Mealworm farming

[michaelinnc84]

Ok I will start freezing mine for now on. I'm just getting started.. got some extra worms from a friend.. there were about 200 I guess. Hopefully will have beetles soon.

 

[Tivona]

I finally made an order for 3000 medium mealworms and they arrived yesterday. Wow do they eat fast. The devoured or dried out: 2 leaves of cabbage, 1 medium/small carrot and about 1/2 of an apple in about 15 hours. Is that a normal rate or were they just supper hungry and thirsty from the shipping?

 

[Ivywoods]

Mine went crazy for a little while after shipping. I think they really crave the moisture after being in shipping for a couple days.

 

[Tivona]

Thanks, glad to hear it. I was starting to picture 50lb bags of carrots magically disappearing before my eyes. I am know they are munching on the bedding I gave them too but that is much harder to see the progression of. I will probably let all of these turn into beetles and switch them to a new container and leave this one for the worms. Should be fun!

 

[onafixedincome]

Fun is right!

Yes, when you first get them in, they are often (I have been getting mine from Petco, so they're ALWAYS) very thirsty. First thing I do is pour about three good capfuls of dilute whatever (gatorade or tea or water, not soda) into the container, before I even pull out of the parking lot. They go NUTS. And consumption of veggies does slow down after the first week or so, sometimes sooner.

Update from my boxes:
Carrots are OK for moisture/food but the beetles just aren't 'feeling' right. Something is missing and I can't figure out what. They go through the cricket quencher water gel like nobody's business and 'feel' better at that point but...I just can't put my finger on it. *sigh* Maybe it'll change with summer temps?

I do have babies (YAY!) but not as many as I'd hoped (no 'moving ground' effect); I'm planning on moving the beetles to new quarters and letting these grow out in situ; maybe the density of the beetles is too high/low ?

Calculating by surface area, how many beetles per square foot does everyone have and how is it working for you?

A bit frustrated here...

 

[Ivywoods]

Fun is right!

Yes, when you first get them in, they are often (I have been getting mine from Petco, so they're ALWAYS) very thirsty. First thing I do is pour about three good capfuls of dilute whatever (gatorade or tea or water, not soda) into the container, before I even pull out of the parking lot. They go NUTS. And consumption of veggies does slow down after the first week or so, sometimes sooner.

Update from my boxes:
Carrots are OK for moisture/food but the beetles just aren't 'feeling' right. Something is missing and I can't figure out what. They go through the cricket quencher water gel like nobody's business and 'feel' better at that point but...I just can't put my finger on it. *sigh* Maybe it'll change with summer temps?

I do have babies (YAY!) but not as many as I'd hoped (no 'moving ground' effect); I'm planning on moving the beetles to new quarters and letting these grow out in situ; maybe the density of the beetles is too high/low ?

Calculating by surface area, how many beetles per square foot does everyone have and how is it working for you?

A bit frustrated here...

I am pretty new at this so I am wondering what you mean when you say the beetles aren't feeling right.

I got my Pantry Pest moth traps today. I already have one moth in there. I put it near my DH's parrot's cage, which is where the problem originates.

I'm going to go ahead and put my worm farm into a 3 bin system. I think I will be able to raise more worms that way. Right now I am getting quite a few beetles and have many, many pupa. Hoping for eggs and babies soon.

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

I am pretty new at this so I am wondering what you mean when you say the beetles aren't feeling right.

Same...

 

[mychookschick]

Hey guys!! Just still wondering about the Giant Mealworms... Can I put them in with my regular mealworms? I put them back in the fridge because I didn't get a reply, but I am hoping to get them out and get this underway...

 

[Kassaundra]

Hey guys!! Just still wondering about the Giant Mealworms... Can I put them in with my regular mealworms? I put them back in the fridge because I didn't get a reply, but I am hoping to get them out and get this underway...

Giant meal worms I would feed to your chickens, they are basically sterile. Super worms are not giant meal worms they aren't even meal worms they shouldn't be put in w/ the mealies b/c they are cannibals, they need to be seperated adults from subadults.

You can put the giants in w/ your mealie farm it won't hurt anything, but they will just eventually die so might as feed them out.

 

[bloom_ss]

Giant meal worms I would feed to your chickens, they are basically sterile. Super worms are not giant meal worms they aren't even meal worms they shouldn't be put in w/ the mealies b/c they are cannibals, they need to be seperated adults from subadults.

You can put the giants in w/ your mealie farm it won't hurt anything, but they will just eventually die so might as feed them out.

x2 The Giants are treated so they won't pupate and reproduce. The Superworms are a totally different deal altogether. I would just feed out the Giants and get more regular mealworms. =)