Meal worm Breeding

[Jenni]

I am well underway with my meal worm breading cycle. I....

1. Purchased a kids 3 draw cabinet from Masters $ 14.98
2. Purchased 500 mini meal worms from https://www.martynsmealworms.com.au
Worms $7.95
Express Postage $ 9.99 (mmmm)
3. Bought some Oats $2.00
4. Carrots (haven't got my own growing yet) $2.00

Total Cost = $36.92

Meal worms arrived and alive and well. I did the express post as suggested on their website because they come from Victoria. I probably should have purchased the bigger version to quicken the breeding process.
They also sent a sample pack of dried meal worms which the birds absolutely love. So recommend them to anyone for a long lasting meal treat...

So I have had the worms for over a month now and I have one pupa. Worms can take 30 - 90 days before the change. Pupa can take 10 days before becoming a beetle.

The Pupa are such alien looking things...

 

[Mark]

This is great Jenni!

So now that you have this starter batch it should become self sustaining is that right? About how many beatles do you need to grow enough worms?

It's fantastic that breeding meal worms can be done in a 15 buck plastic draw cabinet

 

[Jenni]

Yeah it will be sustaining if I stop feeding them to the quail and get the cycle going..... LOL

I gave some to the little ones the other day and it was the funniest thing. First they were scared and ran away. The look on their face was hilarious.. The stood up really tall and tilted their head and you could see them thinking "WHAT THE" Then they got game and the fight was on. One would pick up a meal worm and run around and around their box while the others took chase.. I wish I video taped it...

About how many beatles do you need to grow enough worms?

Not a great deal. From what I gather 1 beetle can lay 100's of eggs but I think I want about 1000 beetles which should give plenty of stock for the quail and the local birds.

Cheap to do. All I need is about 3 carrots a week and a bag of oats each month I think... But will keep you posted on that.

 

[Mark]

Not a great deal. From what I gather 1 beetle can lay 100's of eggs but I think I want about 1000 beetles which should give plenty of stock for the quail and the local birds.

Cheap to do. All I need is about 3 carrots a week and a bag of oats each month I think... But will keep you posted on that.

Awesome! I've seen and heard a little about mealworm breeding but never new anyone actually doing it - that's a really clever and cost effective way to grow protein for poultry.

I checked out the website and it looks pretty good plus the prices seem reasonable. Dehydrated mealworms has to be a winner - like doggie snax for quail

Hey, why do they say on their website not to feed in sub-zero temperatures - "Never feed mealworms at sub-zero temperatures".?

 

[Tim C]

Top stuff Jenni!! If you ever get an excess you may be able to get ' em breeding outside in a pile/compost heap?

I suppose the mealworms get stuck in their throat at sub-zero temps???
Schmackos for quails! I wonder if you can train your quails to sit and roll over with them?

 

[Jenni]

"Never feed mealworms at sub-zero temperatures".?

I am not sure.

 

[Jenni]

Well we have had a run overnight on the pupa aliens... Only another 993 to go. Lol...

 

[Tim C]

Looks like they might breed all right. You probably didn't need the bigger batch, after all.
Wonder how they'd go fried in some butter with herbs and garlic???

 

[Jenni]

Yes you can eat them. They are considered the future of sustainable protein for humans. Although I am not sure what you need to do to make them ok for human consumption. I only feed them carrots and oats so wouldn't think that would be an issue. I could probably eat a cooked one but might struggle with a live wriggling one..

I found this info on how to do it... https://groundtoground.org/2013/01/30/how-prepare-eat-mealworms/. It says you can even flavour them.. MM wonder if chocolate would work... LOL

 

[Tim C]

They probably taste like witchety grubs, which taste like cashew nuts when cooked. After reading that link, yours are already "purged", and would be fit for the pan straight up- probably just butter, and then a sprinkle of salt. The oats/carrots would mean they would be nutty!

 

[Jenni]

I will give you an update if I get game and try it...

 

[Tim C]

Long, thin chocolate-coated peanuts............or feed 'em corn......-pop-worms!

 

[Mark]

Nooooooooooooooooooo...

 

[Jenni]

We have a beetle.

 

[Tim C]

Congratulations! He/she might be a bit too crunchy for a snack. Hopefully it's a good breeder.

 

[Mark]

Fantastic! Now you are a mealworm breeder!

 

[Letsgokate]

Want to keep updated on this too. I had bought some dried meals works from Marty of eBay (same prices) for the chooks and they loveeeeeeeeeeeee them. Not sure how I would go feeding them wriggling ones in my hand. I have a worm farm but they are not to feed the chooks, they are to eat left overs and provide goof compost and fertilizer.

Had wondered about how hard it would be breeding meals worms, so will follow your progress with interest. Is that all they eat? Will the beetles fly away? Do you give them water? and what were the toilet rolls for?

 

[Jenni]

Meal worm breeding is going well.... Just taking a while.. the quail were way quicker....

dried meals

Yeah they do love them a lot. Helps give the birds variety in their food too.

Is that all they eat? Will the beetles fly away? Do you give them water? and what were the toilet rolls for?

They will eat bran as well as carrots. potatos, cabbage that I now of. I have only tried them on the oats, carrots and cabbage. They much prefer the carrots. I also like oats as it is easier to clean out the substrate (their poo) and keep the remaining food. If you get anything too fine it can be difficult to clean although its easier sieve out the mealworms to give to the birds.

The beetles don't seem to fly and if you have them in a slippery surface container they can't get out.

No water. They get moisture from what they eat. The moisture component of their food is carrots. They love them.

The toilet rolls are to keep the carrots of the oats so the oats don't go moldy and the beetles and mealworms seem to love to hide in or under them.

 

[Jenni]

Its taken a few weeks but most of the mealworms have turned into beetles. Just a few left.

I suggest though anyone wanting to get this going themselves purchase a few thousand meal worms to get you going. Because I have been trying to build up stocks I haven't been able to feed the birds any.

Next stage I am waiting on is lots of eggs hatching supposed to be 7 to 10 days. I am waiting for the oats to move with wigglies, then I will move the beetles into another draw so they don't eat the babies and to limit loss. (Although I haven't seen any one eating anyone yet.. Maybe one of those internet firfies. But I will follow the process anyhow till my numbers are up then experiment.

 

[Mark]

So you can see the eggs?