mealworms...we got our 1st beetles!!!

[ShaggysGirl]

I got my mealworms less than a month ago on Ebay. I got 5000. I was so busy the last week I didn't check on them now and I was very surprised to find many are now white( larva? ) and we have several beetles already!
If you would of told me a year ago I would be growing worms and excited about finding beetles in my basement I would of told ya you were nuts

I have 1 large storage tub and one of the plastic three drawers things with worms in each and now in a second three drawer unit I have started putting the beetles and white worms/ larva... (what are they? ) in there so I can tell if we get new worms from them.

DH thinks I'm nuts.. lol

Hoping I am doing this right and we get a lot of worms for the chicks.

Who else is doing mealworms for the first time?

 

[werecatrising]

Cool! Congrats!

I started mine over the weekend. Hope they do as well as yours.

 

[sillybirds]

Congratulations on your beetles. It took me about 4-6 weeks from the time I got beetles until I had tiny barely visible worms.

Those initially whitish, C-shaped, alien looking things that the larvae morph into are called pupae.

 

[DonnaBelle]

I am really wanting to do this, got some info off about.com on how to do it, sounds simple.

Thanks for your post, I'm going to get some mealworms when I go to town (Muskogee) next week.

DonnaBelle

 

[ShaggysGirl]

Quote:
Pupae huh... Thanks

Good luck with your worms. Crossing fingers for baby worms soon.

 

[chickenwing225]

what are you useing the meal worms for?

 

[ShaggysGirl]

Quote:
My chickens go nuts for them. They are their #1 treat.

 

[NancyBrew]

1000 meal worms gads!

I only have 8 chickens can you do this on a smaller scale?

I do have a nice tub I am not using and read the post , but the sheer number you need is daunting.

Anyone have reccomendations for a small flock?

My girls do love their worms though...


Nancy

 

[briteday]

I started small by buying 100 meal worms at the pet store...and you just do everything the same way. When we acquired more chickens I just stopped feeding the meal worms and let them multiply.

 

[vermontgal]

I started even smaller with buying 50 mealworms at the local pet store, and have been raising them inside a plastic shoebox. I keep my house cool in the winter - too cool for mealworms, apparently, so it took 4 months to go from mealworms to beetles, and only now am I starting to get real quantity. I'm planning to increase production before winter, though. I'm only harvesting a few mealworms because I want LOTS. (for three chickens)