Mealie worms

[TortMad]

Does any one breed their own mealies for food?

Have you any advice for a total novice starting out?

Is it as easy as they make out?

and roughly how long does the breeding cycle take and what is the life expectancy of the beetles?

Thanks

[Rowan]

Hi Lea!

I breed my own meal worms, if this what you mean it couldn't be easier to breed!! I get the bran from a local windmill rather than buying on line as it is soooooooooooo much cheaper and I give both th worms and the beetles slices of potatoe for moisture. That's it!

The beetles seem to last forever and I end up with loads.

If you need some info let me know.

I've been doing this for about 2 years and feed the wild birds in our garden with them. I have a wild Robin that will now feed from our hands and a Thrush that will bring her babies every year to feed on the worms within inches of our feet!

Rowan

[TortMad]

Thanks Rowan thats great

I intend to have my colony on porridge oats, as that is what I keep my worms in currently. With an egg tray and some stale bread and feed them with healthy food like carrot, cabbage etc, twice a week. For both moisture and to gut load them.

I presume it is ok to keep the beetles in the same tub as the worms or do I have to seperate them?

[Rowan]

Hi,

I have 3 plastic containers. 2 of which stack on top of each other, I use clothes pegs on the corners of the bottom one so that there is airflow to the eggs/worms.

The top tray has the beetles in and this tray has holes drilled in the bottom. This allows the eggs to drop through to the container underneath. When the eggs have hathched I tip them into another container where the worms grow.

I find it easier to have them seperate as getting the worms out from ammongst the beetles is impossible with them crawling everywhere!!!

I give mine carrot peelings and slices of old bread too.

Thanks

Row

[NATURALIS]

What sort of temprature is best for breeding them.

[Rowan]

This is gonna sound really gross!! I keep mine in the kitchen......... It's not that odd is it????

They're just on top of the freezer in the corner so I'm guussing room temp is fine.

Row

[rolleyparnell]

here my favourite quote.. PICTURES???

I thinking of doing the same..

[Tortlover]

I breed my own too as having 10 hogs and holidaying some too I need quite a lot

It does take a while....but is definately worth it as then you know exactly what they have been fed etc...

I have a write up on how to do it...let me know if you would like me to PM you I put it together as a guide for my forum

[rolleyparnell]

yes please! along with pictures??

[Tortlover]

Here is my guide for anyone that wants it

What you will need

1. A suitable container- an icecream tub or small plastic storage box (you do not need to use a lid on it)

2. A few bits of egg boxes or toilet rolls.

3. A piece of stale bread.

4. The food for the mealies.

5. A box of shop bought mealworms (or more if you can cope with all the babies)

6. Plenty of patience.


How to make the mealworm food

Luckily mealworms will eat almost anything. You will want to make sure they are healthy and nutricious as you will be feeding them to your hog (and other pets).

What you use is up to you but make sure it is dry and that they can live in it too.
I would suggest using a base of porridge oats, to this add some very cheap dog biscuits (the cheaper the better as cheap ones have a higher grain content) plus anything else you can find in the cupboard- cornflakes, Ryvita, weetabix, dried fruit, mueseli etc.

To this add a sprinkling of vitamin powder like Nutrobal or break open a multi vitamin tablet and use that. Then add a sprinkle of calcium powder- cuttlebone is a good source of this if crushed.

Now add about an inch of this to the bottom of your tub. No more as the babies can suffocate under it.


Setting up your breeding colony

Now you have put the food/substrate in the tub you can add the bits of egg box or toilet roll tubes. Not too many though. 2 of the lumpy things that the eggs go in, sat one on top of the other. the beetles will live on here. Then put in the stale bread- this is an egg laying site for the beetles so place it on the top of the mix.
Do not remove the bread- it can stay there forever. You may need to add more as that piece gets eaten

Now chuck a box of mealies in there and wait....if you want to speed it up a bit then heat them to around 30c.


Moisture/water

You do not want much moisture as you will get mites and then have to destroy your colony.
Put in a few sticks of carrot or celery twice a week for a day then remove what hasnt been eaten to avoid a build up of moisture.


Maintaining your mealie farm

Once you have set it up you will need to be very patient as it will take a good few months to start seeing babies.

Once they reach a good size for what you need start to use them

Dont forget to top up the food/substrate so they have plenty to eat.

Once you see the farm is thriving (after several months) you may want to split it into another tub.

Dont use all the mealies up in the farm as then you will have none to continue the cycle

Hope this helps