what do you do with the beetles?

[squeek61]

I am new to this worm raising thing. What am I suppose to do with the beetles>

Thanks

 

[RileyCalanchini]

Are you breeding meal worms? If so, you can feed the beetles to your chickens. They will love it.

 

[subhanalah]

Put them in a container with bedding and a moisture source and let them mate and lay eggs

 

[squeek61]

Thank you..........I was thinking I would do thar

 

[squeek61]

Won't they just continue to multiply in the worms?

 

[squeek61]

Yes, meal worms.

 

[subhanalah]

They can eat the eggs and small larva if they get too overcrowded, it's better to separate out the beetles as they come and then after some time, move them again and leave the old container for a while so the eggs can hatch and the larva can grow.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

You can just leave the beetles in the colony to reproduce. Cannibalism is extremely low in this species. Even under extremely high population densities, you'd never miss the small number that were eaten.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

You can just leave the beetles in the colony to reproduce. Cannibalism is extremely low in this species. Even under extremely high population densities, you'd never miss the small number that were eaten.

That is good to know as I am loathe to moving the beetles--they creep me out! I've had beetles for at least a month now, when can I start looking for little bitty worms? What do they look like and where are they likely found? Under wheat germ, on top of veggies, etc? Thanks.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote: It will feel like an eternity, but you should start seeing them in a month. Spoon some wheat bran onto a sheet of paper and look closely, they will look just like the older larvae, but tiny. You can find them anywhere in the colony, but they'll spend most of their time in the first top inch of the bran.