Questions about raising Meal Worms

[jjthink]

That would be Darkling Beetle

JJ

 

[vmdanielsen]

Thanks guys!

 

[chrisarvor]

I have had 4 boxes going since my first beetle hatch 20 November
and i have just feeding them with carrot an potatoes etc
so yesterday i thought i would take all the beetles out into anew substrate of chicken starter mix
as i was getting the beetle out the substrate was moving,,, alive with baby mealworms
bloody amazing 4 boxes all got babies , good fun these birds

if i put some in cooler place would they develop slower??
as i dont want them all to be full size at the same time

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
Yes, that would work. Be careful that they don't get too cold though.

 

[chrisarvor]

i did buy dried mealworms before
But can you freeze them anybody tried that

 

[captwalker]

So glad I found this thread. You guys have done all the leg work for me. I'm going to get started on this ASAP.

 

[vmdanielsen]

I have to say, I thought it would be a little weird, but it is no weirder than growing kefir or other things. I've just gotten used to it. I have not fed any to the birds yet though. I'd thought I should have a nice full drawer of fresh homegrown, first!!

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

My box of large worms has lots of pupae every day now. I've put 40 to 50 in the beetle box in the last week. Cool to find one that is shedding his worm skin. Found a new beetle in the large worm box...missed that pupae.

I found small worms in my beetle box so I screened that box and put all the frass and bedding in a new box to protect any eggs/baby worms. Then put the beetles and pupae back in their box with new bedding of Flock Raiser. Now have 4 large sweater boxes of meal worms in various stages of growth. Never realized how much fun it would be to grow worms!

My chickens were fed 500 worms a month or so ago when I 'gassed' a container when I put a slice of bread in with them and put a tight fitting lid on. Won't do that again!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Hi every one, I'm not sure if this is a Meal Worm thread or just 1 question but anyway. I got some meal worms ages ago and it took them a while to get started finally they turned into cocoons and then into beetles, it took forever so i put the meal worms away and kind of forgot about them after a few weeks i remembered about them, they where thriving and there where a heap of baby meallies i fed them and they grew now they have started to morph back into cocoons again so I'm asking with 4 months to go before Winter should i collect some meallies now to freeze or let them all go through another cycle?

 

[vmdanielsen]

Hi every one, I'm not sure if this is a Meal Worm thread or just 1 question but anyway. I got some meal worms ages ago and it took them a while to get started finally they turned into cocoons and then into beetles, it took forever so i put the meal worms away and kind of forgot about them after a few weeks i remembered about them, they where thriving and there where a heap of baby meallies i fed them and they grew now they have started to morph back into cocoons again so I'm asking with 4 months to go before Winter should i collect some meallies now to freeze or let them all go through another cycle?

I never freeze mine. I always feed fresh. I would pull out the new adults and start another bin. I would then feed the worms to the chickens now. Mostly it depends on how many mealworms you want to maintain.