I was trying to raise my own mealworms, followed all the directions, but the weather wasn't helping, it just wasn't warming up here. Low 70s so my worms were sleeping, I put them on top of the fridge for warmth but it really wasn't helping, new fridge.. nicely insulated. Then we had a week of 90s+ and now it's been in the very nice low 80s. My dh pulled it down yesterday..
It's full of black bugs!!! YIPEE!!!! I am a Mealworm farmer!!!
Question: Their apple is about spent.. do the bugs need fresh apple? Or do I wait for new worms to be born?
I am so excited... hehe bugs.. whoda thunk it!
Are mealworms livestock?
I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but I'd like to hear more. Did you get a kit or how did you get started? My chickens Loooove dried mealworms, we'd like to try raising our own for the chicken treats and for fishing.
Tell me more!
First you get a tiny barn and a really little electric fence.......
:0) I have managed to get them to the beetle stage before--what then? What do the beetles eat? How do you get them to reproduce? Maybe I should google this. Does anyone feed their chickens crickets?
why not lakeside.. it's chicken feed.. and I do have a barn for them..hehe will have to get on the other computer to post it though... no electric fence.. but I'm sure I could rig something up if it's called for...
but really now.. which would be the correct forum?
And I happen to know (why, I don't know) that Tamara is a mealworm or such farmer.. so she should be here soon with ALL the answers..
What do our black bugs want for dinner tf?
sure fran, i f guinea pigs are... there is a vermiposting forum, but i haven't been there yet...
cat, we used to catch grasshoppers for them, but the guineas get them first now LOL.
actually fran, i have not done mealworms, YET... wiating on catscan to google, but i am guessing if you put out some mouse traps...
yukkkkk
now thats gross...
I am going to have to look up the meaning of vermiposting, I assumed it was composting with worms.. I want to grow them for feed not compost with them.
What kind of bugs are you growing tf?
flies...
well, the compost woul dbe a nice side beneift. i've always wanted to vermipost. just haven't wanted to shell out the bucks to get started... where did you get your mealworms, and how much were they? could be a great for me to toss to anyone who is penned up, or for wintertime treats...
I bought 35 at the pet store for $3.99, according to the online instructions.. I should have 5000 in 3 months.. lol
I haven't figured what it cost me.. but
I bought a plastic shoe box dh put in a screen in the lid (tight fitting lid)
1 jar of wheat germ ($5.)
3x layer feed (3xthe wheat germ)
1/2 apple
3 paper lunch bags
So looking at it.. probably did end up spending $15ish dollars. I hate adding things up.
But..
pet store= just under .12 each
raised = .003 not even a half a cent apiece and one batch should last me all winter!
Okay--I am on it! tf--vermiposting costs almost nothing. Just go to the bait shop and ask for Red Wigglers (the Cadillac of Worms). You have to use these because they are manure as opposed to earthworms. Just build your bin (or buy a plastic bin and drill holes in it) fill it with damp shredded newspaper start putting in table scraps (no meat) and add worms. There is a bit more to rotating them--but it is very easy. My chickens just found the bin and hang around waiting for some poor worm to try to escape. Very low eeeewwwww factor!
low ewwww sounds good! DH will want to know WHERE, he really wants the dining room cleared out so he can do the floors, walls, ceiling, and we can eat in there again.... i will start looking for a place. maybe that cornere int he poultry shed....
Men are so funny about dining rooms etc. I like to eat on the bed--DH the non-comformist is strangely disturbed by not eating at a table with chairs. Go figure!
Just keep them out of direct sunlight--when they overheat they try to escape by going out over the top. The newspaper is supposed to be damp like a wrung out sponge.
very funny, jylgaskin!
OK, I googled it and found this:
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/reptiles/ht/mealworms.htm
We'll have to give it a try!
Thanks.
PS Frans, your apple info is there.
The city were I live subsidizes vermicomposting. I got a super fancy bin with all the bells a wistles for $30 (it even has a spigot for the worm juice). Check on-line for those sort of deals before you decide to build one yourself. I keep my worm bin in the pantry so I can easily put the garbage there, or grab a chicken snack on my way out. It doesn't take up much space, never smells, my plants love it, and the worms never escape. I highly recommend it.
Myrrh
I had mine in my office at work at first. It never smelled, but one day I put in too many coffee grounds, it overheated, and I had worms escaping over the side like commandos. My colleagues were more understanding than I expected.
You are so lucky Myrrh! I wish someone would subsidize my worm bins:0)
I can just see the little commandos with their helmets. The way my bin is set up they can't actually escape even if they want too. I'm kind of jealous of the bin at work though. I tried to float the concept of a community bin at work, but it didn't go over so well.