Breeding mealworms for food...

[dmarcus]

Sorry for the bad picture just couldn't get a good one. Anyways, I was about to clean the container that holds the meal worms so I can replace the oats when I noticed a bunch of baby meal worms all over the place. Just when we were about to give up we have success. I put arrows to show the couple that can be seen but there are a lot more of the little guys crawling under the oats... I am so doing the happy dance...

 

[jbean7916]

I can't help you with meal worms, i do recommend the dubia roaches though, they are a breeze to breed, don't smell, and can't climb glass or plastic!!! I breed them for my lizards and sell them on craigslist.

 

[dmarcus]

I can't help you with meal worms, i do recommend the dubia roaches though, they are a breeze to breed, don't smell, and can't climb glass or plastic!!! I breed them for my lizards and sell them on craigslist.

Roaches are a very big no no in my house, my wife is okay with meal worms and the system we found on youtube is actually working very good...

 

[Len B]

I have been raising meal worms for a while and I use Purina layena sunfresh recipe meal as a base with potatoes cut in half with the cut side down.they eat the meal until it turns into a fine powder (that's when you change the base) this way works for me and is low maintenance,and the layena has a good calcium to phosphorus rating which I believe makes the bugs better for what ever you are feeding(i have no proof of this just what I think) I also will give them things like apple,collards,squash,etc along with the potatoes.I prefer to feed the pupa stage and right after they turn into adults, but not always possible because sometimes what I'm feeding is to small for such a large bug. I added a few pics, in these pics they are in 10 gallon aquariums except the third one is a cereal type bowl that has been producing worms since last spring. The first pic is a bunch of pupa's waiting to become adults. Hope this helps,Len

 

[dmarcus]

This is the system we use right now and it works very good to keep the mealworms seperate from the beetles..

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTjv5fek0-s&feature=player_detailpage[/video][hr]

I have been raising meal worms for a while and I use Purina layena sunfresh recipe meal as a base with potatoes cut in half with the cut side down.they eat the meal until it turns into a fine powder (that's when you change the base) this way works for me and is low maintenance,and the layena has a good calcium to phosphorus rating which I believe makes the bugs better for what ever you are feeding(i have no proof of this just what I think) I also will give them things like apple,collards,squash,etc along with the potatoes.I prefer to feed the pupa stage and right after they turn into adults, but not always possible because sometimes what I'm feeding is to small for such a large bug. I added a few pics, in these pics they are in 10 gallon aquariums except the third one is a cereal type bowl that has been producing worms since last spring. The first pic is a bunch of pupa's waiting to become adults. Hope this helps,Len

We use potatoes as well they sure love to burrow in them..

 

[jaizei]

I might have to try that method.

 

[dmarcus]

I might have to try that method.

I was suprised that it worked that good, I do get a few bettles that squeeze through but overall it works..

 

[dmmj]

do the beetles climb?

 

[dmarcus]

do the beetles climb?

They can't climb the plastic which is good because I have a lot of bettles now...

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I was just thinking that they can probably get out if they form a beetle pyramid, lol

 

[CharlieM]

I raised hundreds of mealworms for my finches and finally gave up and went to boiled eggs. The main points to consider is whatever the substrate the worm eats, the tortoise eats. A couple of posts up chicken food was mentioned. That is way more nutritious than bran which can affect the calcium/phosphorous ratio. I also used carrots or apples or kale instead of potatoes for moisture. There are dozens of youtube videos on how to raise them. I also ran into a problem with flour moths living in the substrate and had them everywhere!!!

 

[dmarcus]

I raised hundreds of mealworms for my finches and finally gave up and went to boiled eggs. The main points to consider is whatever the substrate the worm eats, the tortoise eats. A couple of posts up chicken food was mentioned. That is way more nutritious than bran which can affect the calcium/phosphorous ratio. I also used carrots or apples or kale instead of potatoes for moisture. There are dozens of youtube videos on how to raise them. I also ran into a problem with flour moths living in the substrate and had them everywhere!!!

You make some good points, I am not so concerned with the bran because this is not the main diet of my box turtles. I hope that anyone who reads this thread will please remember to feed you turtles or tortoises a varied diet. For me the meal worms make a good substitue are change from the rest of there normal diet.

 

[dmmj]

do the beetles climb?

They can't climb the plastic which is good because I have a lot of bettles now...

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I was just thinking that they can probably get out if they form a beetle pyramid, lol

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If they do form a pyramid it is time to move on.

 

[dmarcus]

do the beetles climb?

They can't climb the plastic which is good because I have a lot of bettles now...

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I was just thinking that they can probably get out if they form a beetle pyramid, lol

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If they do form a pyramid it is time to move on.

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David I think your right on that one...