Mealworm farming

[Emily1220]

I have a question. Why is the wheat bran better than oatmeal? It seems wheat bran doesn't have near the nutritional value of oatmeal. The bran is mostly fiber, isn't it? I have a single bin system, but am getting quite a few beetles, so I'm considering moving up to the 3 bin and using the wheat bran in the two worm bins, oatmeal in the bettle bin, as stated by several of the farmers here.


I'm just not sure why the wheat bran would be better. I haven't been able to locate any around here and will have to order it if I use it.

I may be wrong but I believe the wheat silos on farms is the natural habitat for the darkling beetle. So in keeping as near to a natural enviroment as possible, wheat bran would be the most natural choice for the wormies. Oatmeal is just easier to use for the beetles if you have screening in the bottom of your drawer/bin.

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

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Do anyone buy the GIANTS Only? I cant seem to find a good amount of Giants.

Do the Giants eat the medium and smaller ones or don't have to worry about that?

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Not sure if anyone has addressed this yet but since I saw several posts about "Giant" and "Superworms" I'd thought I'd try to help define what they are, Giant mealworms are the same as the normal worms from the Darkling beetle they are given a hormone that makes them grow larger and will not pupate or ever reproduce, Some people stay away from these in case the hormone used can effect whatever you're feeding them to, I really don't know but avoid them cause I want mine to develop normally and turn to beetles,
Superworms is a completely different species of beetle and can pupate and turn into beetles however it is a completely different process to make this happen, the substrate is slightly damp and mixed to keep it from molding then the worms are placed in a confined space like the size of a film container or around one cubic inch (give or take a bit) then left in the right temp range and they will change,

I thought I'd share my good fortune in the last week, I went to make a car payment and in the trash by the front door was a 3 drawer thing like some of you use I snatched it up quickly LOL today I spotted a yard sale and bought a 4 drawer one for $4.00 so 7 new tubs for mealworms or roaches whichever needs them first LOL I grind all my substrate to a fine flour and sift it through a screen mesh I can seperate all the beetles and place them in a fresh box with 2 inches of substrate and leave them for 2 or 3 weeks and sift them out and place them in a new one and the eggs and growing worms are all close to the same age and size in each bin and in other ones I leave them all in there together eggs, hatchlings, pupae, and worms I hardly see much evidence of them eating each other I think cause I have a good blanced diet in the feed I grind and there is enough mosture in the potato slices and that's most likely the reason they eat each other is for water which is why they don't eat all of it they stop when the bug is dried out, before I started using potato slices I cut a sponge and set in in a shallow lid or butter bowl top and would rinse it out when it was starting to get nasty the bugs would get all the water they needed from that and it's a lot cheaper than potatoes or fruit just have to check it often so it doesn't spoil...

 

[Ivywoods]

Okay, I still can't get around this wheat bran thing.

As far as purchasing it, I've checked with all my feed stores and none of them carry it;. I've checked our grocery stores and they do not carry it either, so I'm pretty sure I'll have to order it. I've never even heard of the places one person mentioned. (hey, it's a rural area I'm in.)

Second, I grew up on a wheat farm. I can't speak for mealworms in particular, but if ever there was grain that got "buggy" what you would find is that they ate the center out of the grain. They would eat a hole right into the middle of it and leave the outside (the bran.) It was the same way with corn or oats. For example, if bugs got into the oats you would just find an empty hull (the bran.)

Has anyone tried keeping mealworms in cracked wheat instead of wheat bran?

I can understand that the wheat bran would be easier to sift than the oatmeal. I have mine in oatmeal right now, but I was just trying to decide what I wanted to get if I go to a multi-bin system.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I have a question. Why is the wheat bran better than oatmeal? It seems wheat bran doesn't have near the nutritional value of oatmeal. The bran is mostly fiber, isn't it? I have a single bin system, but am getting quite a few beetles, so I'm considering moving up to the 3 bin and using the wheat bran in the two worm bins, oatmeal in the bettle bin, as stated by several of the farmers here.


I'm just not sure why the wheat bran would be better. I haven't been able to locate any around here and will have to order it if I use it.

Years ago scientists determined the nutritional requirements for T. molitor and found that they need high quantities of B vitamins and Folic acid. Before they figured out what they needed, they had a hard time keeping them in captivity. Generally, if some element of nutrition is missing or low in availability, their development will slow considerably and they may not be able to pupate and complete development. The outer layer of the grain (bran) is high in fiber, but also very high in B vitamins and folic acid. Oatmeal also has decent B vitamins, but not much folic acid. Oatmeal will work, especially for those that keep beetles on it (since they have completed development), but wheat bran will provide more of what they need.

Okay, I still can't get around this wheat bran thing.

As far as purchasing it, I've checked with all my feed stores and none of them carry it;. I've checked our grocery stores and they do not carry it either, so I'm pretty sure I'll have to order it. I've never even heard of the places one person mentioned. (hey, it's a rural area I'm in.)

Second, I grew up on a wheat farm. I can't speak for mealworms in particular, but if ever there was grain that got "buggy" what you would find is that they ate the center out of the grain. They would eat a hole right into the middle of it and leave the outside (the bran.) It was the same way with corn or oats. For example, if bugs got into the oats you would just find an empty hull (the bran.)

Has anyone tried keeping mealworms in cracked wheat instead of wheat bran?

I can understand that the wheat bran would be easier to sift than the oatmeal. I have mine in oatmeal right now, but I was just trying to decide what I wanted to get if I go to a multi-bin system.

I would try the cracked wheat. My only concern is that the smaller larvae might have difficulties physically processing the kernals. It's definitely worth trying though. I would try it by mixing it in with the oatmeal that you already have. Another option, lacking wheat bran, is to use chicken feed. They seem to like the stuff I give them quite well.

 

[onafixedincome]

Whahooties!!!!

I've got WORMS! <happy dance>

Not very many and definitely very tiny but they're very, very wiggly.

Sooooo....since I started back in what, November, that's a 90 day +/- turnaround? Not too shabby, and hopefully things will speed up from here as the weather warms.

Did anybody ever figure out just how many of these verminous critters a young chick can have without harm?

 

[TonySorrento]

I just bought 60 pounds of wheat bran for $8.00 at a feed mill ... can't beat that! Now to get the worms .... I was thinking of starting out with 2,000?

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

Okay, I still can't get around this wheat bran thing.

As far as purchasing it, I've checked with all my feed stores and none of them carry it;. I've checked our grocery stores and they do not carry it either, so I'm pretty sure I'll have to order it. I've never even heard of the places one person mentioned. (hey, it's a rural area I'm in.)

Second, I grew up on a wheat farm. I can't speak for mealworms in particular, but if ever there was grain that got "buggy" what you would find is that they ate the center out of the grain. They would eat a hole right into the middle of it and leave the outside (the bran.) It was the same way with corn or oats. For example, if bugs got into the oats you would just find an empty hull (the bran.)

Has anyone tried keeping mealworms in cracked wheat instead of wheat bran?

I can understand that the wheat bran would be easier to sift than the oatmeal. I have mine in oatmeal right now, but I was just trying to decide what I wanted to get if I go to a multi-bin system.

I wouldn't worry about the bran I tried it 20 years ago and have better production in chicken feed, one thing you can do if you don't plan on having a lot of them is buy a small bag of wild bird seed and run it a couple cups at a time through a blender it will break it down to a powder or flour and all the good stuff is readily available for the worms and beetles to eat and won't really cost that much

 

[gale65]

I just use quick oats for all of it and I have a lot of 2nd gen worms right now.

 

[gavinandallison]

I started small 3 weeks ago with around 300 in wheat bran in a plastic tote.... I have decided to do the one bin method. fortunately I met up with Amy - WestKnollAmy - and purchased some mealworms from her.

Getting home I poured this container in the bran, and like magic they vanished! I gave them 3 lettuce leaves last night on going to bed, getting up this morning the leaves are almost gone! There were a few that had pupated in to the adult, so I will see what is happening next...

 

[TonySorrento]

OK ... ordered 2,000 worms and they are being shipped today. We are going with the 3 bin method .... pics to come ...