What am I doing wrong--no eggs from my beetles??!

[cjatthefarm]

My beetles are different 'ages' because an egg customer gave me some to get me started, and some I had came from the worms themselves.

Anyway! I don't ave any eggs from these beetles, and many of them are 2 months old.

I put the heat bulb on them almost from the start after reading they needed warmth. I placed a towel between the red bulb & the shelves they live in to create darkness......

I even read one person saying they needed humidity---so I put a dish of water in with them.....

Still--no eggs! HELP! Please!

 

[202roosterlane]

They have a thread on here I have been following for mine. I hope this helps. These guys really know about meal worms.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/492636/mealworm-farming/0_20

 

[cjatthefarm]

.........gee, thanks.........

I'd hope to express the fact that I had searched the info.........

I had hoped to post this in the meal worm topic to get feedback on what I was doing not doing ...................

oh well

 

[202roosterlane]

Your heat lamp may be too much. But I am not sure of how you have it placed. I can tell you it is not an exact science. Everyone does it slightly different. I know this sounds odd, but I have mine in a closet not being used for anything else. I did this because it was too cold in the garage and I did not want to run ANOTHER heat lamp. I have two going for chicks now. I honestly have never seen an egg. And I thought my first few months nothing was happening. But then out of the blue a beetle explosion. I only check on them every two weeks. More if I think about it for fresh fruit.


Someone else may have some suggestions but honestly I had about 10 living beetles when they came in the mail. Now I must have a few hundred. When I run my hand carefully and turn the oats over there are swarms of them. I do rotate the potato's, fruit slices and bread but other than that, they sit in my dark closet and do what they do best. For humidity I have bread inside a zip lock baggie for them. I hope this helps some.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Hope you're not doing what I did...thought I was cleaning the box by dumping out all the small dust at the bottom of the container. Discovered later that THAT'S where all the babies were!

 

[202roosterlane]

I have left my powder in there and try not to disturb the oats too much. I am afraid I will mess up the eggs. That's when my husband said, " Just stick them in the closet. Yup it worked.

 

[galanie]

And as for no eggs, you just can't see them. They are TINY and look like part of the other dusty stuff.

 

[cjatthefarm]

Thanks ALL!!

I took the heat lamp off! They seemed to have slowed their movements some.

I haven't cleaned out anything; 'cept the dried up potatoes & carrots.

So, I thought in 2 months time, approximately, something--should be squirming around in there.....

Maybe I am just being impatient ......

I want these to multiply soooo much so my girls can chow down!!

Thanks everyone for 'talking' to me.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I think you should start seeing very tiny larvae any day now. As our temps increase, you should see an explosion of activity.