raising mealworms-update 6/1

mike · Post by **mike** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 7:33 pm

Hi, I'm new here and this is my first post. I used to keep and breed geckos up until last year and I've raised many many mealworms during my time.

It's actually very easy and it doesn't have to be complicated. But you will have to wait a couple months before you can harvest solely from your mealworm colony.

1) You need any plastic container like a tote or a sweater box from Walmart.
2) Head to the bulk food store and get yourself a few full bags of bran meal. Bran meal is so cheap, I was so surprised the first time I bought it. I think I filled the entire box for under $5.
3) Add about 3000 mealworms. You can get them for very cheap from any reptile insect supplier.
4) Place your vegetable scraps or carrots/apples into a small dish and place it on top of the bran. You can place your vegetables directly on the bran if you want but this can lead to mould if there isn't entire circulation.
5) Leave the pupae, beetles, everything in the box and let them do whatever they want. The eggs settle to bottom of the container and this is where you will find all the little hatchling mealworms (which are too small anyway).
6) After the first set of beetles appear, you will be able to harvest your worms without a second thought. Before then, you probably only want to take out a few worms a week for feeding your birds.
7) Top up the bran when necessary.

If you set up two colonies, you can harvest from one at a time. As one starts to seem depleted, you move to the other and by the time the second is depleted, the first is ready to be harvested again. Also, I find that if you don't disturb a colony it produces more.

Some warnings.
1) This method is hassle-free but it does results in lots and lots of beetle carapaces on the surface of the bran (along with mealworm skins). Since I never cared much about how the mealworms looked, the dead beetles didn't bug me but it bugs some people (no pun intended).
2) Watching 3000+ mealworms feeding on a carrot is so absolutely freaky (or gross, depending on how you feel). I used to love scooping the mass in my hand and feeling all the little mealies wiggle in my hands.
3) The dust produced by the mealworms eating the bran meal (both chewed bran and mealie poo) can be quite nasty to breathe. As an alternative, you can use an inedible substrate such as wood shavings or pellets, perhaps recycled newsprint cat litter. It just means you'll have to be more careful to feed the mealworms regularly.
4) If you don't feed the colony with protein regularly, the beetles will eat the pupae. You counter this by adding flaked fish food along with the vegetables.

Also remember that what your mealworms eat goes directly into your birds so a diet of high calcium green such as kale, etc. will be much better for you birds than just plain old table scraps. Some people go so far as to use powdered milk and all sorts of other stuff. If you treat mealworms like little pets, they make much beet food for your birds.

What I would feed: a mix of different cereals, fish food, high calcium vegetables. Avoid high water vegetables like melon, cucumber, etc. because these lead to mould and also avoid citrus.

I hope that was a little helpful.

B CAMP · Post by **B CAMP** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 7:44 pm

Mike
Welcome to the forum what kind of birds do have

Have you checked out the http://www.finchinfo.com/index.php

mike · Post by **mike** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 7:54 pm

B CAMP wrote:Mike
Welcome to the forum what kind of birds do have
Have you checked out the http://www.finchinfo.com/index.php

Hi Bill. I don't have any birds. I saw some owl finches at Petsmart today and that got me interested, so here I am

I haven't checked out the link yet but I will now! Thanks for the welcome!

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 8:01 pm

Thanks Mike for that great information. I am trying to get up the courage to do this. The beetles are what freaks me out. Don't mind the worms.

Welcome to the forum. Owls are such great little finches. I have a pair and I love them.

mike · Post by **mike** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 8:47 pm

Mealworms are very easy to breed and although I've never known anyone to fail at it, the worst that will happen is you will lose your $10 worth of bugs. I hate the beetles too but they make the eggs ;) In fact if you keep the container closed, you never even have to see the insects.

Instead of breeding them you may also try buying your worms in lots of 1000 and just keeping them cool (in a cellar, in the fridge) and just using what you need. A lot of 1000 can cost as low as $8 and this will save you a lot of money. Insect breeders for the reptile trade are everywhere. They are great places to get your mealworms or other insects.

As for me and the owl finches, I'm not really ready to get them just yet and I'm sure by the time I'm ready, they will be sold. I'm also not sure if Petsmart is considered a decent place to buy birds. I know with some other animals there seem to be some concerns. To be honest, though, Petsmart has some great prices and the animal cages are always so clean. The animals look good, too, but I don't know if they are old breeders someone dropped off or if they are healthy young adults. I don't really know how Petsmart picks their bird suppliers. I can't seem to locate any owl breeders in Ontario, Canada but I'm sure they will turn up after I've been here a while. Sorry to hijack your thread

CandoAviary · Post by **CandoAviary** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 9:13 pm

I bought a small container of meal worms from a fish store..... 2 years later I have thousands..... I have a different method. I came upon this method out of frustration of the years of raising, smelly worms as I called them... only to get sick of them and tossing them. I knew I could come up with a better way...... I could not find bran easily and it got smelly so quickly anyway. Now I buy bran flakes from the grocery store (vitamin fortified regular cereal) I semi crush the flakes and put 3 inches into plastic show containers.... I use to punch holes in the top but now leave the tops off because the plastic sides are too slippery for the bettles to get out ( you can look at the beetles as black ladybugs .... they are quite harmless and cute in their own way).
I add high protein dog kibble to the box for protien. I seldom add fruit because I have found that this is what causes the odor....along with damp poop. I provide moisture with sponges. I get 100% cellulose sponges (sea sponges work well to) just make sure that you don't use synthetic materials. I wet the sponges then squeeze most of the water out and lay the sponges on the top. The worms crawl onto the sponges to drink. They will eventually eat the sponges too, that is why you need to use natural sponges.
I have tried many different ways over the years and find this to be the most convient, cheapest, healthiest and highest producing ways.
When the first box get full of worms, I add a new setup and put mature worms in it to pupate, become bettles and start a new batch. I usually have 3 shoeboxes going and I keep them in my bird room on a shelf. I water the sponges as I water the birds. Once a box get broken down and is mostly poop...... I gather tons of worms and add to the other boxes and then I dump it out in the yard and watch the wild birds have a picnic. I have carolina wrens here that watch for that event and are always the first to grab the worms, Also I have seen the anoles scavage the bran mound too. You to Cando this !!!

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:46 pm

That is great information! I think I Cando this! I am going to attempt it.

What are you calling 'shoeboxes"? I that the plastic boxes?

CandoAviary · Post by **CandoAviary** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:05 pm

Yes they are plastic... they are for storing shoes.. I get them at K-Mart for cheap......

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:49 am

I've got beetles!!!! YUK......

Now what comes next? I still cannot believe I am doing this, but.....

it is really important now because my painted finches are building a nest!!!

I am soooo excited about this. And from what I hear they love mealies while breeding and feeding.

lovemyfinch · Post by **lovemyfinch** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:14 am

Well I guess that means that up until now you've done everything right. I've thought about starting one, but am still waiting on your final results. Don't much care for the idea of having these in the house. It get's way to cold in the winter to keep them outside in the shed.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:55 am

Off Topic -

mike wrote:As for me and the owl finches, I'm not really ready to get them just yet and I'm sure by the time I'm ready, they will be sold. I can't seem to locate any owl breeders in Ontario, Canada but I'm sure they will turn up after I've been here a while. Sorry to hijack your thread

Let me know when you are ready for Owl Finches, Mike! I just happen to know a very good breeder... my daughter!

On Topic -
I too have been considering raising these disgusting things since I have 5,000 in my fridge!

Do you really have to pick out the dead beetles??

B CAMP · Post by **B CAMP** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:15 pm

Donna
What is going on with your mealworms are they growing yet I might have to start raising my own also I just got A order in today and they were almost all dead because of the heat,birds are going to be very dissapointed.

MLaRue · Post by **MLaRue** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 11:42 pm

Donna,

Who do you get your worms from now? Hey - grow enough for us both.

I can't stand the smell of them. I've tried growing them twice and just couldn't live with the stink.

I might try how Candace does it though, really no smell?

CandoAviary · Post by **CandoAviary** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 12:32 am

The trick to no smell is keeping the bedding dry and no rotting fruit,potatoe, etc. As of late I have been putting the damp sponges on top of a piece of cardbord that lays on top of the bran. Keeps everything even dryer. After 6 months or so the first batch is pretty old..I simply dump and continue on with the newer, fresher batches. I buy new cereral, and start a new container that has been cleaned well. All I smell is the bran flakes ... lately I have been substituting Rowdy Bush kibble and Zupreem fruit pellets in place of the dry dog food.......smells fruity

and I figure with the worms eating that then the birds will get good nutrition.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 6:14 am

MLaRue wrote:Donna,

Who do you get your worms from now? Hey - grow enough for us both.

I can't stand the smell of them. I've tried growing them twice and just couldn't live with the stink.

I might try how Candace does it though, really no smell?

I have been ordering them from nyworms. But the ones I am harvesting appear to be doing GREAT. I have them in my husband's shop and I use the sponge like Caydance suggested. It doesn't appear to smell, but I do have them in an open area.

There is lots of activity and tons of beetles. I keep looking for worms, but I am scared of those beetles.

I am sure there are some down there. Have to get my hubby to check this weekend.

Misty, I will be happy to share with you.