Starting a meal worm farm

[ChickenCanoe]

I raised them for a while but a friend continues to do so and she says the temperature is important for fast production. She said they slow down when it's cool unless you put them by a heat register. Ideal temperature is between 75 and 100 F.

 

[cmarlowdrive]

I want to start my own mealworm farm but purchased Giant Mealworms not realizing that the do not go through the different stages and the Giant Mealworm beetle is sterile.

Has anyone else heard of this? What size do I need to purchase to start a mealworm farm?

Newby

 

[R_Chickens]

I'd really like to see more details on this subject

We changed the layout of our coop recently and will have some room inside the coop for feed. We have electricity on the outside and a frost free water hydrant close (soon to be connected to water supply).

We're thinking about starting a meal worm farm- as long as it doesn't require much tending.

We travel occasionally and our elderly grandparents tend the chickens while we're gone. Don't want them to have to worry about the meal worms.

Wouldn't mind having some for fishing, too

What do you think? Cost and time effective?

 

[paneubert]

I'd really like to see more details on this subject

Welcome to 836 pages on the subject.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/492636/mealworm-farming

 

[darleneflynn7]

I started a meal worm farm last year and began by buying 500 from a pet store. However NONE turned into Beatles and I found that was because they spray them to prevent them from morphing into Beatles. I then bought 500 from a organic meal worm farm and had luck. If you wanted to get a jump start, I have a lot of pupae that will turn into Beatles and begin laying eggs soon.

 

[darleneflynn7]

I made my meal worm farm out of a three drawer plastic container and I cut out the top drawers bottom and then attached a 1/8 metal screen by using a hot glue gun. The pupae and beetles go in the top and when they lay eggs on the cardboard egg cartons I open the middle drawer and turn over the broken up egg carton and tap them and the eggs fall threw the screen into the middle drawer where they turn into mealworms. I found that if you place the meal worm farm on top of a heated seed mat, or heated pet mat and also put a zip lock with a damp sponge inside to increase humidity that you will have greater success