How to breed mealworms

My chickens love mealworms. In fact, how to breed mealworms, they gobble them up at such an alarming rate that a few years ago I decided it would be more economical for me to try to breed my own. So I found a guy who sold them in bulk and bought a huge box of live ones. I was so excited about this new venture.

This site has limited support for your browser. We recommend switching to Edge, Chrome, Safari, or Firefox. Mealworms are a popular food for many pet reptiles and birds, and they are easy to raise at home Before we tell you how to farm mealworms here is a quick overview about their lifecycle. Mealworms, also known as Tenebrio molitor, are the larvae of the darkling beetle. They go through a complete metamorphosis, meaning they have four distinct stages in their life cycle: egg, larva mealworm , pupa, and adult We have written a in-depth blog, check it out for more info.

How to breed mealworms

The problem for many people is the high cost of maintaining a continuous supply for their garden birds. I have been rearing my own mealworms for years, a real cost-saving practice. However, it must be said that patience is essential as it takes four months or so before your mealworm culture starts to produce a steady and continuous supply of fully grown mealworms. Mealworms are not worms but the larval stage of a beetle. It is the larvae of the Yellow Mealworm Tenebrio molitor that are used widely as food for wild birds, as well as captive birds, reptiles and amphibians. Another less common but similar species, the Dark Mealworm Tenebrio obscura is sometimes used, the larva being somewhat smaller in size. Both species are natives of Europe but have long been distributed worldwide, where they occur in undisturbed damp grain and other cereal products. Mealworms are, however, catholic in their tastes and will also tackle meat scraps and other carrion, feathers and the bodies of dead insects. These are:. Place pieces of sacking, twisted corrugated cardboard, broken -up egg carton or slices of dry bread for the beetles to socialise on. You will now have to wait for several weeks before the pupae are formed and, subsequently, the beetles. It takes a few months to get a really good and productive mealworm farm going, but I enjoy tending my herd of prize beetles.

Do not use wooden containers, as mealworms are able to eat through these.

How to.. We highly recommend setting up a Bug Factory Mealworm Farm. You can purchase one here. Simply the best, easiest and cleanest way to breed mealworms. You will need to source some live mealworms — most local pet shops have them. Alternatively they can be ordered online and sent via the postal system. Put your live mealworms in a base unit provided with our Mealworm growing pods with some substrate — Supermeal is best, but you can use oats or pollard.

Mealworms are the larvae of mealworm beetles and are used as a food source for many different exotic pets. Reptiles , amphibians, sugar gliders , skunks, chickens, hedgehogs , and other animals consider various sizes of mealworms as part of their regular diet, but they don't always contain the nutritional components these pets need because they are often sitting in a store without food for extended periods of time. Additionally, the cost of regularly purchasing live food sources, such as mealworms, can become inconvenient and expensive to pet owners. Thankfully, raising your own mealworms is easy to do and can help you ensure your pet is receiving nutrient-dense food. In order to raise mealworms, you'll need a little bit of space dedicated to housing your mealworm colony. This space should never get too cold, so do not keep your mealworm colony in a garage or basement that will get cold in the winter. Next, supplies and the adult mealworms will need to be purchased, and a couple of months will need to go by before you can start feeding your pet your homegrown mealworms. This means that you will still need to purchase mealworms at the store for at least two months after you set up your mealworm breeding enclosure. You will need this amount of time for your mealworms to grow. This project won't take up much of your time to start, but once it is set up, you'll need to be patient.

How to breed mealworms

Mealworms are a very tasty, nutritious treat for your pet, but can get very pricey buying at your local pet store. Instead, why not learn how to breed mealworms at home? Breeding your own mealworm farm is simple to do, inexpensive and can provide a never ending food supply for your pet. Feel free to jump ahead, by clicking any of the links below. It will take you right to the section that you are interested in learning more about. As a pet owner, we want to keep them happy and healthy. Some pets, such as geckos, bearded dragons and lizards require protein in their daily diet to survive. Others, such as chickens and ducks, need the increased protein found in mealworms during times of stress or just as an occasional treat.

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Start a new batch: Once you have harvested the mealworms, you can start a new batch by adding more mealworms to the container and repeating the process. Some species of birds, such as chickens, ducks, and finches, also enjoy eating mealworms. Inside the cocoon, the larvae transform into pupae, which are non-feeding and inactive. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Buy mealworms. Within a couple of weeks, you will start to see beetles emerge from the pupae. This all depends on how warm your climate is and how mature the mealworms you started with were. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Feed the mealworms to your pets. Transformation into the pupal stage can take anywhere from a week to a couple of months. Mealworms feed on grains and cereals, and that's what you'll need to use as substrate. Mealworms are actually darkling beetles in the larval stage, so breeding them involves allowing the beetles to mature and reproduce. Darkling beetles can't fly, but a lid is a safety precaution that you should have.

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Previous Post Next Post. I've been feeding the wildlife in my garden for years, and after a recent visit to my local vet with an injured magpie, I was told that magpies thrive on mealworms. I prefer carrot, as it takes the longest to go off. Put your live mealworms in a drawer or tray with some ground-up grains — oatmeal or pollard work best. Alyssa Weaver Jun 22, I put them on a thin substrate of pollard. Categories: Worms. Breeding Mealworms How to.. Beetles can survive any length of time up to a few months and will continue to lay eggs during this time. Mealworms Mealworms are an increasingly popular food for birds, now often provided throughout the year, but particularly during the breeding season.