Mealworms, so confused! Questions added post 5.

[heybarb]

As a science teacher I used to keep meal worms in my classroom. They are very, very easy to keep. I always used cornmeal - from the grocery aisle - so super simple.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Okay, no pine, use grain, but how do I separate their poo from the bedding? I was planning on using this method for them so that we can use their poo for the garden and keep the bin reasonably clean from poo https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/571630/mealworms (post #7). I also figure it'll be maximum produnction, and if I don't like it I can always try keep the entire colony together.

Do I need to have newspaper/brown sacks on top of everything? Are the bugs happier if they have someplace like that? We are planning on putting them in plastic totes (is clear ok or do they need it to be a solid color?) on top of plastic shelving systems, so we can keep them in the garage in warmer weather and in the house during winter. I have no idea how easy or hard it is to roll oats, can they eat just whole oats that I've grown? If I grow a variety such as corn, oats, and wheat and put all that in as their bedding, would that be ok?

The reason I want to get these so "right" is because I'm going to try and grow my own chicken food, and these are part of that plan.

You don't have to separate their poo from the bedding---at least not that often and really only if you want to or when too much substrate has accumulated. I'm guessing that I've only cleaned the colony below about 5-6 times in the last 20+ years. I normally just remove the dried and uneaten vegetable bits and add more material to the top. When I do get around to cleaning out the colony, I'll pull off the top active layer (which area is active will be obvious), put it aside, empty the bottom layer out and add the top layer back. The good thing about mealworms is they are as hands-off or involved as you want to make them. They do just fine for me without frequent cleaning. If you have the time and the need for the fertilizer, then it might be worth it to you.

They will like something on the surface to climb on and under, but it's not necessary. You can use cardboard, cardboard egg cartons, newspaper, paper towel rolls, etc. The totes can be clear or solid, they won't mind the color. I find it easier to use glass aquaria because I can immediately see into the layers of wheat bran and know if there is a moisture problem.

I understand your desire to grow everything for your mealworms and chickens, but I'd consider splurging on a bag of wheat bran from your local feed store. I think it is the best substrate for a variety of reasons. You could add in your whole grains to that if you want. My concern with using only the grains that you grow is that you might have difficulties with smaller larvae being able to eat them. It might be worth trying a subset though to see if they are able. If there are enough fine bits, it might not be a problem.

If you haven't already found it, here's an excellent thread on raising mealworms.

 

[la dee da]

Can I feed some of our egg shells to the mealworms if I feel they need more calcium?

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Yes!

 

[la dee da]

Oh wow, ok so I won't worry about cleaning it (yay!). So, what exactly IS wheat bran? We do have a blender so we can grind up the grains that we grow if needed. I will start with wheat bran, I think, and go from there. I'll try the subset and see if they can eat the whole grains.

 

[hangartnerchix]

I started out small at the beginning of Feb with 100 mealworms. I wanted to give it a try, without risking more teensy lives than necessary, and also get my husband used to the idea of raising worms/bugs inside the house. It's completely sane, Honey, honest! EVERYONE'S doing it!!!

I keep them in a Cool Whip container with holes punched in the top. I originally had them in Quaker Oats (I had some on hand), and I also threw in a piece of carrot. After a few weeks, I noticed that the carrot was causing mold to form on some of the oats. I increased the size of the vent holes, replaced the carrot, and picked out the moldy bits of oats. However, that didn't solve the mold problem. I was out of oats, so I used corn meal (also on hand). The worms/bugs seem just as happy in the corn meal as they were in the oats.

The only thing I noticed was that the adult bugs have a harder time moving around on the meal. They tend to get turned over and flail their wee legs in the air in a most pathetic manner. I felt bad about that, so I put in some small pieces of newspaper so they would have something stouter to crawl on. I've been thinking of trying some rice next (uncooked). So far, they don't seem very picky. I check on my herd every other day or so. Takes about a minute.

Eventually, I know I'll need to get something bigger, but the Cool Whip container is plenty of space for them right now. Whatever I do next, I'm going to have some sort of open mesh top. I'm thinking that will really help with the ventilation.

 

[Tivona]

So, what exactly IS wheat bran?

Here is are links showing pictures of different parts of the wheat kernel. Also how bran is nutritionally

http://www.conejobread.com/wheat_kernel.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bran