this helps.



Egg Incubation: 4-19 days (usually 4-7). Another source says 20-40 days
Larva: 10 weeks. Visible after about a week
Pupa: 6-18 (18-24?) days
Beetle and Egg Laying: 8-12 weeks (followed by death). Egg laying starts 4-19 days (average 12) after emergence


Beetles lay eggs that hatch into wee wormies. The worms grow, sheding their exoskelton up to 20 times before pupating. The pupae then morph into beetles and the cycle begins again. Check out the photos on my mealworm page....

Screen depth: whatever the container allows or 1-3 inches.

Thanks, I posted a minute after you so I didn't see this until now !!! Thanks for the info.

 

[oneofseven]

I got mine from WestKnollAmy. Her price is reasonable and she ships them as soon as she gets the money.

 

[chickens? not yet]

Quote:
I got mine from Amy they are doing great!! She sends a lot and I now have a tote full of beetles!!

 

[onafixedincome]

Quote:
Well, they do say you are what you eat--makes a kind of sense. I know that there's a definite difference in body makeup in rabbits fed a complete and balanced rabbit diet versus whatever someone can scrounge up....so optimal mealie nutrition would be something good to know. Got a reference for that? Sure like to read it, been wondering if we are actually giving them what they actually require to do their best, or if we're just fumbling along doing what everybody else did.

Speaking of being what you eat--the mealies aren't being raised 'out in the wild'--the environment we raise them in is free of the nasty parasitic organisms, and thus the mealies cannot be carriers of them.

Kinda like the bug chefs putting their buggies in clean cornmeal or whatever for a certain amount of time before using them to eat--it flushes the gut of the nasties before we eat 'em. (I say 'we' only as an advisory term...you'd have to pay me an awful lot to voluntarily eat a bug!

) So, by raising them only on clean substrate and feeding clean veggies for moisture, and working to keep the bin free of molds etc, we are raising clean, strong, healthy mealies that the chickens need have no fear of getting nasties from. Hope that helps!

Rev, if you've an ID on the predator, I know some folks in the bug world that can probably get us some great info on how to ID the larvae before we start losing mealies.

 

[TedJan92_in_Idaho]

I tried some boiled egg the other day and they went crazy. I think I am going to try some raw meat trimmings. Just have to watch for it to start smelling

 

[oneofseven]

I found this in Flukers Mealworm Biology Guide:

A. Temperature is the most critical environmental factor. The ideal temperature for mealworms is approximately 75-82 F. At this temperature, mealworm growth will be optimal. If more heat is needed to reach this temperature, a Fluker Labs Under Tank Heater can be used to raise the temperature. Mealworms have a long life cycle and can take up to 3 months to go through a complete cycle.

I hope it helps.

 

[oneofseven]

4. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEALWORM
Mealworms have indirect development, which means that the larvae do not resemble the adults. This type of development is termed complete metamorphosis. There are always four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Only the adults have wings and can reproduce.
In this species, all stages are active both during the day and at night.

A. Egg. The eggs are oval in shape, and milky white in color with a slight shine. They are foundsingly or in clumps mixed in the rearing medium. The eggs are small, about 1.8 x 0.7 mm.
The incubation time at 80°F is about 7 days.

B. Larval stage. The egg hatches into the first instar larva, which after feeding molts into the second instar larva. First and second instar larvae are very small and difficult to see without a magnifying glass. At each molt, the old skin (cuticle) is shed and a new and larger cuticle is formed. The first instar larva molts into the second instar. The larvae eat and grow in each larval instar to the limit their armored cuticle permits, then they must molt again in order to grow. Immediately after a molt the larva is soft and white, but within a few hours the cuticle becomes hard and assumes its normal yellow and black color. The number of larval instars varies from about 8-12, depending on temperature and available food. Higher temperature means fewer molts and faster development. The duration of the larval stage is from a few weeks (high temperature) to several months (room temperature). A full-grown last instar larva is about 30 mm long and about 4 mm in diameter.

B. Pupal stage: The full grown, last larval instar molts into a pupa, which looks somewhat like the adult. Note the wing pads and the adult-like legs and antennae. The pupa is quite vulnerable, it cannot move about, and it does not feed. If rearing conditions are poor, the larvae or the adults will eat the immobile pupae. If cannibalism is noted, add more moist material (quencher, potatoes, etc.). During the pupal stage, the internal organs of the larvae are digested and the adult internal organs develop. The pupa is dark yellow grading into dark brown or black, and about 25 mm long by 7 mm in width. The duration of the pupal stage is about 6 days at 80°F.

C. Adult stage: Mealworms in nature emerge as pupae and the adults emerge in the spring. Indoors at room temperatures the adults emerge from the pupae throughout the year. The adult males and females can only be distinguished by examination of the genitalia (see below under External Anatomy). The adult males live an average of about two months, the females about 3 months. Mating of the beetles starts within a few days after emergence and is repeated at intervals throughout the life of the beetles, probably 2 or 3 times in their lifetime. Semen is transferred directly through copulation. The females generally start laying eggs 8-10 days after pupal emergence at 80°F and females will lay their eggs singly or in small batches at intervals of 2 to 8 days. As mealworms consume feed, fresh feed can be added to the terrarium.

 

[ChickenWisperer]

I've got what's probably a stupid question. Do the grown beetles bite?

Also, are there any links hanging around for waxworm farming?