Breeding and Maintaining Mealworms....Part Deux

[packer43064]

Oats, bran, anything like that. I'll blend it a bit though with a blender, so I can sieve through the mealworms when their substrate is pretty much all feces.

 

[baseballman1321]

hm nice idea

 

[ScatMan]

Oats, bran, anything like that. I'll blend it a bit though with a blender, so I can sieve through the mealworms when their substrate is pretty much all feces.

i did this for a few years when i was breeding geckos.

the cheapest thing to feed mealies is chicken feed. you can get it in crumbles or pellets and it's easy to sift large mealies out of. it's about $10 for a (i think) 40lb bag, a lot cheaper and more nutritionally balanced than cereal. i prefer the pellets because it's easy to tell when it's all been eaten and turned into dust (poop) and you know you're not throwing out good food with the poop.

toss in any fruit/veggie scraps and thats all you need! not too much or they get moldy.

i also kept the poop in a separate bin for about a month to give any tiny mealies/eggs that were still in there a chance to grow so i could pull em out too.

i've actually had them breed without giving them any moisture or veg at all, only chicken feed. i don't know how they got moisture but they did, and multiplied (though not nearly as fast as with water).

good luck!

 

[biohazardcustomz]

im breeding meal worms too. i am using a stacking bin container with a lid for the top one. ive had tons turn to their cocoon like stage but none turn to beatles yet. how long does that take?

 

[packer43064]

i did this for a few years when i was breeding geckos.

the cheapest thing to feed mealies is chicken feed. you can get it in crumbles or pellets and it's easy to sift large mealies out of. it's about $10 for a (i think) 40lb bag, a lot cheaper and more nutritionally balanced than cereal. i prefer the pellets because it's easy to tell when it's all been eaten and turned into dust (poop) and you know you're not throwing out good food with the poop.

toss in any fruit/veggie scraps and thats all you need! not too much or they get moldy.

i also kept the poop in a separate bin for about a month to give any tiny mealies/eggs that were still in there a chance to grow so i could pull em out too.

i've actually had them breed without giving them any moisture or veg at all, only chicken feed. i don't know how they got moisture but they did, and multiplied (though not nearly as fast as with water).

good luck!

Hmmm, I've heard of people doing this before. It would be major cost effective compared to pretty much anything else. Where do you get this.....feed stores? Non-medicated right? I was just going to buy some oats and whatnot at Costco or the like, this should prove to be much cheaper. Thanks! I've heard of saving the substrate when you change their tub just in case for eggs...I'll do that.

im breeding meal worms too. i am using a stacking bin container with a lid for the top one. ive had tons turn to their cocoon like stage but none turn to beatles yet. how long does that take?

7-14 days on average from "alien" stage to beetle. If it's colder it'll be forever it seems but if it's in a reptile room or a warm room it'll be 7-10 days. All depends on temperature. Pics?

 

[Cybercyde]

You have those thoughts of just crashing into into random objects too with a vehicle?!?!?!?! I would never to my Mustang, but I've wanted to just ram a grocery cart before.....just sayin.

I've "nudged" a few things in my current winter car, though it's a lot of steel with a solid front bumper and quarters that need new metal anyhow. I keep imagining a smart car bouncing away like a soccer ball.

Hmmm, I've heard of people doing this before. It would be major cost effective compared to pretty much anything else. Where do you get this.....feed stores? Non-medicated right?

Tractor Supply Co. or any other local feed store. Quite a few home brewers go to places like that for bulk grains / molasses / etc.

 

[ScatMan]

Hmmm, I've heard of people doing this before. It would be major cost effective compared to pretty much anything else. Where do you get this.....feed stores? Non-medicated right? I was just going to buy some oats and whatnot at Costco or the like, this should prove to be much cheaper. Thanks! I've heard of saving the substrate when you change their tub just in case for eggs...I'll do that.

i got it from agway and from a bird breeded near me. you can probably find it at any farm supply place.

they sell an "egg layer" pellet that is what i used because it has extra calcium for my reptiles.

 

[packer43064]

Well I got the tubs, none were broken....Thanks Fedex guy.
Here's some pics.

As for now the rigged up piece of shelving and some metal crate is holding the 2 layers up on the top 2 sections. I'll get some cheap wood and get my dad to cut it to size and spray paint it black, but for now this will do. The top 8 will be for mealworms since I have more and the bottom 4 for superworms.

Their 7 inches deep so I can put a good 4 inches in there of food for them which will mean I can have ALOT of mealworms per tub.

 

[packer43064]

I've "nudged" a few things in my current winter car, though it's a lot of steel with a solid front bumper and quarters that need new metal anyhow. I keep imagining a smart car bouncing away like a soccer ball.



Tractor Supply Co. or any other local feed store. Quite a few home brewers go to places like that for bulk grains / molasses / etc.

We have Tractor Supply Co. around here, I'll stop by there.

i got it from agway and from a bird breeded near me. you can probably find it at any farm supply place.

they sell an "egg layer" pellet that is what i used because it has extra calcium for my reptiles.

Will do, I'll get the pellets.

 

[baseballman1321]

i have a ton layer pellets in my chicken coop so if i start breeding them ill just feed them