FINCHforum

okay..... I checked on my little mealworm farm today and YUK!

I think things are happening, but I am a little dense and am not sure what to expect next. The worms are wiggling around in there and I can see the skins of worms. I also think I saw a beetle or two.....

Two questions......In what order does this happen?
How do I get the mealworms out? How do I seperate them from the substrate?

I am sure there must be an easy way since when I order them there is never any in with the worms.

Sorry for the crazy questions.... I am learning.....

Good Q Donna. I'll be watching this thread with interest ... and horror

As the mealworms grow, they shed their skins. All these skins will accumulate on the top of the substrate. You can blow them off outside. When it is very windy, I take the drawers outside and the wind takes care of all those skins. The worms are white when they first shed the skin, and that is when the finches like them best, as then they are nice and soft.

Eventually, the worms turn into pupae, sort of cream colored things that look dead, but if you touch them, they will wiggle. From that stage, they turn into beetles. The beetles lay eggs, the eggs turn into mealworms, and the cycle is on again.

Some people lay a few sheets of newspaper on top of the substrate, and the worms collect there. I just scoop out a big bunch of substrate, and sieve it thru a fine strainer--just keep shaking it till most of the substrate falls thru. The tiniest of worms will also fall thru, so don't throw this out, just add it back into your drawer.

The best way to do the beetles is to put them in a clean drawer with fresh substrate, so they can lay their eggs in this substrate. Then, when the beetles die off, leave that drawer to rest for a while. One day, you will notice the whole substrate seems to be moving--you have worms!!

I give the drawers that have beetles or mealworms some raw potato--just slice a small potato in half. They will eat this up.

Also, you will notice that as the substrate gets used up, you will see a slightly darker, very fine material--that is mealworm poop! Wonder if that would make a good fertilizer, like earthworm poop?

Oh boy, well you have to realize I was a tomboy as a young girl and I do love to fish and don't mind baiting my own hook.....
I just reach into the bedding and grab a handful......I pick the worms out with the other hand...keeping a keen eye out for the white ones, though my birds will eat them at any stage. Not too long ago I fed a pupae stage that was just formed (the color being more white than tan) and the birds went nuts over them, I also put the dead beetle bodies out in the goldbreast eggfood tray and they ate those too
Those meal worms don't bite, just wiggle and they actually feel kind of neat in your hands..........
I do put my final dumping in the compost bin.....nothing like worm poop to grow organically

dfcauley wrote:okay..... I checked on my little mealworm farm today and YUK!

I think things are happening, but I am a little dense and am not sure what to expect next. The worms are wiggling around in there and I can see the skins of worms. I also think I saw a beetle or two.....

Two questions......In what order does this happen?
How do I get the mealworms out? How do I seperate them from the substrate?

I am sure there must be an easy way since when I order them there is never any in with the worms.

Sorry for the crazy questions.... I am learning.....

Good question Donna, was wondering the same thing.

Well thank you so much for that information. I was wondering what the process would be.....

I am not too much into this kind of thing, but I am trying.

Actually it is kindof interesting and I am thinking of doing this in my science area next year for the boys.

They would love it!!!

The boys would love it.... but so would the girl tomboys
As a kid my Mom never new what kind of bug, snake, turtle, etc. I would bring home. My favorite science project was from the fitfh grade where I collected bugs and mounted them on board..... I got stung collecting a saddle back catterpilar...... I made sure I brought it home so my Mom could see what stung me. My hand swelled rapidly and she called the poison control center and that is how we found out what it was...... he was a real beauty, It was comparable to a wasp sting. No this did not deter me from bugs....... really the only kind I can't stand is a roach.
I am glad you are beginning to think of these little meal worms as more than something gross

I am certainly gettting better.

The first time I order worms, I took the package down to my son's house (He lives right behind me) I made him open the box because I was so afraid to He said "Mom, do you think they are going to come flying out and attack you?"

I said I would never harvest and now I am trying to do so I guess it is a matter of how much we love our little birdies. I get great joy seeing them gobble up these worms. My courdons know what time they are coming and they wait. It was terrible sad one time when I was out, and could not order any due to shortage of them at the time. Now hopefully, I will not run out of them for a while.

ewwwwwwwwwww.

dido!I gave some to my cordons that i got couple weeks ago,and while i was standing looking in another cage i heard something hit some plastic behind me.Turned around and it was a worm still wiggling that one of them flicked out of the cage I'm just really glad it didn't land on me.

What will you do with the mealworm farm inbetween breeding seasons? Do you keep it going for maybe ~3 months when the birds may not eat any or not nearly as many?

Just saw this site about mealworms they take awhile to have to feed
http://www.sialis.org/raisingmealworms.htm

If you want the breeding and development of the meal worms to stop all you have to do is put them in the refridgerator. Since they are dormant you can put them in much closer 'living' accomadations. Just put them in a clean container with air holes and a little bran bedding and they will lie dormant until you bring them back out to warmer temps.

If you have Bluebirds in your area, they love mealworms! Actually, there are quite a few wild birds that will relish the mealworms, so you don't have to worry about having too many.

i keep my breeding colonies going all year so that i can produce as many as possible cause i would go throught at least 2kg a month during the breeding season. i do still have to buy a few though but least i dont have to buy as many. at the moment i have got 6 colonies going at different stages and am going to increase it to another 2 -3 colonies soon. instead of using potato you can use carrots too that is what i use and normally half a decent size carrot will be gone i 2-3 days completly.
thanks chris