Mealworm Sources?

[Anianna]

I want a temporary source of meal worms while my chickies are young to bribe them to come to me and perhaps for the occasional treat as they get older. I live between two large rivers and went to the bait shops, but nobody here carries meal worms. I don't particularly want to raise my own nor do I want a lot of them. Is there anywhere I can get a few meal worms? Do pet shops carry them?

 

[fishman65]

pet shops usually carry them. they also sell live and freeze dried (great shelf life) on e-bay for a very reasonable price. The live ones from e-bay usually come packaged for the refrigerator and can last quite a while, a couple of month so you can treat a couple of hatches. Also try walmart fishing section and pet section.

 

[Anianna]

Thanks a bunch.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Petsmart or any of those pet stores, internet, sometimes Lowes and Walmart carry them. I've found its cheaper to order them online in bulk then to buy them at the pet store.

 

[mkearsley]

I bought about 20 at the local Walmart in the fishing section, where they sell earthworms, & crickets. I have also seen them at the larger pet stores, since people feed them to their reptiles.

 

[aggie9296]

A few mealworms will not last very long! Once the chicknes find out you have them, they will gobble them up. 20 worms will last 5 seconds.

You can get the freeze dried ones here at Kmart and Walmart in the bird food section. Live ones at the pet stores or on Ebay. You can keep 1000 in a pint container for months in the fridge. I got 1000 for 17$ with shipping on Ebay. They have smaller amounts too.

 

[GiddyMoon]

They are a natural protein source..think about it..what do free range chickens do all day? Look for bugs, worms, grass, etc...you may want to rethink the occasional thing and there is a guy on ebay selling 2000 for a total of $13, including shipping. Raising them is very, very easy and you will always have a free high quality protein source for them.

 

[Anianna]

I get that raising them is easy. For some reason, they make me squeamish, so much so that I don't want to think about even freeze dried ones in my freezer with my food. I think it harkens back to the day when I was a kid and first learning to make biscuits and the flour was full of meal worms. I was just totally freaked out. I don't mind bugs and I'm planning to raise redworms and when there is a mouse in the house I am the one that grabs it and throws it out to the cats, but I just can't handle meal worms anywhere near anything I intend to eat or even in the house at all. I know it's irrational, but I just can't seem to get past it.

Maybe I will get a minifridge for the barn. For now, I don't want enough to have to store.

 

[monsterkx500]

Check out Walmart. I know my walmart sell them.

 

[GiddyMoon]

Quote:
I learned a long time ago that the best way to get past something is to just do it..and replace the bad memory with a good one. I have no doubt that you will have great memories watching your chickens go crazy for worms..replace the bad with the good...been there..don't let the lil worms win