Questions about raising Meal Worms

[knjinnm]

Boo-Boo's Mama :

Quote:

....I have 5 rabbits on my front enclosed porch at the moment waiting for my husband to get the rabbitery built. Last Spring I had 22 chicks in brooders on that porch. It faces south and has windows on two sides. Previous Springs I used it as a greenhouse to start my tomatoes and other plants for the garden...that is until we rescued 3 feral kittens who just love to dig the plants out of the lil pots!!

Enclosed front porch is a whole lot different than the dining room. My spouse says no way Jose.

Joe​

 

[knjinnm]

Quote:
Rather than oyster shells add finely ground egg shells.

Joe

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

Quote:
Problem is it is the front door to our house so visitors have a funny reaction to whatever I have living/growing on the porch at the time.

I tell people since I'm officially into my 'senior years' that I'm having my 'second childhood' with animals/plants/etc. I never got to have during my 'first childhood'.

 

[vmdanielsen]

Quote:
Way to go! I like it!! So, If you have company, do THEY get a little meal worm guacamole? maybe for dessert, a little key lime mealworms?

I have a sister that won't eat at my house because I put "weird" things in my food. When I get my mealworms up and running, I just think that they will be sitting on the table next to HER!!! Where did you get the bins?
Ginny

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
Rather than oyster shells add finely ground egg shells.

Joe

Interesting idea. Here's a link to a study with data using oyster shells: http://www.jstor.org/pss/20096040

 

[believer01]

Fess up, please - where have you all bought your mealworms from to get started with?

 

[gmendoza]

I use chicken laying mash as their bedding/food. Im on year 3 with that stuff.It works fine.

Here is a look into my lab/bathroom where I grows me stuff:

This is my mealworm tower.Its those stackables you can find at wallymart. They are only 3" deep and work fine.

Here are my worms( one tray). I use paper towels that I spray water on every day for moisture.

Here are some Darkling beatles in a tray:

for separating pupae I use al ond plastic terrarium i found at the goodwill store for a buckas you can see its on my favorite seat!

I like to keep them separate because if there isnt enough moisture,the worms and beatles will feast on pupae:

I bought my mealworms from Flukers Farms

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
My colony is 20 years old. I separated it off from another colony that was equally as old. Lots of places sell them online, back in the day when we used extremely large quantities, we'd buy them from Fluker Farms (http://www.flukerfarms.com/mealworms-live.aspx).

gmendoza, I'm curious, why do you separate the pupae?

 

[gmendoza]

Quote:
My colony is 20 years old. I separated it off from another colony that was equally as old. Lots of places sell them online, back in the day when we used extremely large quantities, we'd buy them from Fluker Farms (http://www.flukerfarms.com/mealworms-live.aspx).

gmendoza, I'm curious, why do you separate the pupae?

1. To monitor growth rate.
2. To make sure the worms and beatles dont eat them.
3. Its pretty cool to see them develope.

 

[key west chick]

I bought my drawer thingy at Target. And I started out with a small container of regular mealworms from Petsmart. I also use either layer crumbles or non medicated chick starter as the bedding. I need to separate some of the beetles out now. Its getting kinda crowded in one of the drawers. And we dont eat at that table in case anyone was wondering. We have another one in another room that we use. Its just warmer in this room so I keep the farm on this table. And the Brinsea when its running!