Questions about raising Meal Worms

[Liamm_1]

does anyone know if they'll eat onions for moisture?
I have a lot of extras

 

[Liamm_1]

Quote:
Moisture is essential to a mealworm colony, infact, the veggies/fruit you provide will make up 40% of their diet if you do it often. It will also make them healthier to eat.

With constant feedings, good heat, and other things, mine go from egg to beetle in 2 1/2 months. The beetles often live up to 1 1/2 to 2 months after that.

I've tried carrots, potatoes, celery, apples. Only once did I see a carrot that appeared to have been eaten, but only slightly

 

[chuckzoo]

I found this excerpt on moisture; "Too little moisture slows growth and reduces size. Too much can produce mold. If larvae are provided with dry food, they can survive and produce one generation a year. If they are provided moisture, they will undergo six generations per year and will be fatter.

 

[chuckzoo]

Quote:
Probably the reason your babies lived for those two months is that they were getting their moisture from dead beatles.

That's probably their source of moisture in nature.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

I cut up a pie pumpkin for my chickens and gave 1/2 of it to the mealworms today. Will see how they like it. I finally have baby worms and dead beetles. I'm using chick starter as their bedding.

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

Quote:
Moisture is essential to a mealworm colony, infact, the veggies/fruit you provide will make up 40% of their diet if you do it often. It will also make them healthier to eat.

With constant feedings, good heat, and other things, mine go from egg to beetle in 2 1/2 months. The beetles often live up to 1 1/2 to 2 months after that.

I've tried carrots, potatoes, celery, apples. Only once did I see a carrot that appeared to have been eaten, but only slightly

You have mutant mealworms then.

I've been breeding several colonies for awhile, mostly for my herps I've had over the years. None of them waste time when veggies/fruit is added, within 5 minutes it just a writhing mass of beetles and mealworms! And I give them the stuff almost everyday! Of course they will fill up eventually, I just have too much. (Also, I use chicken layer as bedding. It's probably higher in protein and the calcium is good for hens!)

 

[DianeS]

Beginner question about mealworms - what do the eggs LOOK like? I've had my mealworm farm for a couple months now, all the worms are now beetles and have been for a while, but I don't think I see any eggs. Unless, of course, I don't know what to look for which is ENTIRELY possible.

 

[jjthink]

I have never seen the eggs (tiny!) but eventually teeny tiny worms will appear.

Re: the above question about onions, I have never heard of that being a viable choice. Apples and carrots work great and each goes a long way if you put in slices every day or two. (I'm sure some of the other suggestions in this thread work great too).

JJ

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

Quote:
They actually, aren't THAT small. After more than a year of breeding them I just discovered what the eggs look like a couple months ago. A CLEAR glass or plastic container is needed. When you have that, and breeding beetles, you should see plenty of egg-laying at the bottom. The eggs look like little beans with no curves, about 1.5 mms or so.

 

[chuckzoo]

Boo-Boo's Mama :

I cut up a pie pumpkin for my chickens and gave 1/2 of it to the mealworms today. Will see how they like it. I finally have baby worms and dead beetles. I'm using chick starter as their bedding.

Well, did they eat it?

Here is some more info I found on what to feed them;

• "Add a chunk of cabbage, raw potato (half a potato, or a chunk about 1"x3"), a slice of bread (which the mealworms will also eat), romaine lettuce, kale (high in calcium and inexpensive), yam (also nutritious) or apple slices (1/4 of an apple is enough for 1,000 mealworms, once or twice a week - I find apples get moldy too quickly). Some people use celery (e.g., bottom end of bunch), broccoli stems, carrots (grated carrots on a plastic lid), banana peels, or asparagus chunks. Cabbage leaves do not get as moldy as some other choices. Cover cabbage etc., with a cloth to keep it from drying out if you use a heat lamp. A crust of bread (replaced when dry) can also be laid face down on the bedding. You may wish to wash/peel vegetables first to prevent the introduction of pesticides.
• Place potato/apple slices cut side up, even with top of bedding. By putting the skin side down, you keep the bedding/dry food from getting too moist.
• Try kiwi skin with about 15% of fruit still in it (after scooping out the rest with a spoon for your own enjoyment). A.M. Prendergast found that it made mealworms grow about 3 times fatter and 30% longer in just 2-3 weeks versus wheat bran alone. The worms also use the skin as a "cave" as it dried and curls up.
• To make them easier to replace (every 2-3 days or weekly), put vegetable on a little plastic lid, tinfoil pie plate or a piece of cardboard, or stick a toothpick in it. Replace immediately if mold appears."​