Trouble raising meal worms

[Jacquie Button]

Yes, that's my plan is to wait a bit for more beetles and them sift the wheat bran and separate that to see if eggs hatch. They say to keep the bedding/food for a couple weeks to make sure you got all the eggs or worms by that point. I have only had mine for about a month so I'm still experimenting.

 

[farmerbrowne]

Yes, that's my plan is to wait a bit for more beetles and them sift the wheat bran and separate that to see if eggs hatch. They say to keep the bedding/food for a couple weeks to make sure you got all the eggs or worms by that point. I have only had mine for about a month so I'm still experimenting.

Please keep me updated on your progress. Pm me even!

 

[tigger19687]

Do you all use Oatmeal AND Wheat bran ?

i have both so I was going to do both in the bin. Wheat bran around here is more $$$

 

[farmerbrowne]

Do you all use Oatmeal AND Wheat bran ?

i have both so I was going to do both in the bin. Wheat bran around here is more $$$

I bought wheat bran but I think I will grind up quick oats after as the expensive wheat bran

 

[Jacquie Button]

Hello again, ok so when I first bought the worms I didn't have any wheat bran. Soooo.... I bought some oats (oatmeal) and a box of bran cereal ( just the cheapest I could get) I didn't grind it or bake it. They seemed fine. It was hard to tell the worms from the cereal! Then of course as we all obviously do here is read read read! I had ordered some wheat bran that was for meal worms and when it came in I forgot about the baking part... so far I have caught 3 moths in there. So now I baked the cereal, oats and wheat bran. I am trying to see what mix they like best, lol! I talk to my worms to I also give them carrots, celery, kale, apples and potatoes. I have even tried just a bit of used coffee grounds (dried and wet) but just a little. I put cut little pieces of newspaper and egg carton on top of them as well. One thing I learned...I bought a bag that you would use to put your delicates in when washing thinking I could use that for the net or mesh to keep the moths out. The worms went crazy for it and I had them crawling all over my laundry room!
That is a pic of when I first set up my worms.

 

[tigger19687]

I baked my Quick oatmeal and Wheat Bran. 2,000 medium mealies came today.
Dear god they stink ! I thought they would be all dead.
Company is not the greatest I think, but did refund me 1/2 the money.

They must have been Starving ! I gave them 2 small purple potatoes cut into 4 pieces. They are almost GONE ! Good thing I checked on them just now.
I ran down stairs and cut up 20, length wise, baby carrots. All you can see in there is moving veggies

I feel bad for them.

I just ordered a crap load more from a different vendor on Amazon. Hope they don't smell like these ! They will be here Saturday


What do you all feed yours ?

 

[Jacquie Button]

Wow! See I don't think they should stink, maybe because mine were local? Also it could be they need to get rid of bad stuff? I feed mine lots of things. They seem to like potatoes and carrots the best. Do you have empty toilet paper rolls or egg cartons?

 

[tigger19687]

Yup, got TP rolls and part of an egg carton in there plus some thick packing paper folded over and put on top. I heard they like to be covered.

The only good thing about my 1st shipment is that it came with a Beetle

I will be keeping the 2 shipments separate in case these ones are not so good.
Plus I have think hens right now so I don't mind giving a bunch of these if it will fatten them up

 

[Jacquie Button]

I have tried to separate the stages. In fact today I got out my sifter to try to get most worms out so in a couple of days I can remove anything moving , lol! Then let that rest and see what emerges. Do you have a netting to put over your container?

 

[tigger19687]

No net yet. It is a deep container so i am not worried about anything getting OUT. It is on a shelf bottom.
Going to try One box breeding with a big box and then a small box inside just for the beetles.

I am still Winging it and studying