Mealworms farming

[Granny368W]

Some of my pupae look dead, are they supposed to just sit there real still? I really have a bunch of them now... Rae

 

[lovemealworms]

Some of my pupae look dead, are they supposed to just sit there real still? I really have a bunch of them now... Rae

unless they are disturbed they tend to just lay there being boring. Think like a butterfly cocoon they are inside there changing into a beetle. Some will die instead of making it through the metamorphosis if their fat reserves were too low or if a larvae bit them. I just leave them all in there, the dead ones just dry up. No problem for the rest of them. Glad to hear you got a bunch.

 

[Granny368W]

unless they are disturbed they tend to just lay there being boring. Think like a butterfly cocoon they are inside there changing into a beetle. Some will die instead of making it through the metamorphosis if their fat reserves were too low or if a larvae bit them. I just leave them all in there, the dead ones just dry up. No problem for the rest of them. Glad to hear you got a bunch.

Thank you so much! I just pick them out every so often...it doesn't look like I have a lot of worms.... So I'm not feeding them any worms for a bit... How long does it take the eggs to hatch into worms once the beetle lay them? There are a lot of sheds in my drawer... I'm thinking that I should clean it out this week end...

 

[lovemealworms]

Thank you so much! I just pick them out every so often...it doesn't look like I have a lot of worms.... So I'm not feeding them any worms for a bit... How long does it take the eggs to hatch into worms once the beetle lay them? There are a lot of sheds in my drawer... I'm thinking that I should clean it out this week end...

the eggs hatch between 6 and 14 days after being laid. Dont worry about sheds, they dont do anything negative to them. I just blow them off to one corner if i need to see the larvae better. If you want them gone anyways. You can blow them off to a corner and pick up the whole pile and toss them.

 

[Granny368W]

the eggs hatch between 6 and 14 days after being laid. Dont worry about sheds, they dont do anything negative to them. I just blow them off to one corner if i need to see the larvae better. If you want them gone anyways. You can blow them off to a corner and pick up the whole pile and toss them.

Thank you so much, I don't have a beetle yet... but I keep looking....This is exciting, waiting for beetles...

 

[808mom_of10]

Finally! Somebody who shares my worm excitement! I'm excited, too! I do have my worries growing pretty good, but now, with all the new good advice I'm getting, I'm gonna get them healthy, happy, and multiplying!!

 

[Granny368W]

Finally! Somebody who shares my worm excitement!  I'm excited, too!  I do have my worries growing pretty good, but now, with all the new good advice I'm getting, I'm gonna get them healthy, happy, and multiplying!! 

I know!! Each day I pick through my worms to get the pupae out... I have a whole bowl full of pupae!! It's been 8 days now and I still don't have a beetle.... BUT, today when I was going through my worms, I found 3 tiny baby worms!! Where did those come from? Maybe there were a few eggs in the worms I ordered from Rainbow Mealworms... Rae

 

[808mom_of10]

Same thing happened to me! When I first got them, I took all the worms out, and I had, what I thought, was just frass and junk. Lucky thing I didn't toss it! After about a week, I saw teeny tiny worms in there! Only thing is, now I'm too scared to toss anything! ~Sandi

 

[Granny368W]

Same thing happened to me!  When I first got them, I took all the worms out, and I had, what I thought, was just frass and junk.  Lucky thing I didn't toss it!  After about a week, I saw teeny tiny worms in there!  Only thing is, now I'm too scared to toss anything!  ~Sandi

Well lovemealworms told me to put the pupaes in something all by themselves because they are going to turn into beetles, then the beetles will lay eggs... I guess I need to see what a beetle looks like... I have a drawer all set up ready for the beetles when they get here...I put baby Carrots in for their moisture and they love them... this is the first time I've had mealworms.... Rae

 

[808mom_of10]

I haven't separated any of mine yet, but I got some other drawers (more drawers) that I will move them into this weekend. I have never raised mealworms until now, so It's all new to me. I use potatoes and carrots, too. They go through them so fast! How fast do you add veggies? I have to figure out how to post pics, then I can show my worms.