Large worms should pupate and turn in to beetles in about 2 weeks to a month. Once you start getting pupa it takes ten days to two weeks to start getting beetles.
Mealworm Pricing
- Thread starter JeniferFlores
- Start date
Large worms should pupate and turn in to beetles in about 2 weeks to a month. Once you start getting pupa it takes ten days to two weeks to start getting beetles.
Hi I really haven't read alot on this thread however I'd like to share a quote from the univirsity of Alabama regarding the mealworm "Scientists have been able to transmit the causative agent
of acute leukosis (Marek’s disease) in chickens by using
this beetle. Positive confirmation of the transmission has
been made under both laboratory and field research
conditions.
Marek’s disease usually affects birds between three
and four months old. Symptoms are characterized by
various degrees of paralysis, most easily observed in
legs and wings. Droopy wings, gasping, weight loss,
pallor, and diarrhea are also symptoms. Birds severely
affected may be found lying on their sides with one leg
stretched forward and the other held behind. The
disease affects both broiler and egg laying types of
poultry. losses can reach two percent of the flock per
day, and mortality may exceed 30 percent of the flock
within a few weeks.
Acute leukosis is highly contagious and has been
shown to be airborne. Contamination may persist in the
environment because the darkling beetle may serve as a
reservoir for residual contamination"
I'm new to chickens but I have animal experience and people experience as far as health care goes. I did a lot of research to try and be sure I'd do a good job, while researching a self sustaining protein source I considered worms (including the mealworm), fodder, ladybugs, and crickets. That's when I ran across this information and it has been noted in many places by other universities so forgive me please if this is common knowledge on this thread, but I decided my chickens will NOT be getting mealworms. I was thinking of "deep litter" and that this would be great to work with my new chickens. But I'm growing fodder instead, please consider this information. And if anyone knows of any studies that say different please let me know. Thanks. And here's the link : http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0483/ANR-0483.pdf
of acute leukosis (Marek’s disease) in chickens by using
this beetle. Positive confirmation of the transmission has
been made under both laboratory and field research
conditions.
Marek’s disease usually affects birds between three
and four months old. Symptoms are characterized by
various degrees of paralysis, most easily observed in
legs and wings. Droopy wings, gasping, weight loss,
pallor, and diarrhea are also symptoms. Birds severely
affected may be found lying on their sides with one leg
stretched forward and the other held behind. The
disease affects both broiler and egg laying types of
poultry. losses can reach two percent of the flock per
day, and mortality may exceed 30 percent of the flock
within a few weeks.
Acute leukosis is highly contagious and has been
shown to be airborne. Contamination may persist in the
environment because the darkling beetle may serve as a
reservoir for residual contamination"
I'm new to chickens but I have animal experience and people experience as far as health care goes. I did a lot of research to try and be sure I'd do a good job, while researching a self sustaining protein source I considered worms (including the mealworm), fodder, ladybugs, and crickets. That's when I ran across this information and it has been noted in many places by other universities so forgive me please if this is common knowledge on this thread, but I decided my chickens will NOT be getting mealworms. I was thinking of "deep litter" and that this would be great to work with my new chickens. But I'm growing fodder instead, please consider this information. And if anyone knows of any studies that say different please let me know. Thanks. And here's the link : http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0483/ANR-0483.pdf
- Jan 14, 2014
- 74
- 4
- 37
I read this on a different thread.
"There are lots of species Darkling beetles. The Lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) is a pest of poultry houses (particularly commercial) and can cause great physical damage as well as vectoring a number of viruses, bacteria and worms that are communicable to chickens. It is very different from the Common, or Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) that lots of folks raise to feed their chickens. "
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/699528/darkling-beetles-and-mealworms-are-bad-for-chickens
"There are lots of species Darkling beetles. The Lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) is a pest of poultry houses (particularly commercial) and can cause great physical damage as well as vectoring a number of viruses, bacteria and worms that are communicable to chickens. It is very different from the Common, or Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) that lots of folks raise to feed their chickens. "
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/699528/darkling-beetles-and-mealworms-are-bad-for-chickens
Just for the record, the mealworm referenced in the PDF posted by mamakitty913 is the lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus), which is NOT the one people are feeding their chickens. Thanks for posting this, poetshens.
- Thread starter
- #15
Update: It's been a few months since I started my meal worm colony and I'm excited to report I finally have a beetle! It's the little things.
Update: It's been a few months since I started my meal worm colony and I'm excited to report I finally have a beetle! It's the little things.
I'm so excited for you, Jennifer!
I ordered 5000 thinking it would be a long time before anything happened and w/in a week I can't scoop worms w/o getting a bunch of pupae.
Do you have pictures of your beetles? I'd love to see your success!!!
- Jan 14, 2014
- 74
- 4
- 37
Mine are stacking up in larva stage but I am still waiting for the first beetles to hatch!
- May 24, 2008
- 816
- 18
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In response to Taly's post:
Wonderful
We all try to feed our chickens and pets the highest quality meal worms available. Some people like myself are using all organic bran and veggies for the mealies, so no chemicals involved unlike worms bred by commercial breeders or even overseas.
We have seen the negative impact of dog and/or cat food from China here in the USA at numerous occaisions. So now chemical treated dried meal worms for our poultry, reptiles and others? No thanks. I will keep breeding my own and encourage all BYCers to do the same.
Wonderful
We all try to feed our chickens and pets the highest quality meal worms available. Some people like myself are using all organic bran and veggies for the mealies, so no chemicals involved unlike worms bred by commercial breeders or even overseas.
We have seen the negative impact of dog and/or cat food from China here in the USA at numerous occaisions. So now chemical treated dried meal worms for our poultry, reptiles and others? No thanks. I will keep breeding my own and encourage all BYCers to do the same.
Last edited:
I bought my milworms from fluker farms 9.50 for 1000 large, only $3 shipping.
I really liked how they were packaged but they had no food for the 2 days of shipping.
There were already a few larva in the box
I gave them lettus, carrots, potatoes, apples, celery, oakra. They didn't like the potatoes or carrots but really ate the lettus the best, then the apples and okra. I keep them in a 10 gallon tank with a mesh lid. After 2 weeks almost half had gone to the larva phase. Now I have beetles. Yeah! My chickens eat the dead bettles, and the dead worms when that happens.
I had actually started out with 50 mealworms from Petco for $5. But my daughters got very treat happy with the baby chicks and we were down to 3 left when I placed the order. My intention is to breed until winter and use them to supplement their normal spring- fall bug foraging.
Keeping mealworms is as easy or hard as you want to make it. I actually has a middle school science teacher hand me a plastic 6"x4" container with 25 mealworms in it and very little oatmeal. I left them in my classroom never once opening the container all year. My students would bring it to me to show me the beetles or the baby worms. We never added more food or gave them water. They survived, and reproduced many times over the year and were still alive and going 9 months later when I let them free outside. At the time I had no idea what to do with them. I've since read up on them and treat this colony much better, I feed them lettus daily for moisture and they have a wide variety of grains and oats in the cage. I'm just amazed at how easy they are to keep alive.
I really liked how they were packaged but they had no food for the 2 days of shipping.
There were already a few larva in the box
I gave them lettus, carrots, potatoes, apples, celery, oakra. They didn't like the potatoes or carrots but really ate the lettus the best, then the apples and okra. I keep them in a 10 gallon tank with a mesh lid. After 2 weeks almost half had gone to the larva phase. Now I have beetles. Yeah! My chickens eat the dead bettles, and the dead worms when that happens.
I had actually started out with 50 mealworms from Petco for $5. But my daughters got very treat happy with the baby chicks and we were down to 3 left when I placed the order. My intention is to breed until winter and use them to supplement their normal spring- fall bug foraging.
Keeping mealworms is as easy or hard as you want to make it. I actually has a middle school science teacher hand me a plastic 6"x4" container with 25 mealworms in it and very little oatmeal. I left them in my classroom never once opening the container all year. My students would bring it to me to show me the beetles or the baby worms. We never added more food or gave them water. They survived, and reproduced many times over the year and were still alive and going 9 months later when I let them free outside. At the time I had no idea what to do with them. I've since read up on them and treat this colony much better, I feed them lettus daily for moisture and they have a wide variety of grains and oats in the cage. I'm just amazed at how easy they are to keep alive.
- Feb 13, 2014
- 69
- 1
- 41
Mealworms for sale check out my ad
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