AJuff Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 I read somewhere that someone had bred their own mealworms????? Can't find the thead now! Do they need heat, can they be grown/bred in a greenhouse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluckbok Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Sorry don't know where thread is, but that sounds interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Tilytinkle Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Oh i had that somewhere as i asked the question as my hubby wanted to grow them .. will have a look through the profile bit, although i dont know how to do a link .. ooops Ms Tilly'shusbandneverdidgrowhisownmealwormshopefullyhe'sforgotten Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokbokbok Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 I grew my own for quite a while for the wild birds in the garden. I got my kit from Wiggly Wrigglers. I did it in the house (in what is now the dining room) and would recommend the greenhouse! I don't recall them having to have any heat - no. Gas Masks yes. But you may be made of stronger stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted July 2, 2008 Author Share Posted July 2, 2008 I found it!!! The breed your own mealworm kit is available from Wiggly Wigglers for £8.50. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted July 2, 2008 Author Share Posted July 2, 2008 I grew my own for quite a while for the wild birds in the garden. I got my kit from Wiggly Wrigglers. I did it in the house (in what is now the dining room) and would recommend the greenhouse! I don't recall them having to have any heat - no. Gas Masks yes. But you may be made of stronger stuff! Why would I need to be made of strong stuff???????? Is it an awful thing to do? Smell? (Can't smell as bad as nettle compost soup!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokbokbok Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Yes, am guessing you have smelled worse than I had at that stage. It was a littttle overwhelming for next-to-the-kitchen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 I do! But I don't think I posted it on here - perhaps someone else has. I don't get many though. The first year was the best, so I think I am probably not giving them all the relative needs for prolific breeding. You need to allow some worms to pupate. Remove them from the other worms because they are into cannibalism. When they become beetles they are pale brown, fawny cream colour and then a reddy brown and finally black. I usually put them in a large biccie box with bran (from Holland and Barrett) with Weetabix (did try Tesco's value, but that is not really very good). I usually have about 100 beetles or so. Every now and again they need to be checked to remove any dead ones (which can be replaced by any more pupae, or nowadays I grab a few larger worms in a little ice cream tub and allow them to pupate). After a while - usually when I see something very small moving in the bran, I move the beetles onto another biscuit box, so that the worms can grow. I have 4 large boxes in rotation now. The first small worm box doesn't get cleaned out very much as they tend to drop through the sieve. The next box I take out larger worms (still quite small though) and put them in the third. As the worms get bigger they make more little poos, and so must be cleaned out. This I have to do with a face mask and now swimming goggles because I am allergic and end up sneezing my head off! They get potato peelings and carrot peelings now and again, and apples, but not too much at a time because they can wet the bran and then it will smell - particularly the Tesco's weetabix stuff which goes horrible mouldy - Weetabix proper doesn't seem to do that. Oh, and some beetles play possum - pretend to be dead, and I then have to rescue them from the bottom of the plastic rubbish bag because I can hear them scrabbling around! The poo is a great snail/slug deterrent, and so the waste is put around plants and veg that need a little protection. Worms that are ready to pupate will not move much and lie on their side in a "C" shape. Some worms seem to die from being unable to get out of their old skins, similarly pupae can have the same problems, but when they are successful they look rather funny wiggling their little legs around in an effort to remove the old shell. Occasionally you might find a wierd shaped pupa - I think they may be some sort of mutation, and have usually died in this stage. I have never had a beetle from these. I keep mine in the utility room, on the draining board and on the window ledge. I have read somewhere that heat aids beetles in the mating process - hence they are in the bottom box on the draining board above the tumble drier. They are very randy little things! Actually it is rather a pallaver - I am just used to my routine now, so it is easy for me. Sadly the blackbirds scoff the worms quicker than I can breed them - haven't given them to the hens yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 PS My worms do not smell at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Yep I agree with Koojie. It's dead easy and they don't smell at all if you keep them ventilated and keep the bran dry. We keep ours in the kitchen and feed them every couple of days, mostly with cut up grapes but also broccoli, apple, peelings etc. At first we weren't getting a great return but now we have loads of worms to feed the chooks, robins, blackbird etc. Once you get going tt's much cheaper than buying them live or dried. I personally don't find it a faff to do but then I find beetles and insects and wiggly things quite interesting. I do spend a disproportionate amount of time righting the beetles that are lying on their backs waving their legs in the air because I can't bear to watch them struggle! However, you don't have to do this as sooner or later another beetle will scurry past and they'll catch on to them and right themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Lydia wrote: I do spend a disproportionate amount of time righting the beetles that are lying on their backs waving their legs in the air because I can't bear to watch them struggle! You too then! I always felt sorry for them just running around on the bran, that was when I added the Weetabix and turned it into an adventure playground - a mini Stonehenge! And then I put an upside down eggbox in for good measure - they like the odd bit of cardboard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I think I'll just stick to the dried ones....!!! you are all much braver than me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 So would they breed in a hot greenhouse? Or would that be too hot and kill them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Might be too hot, but I think you would find that the humidity wouldn't be good for them by making the bran damp - then smelly and mouldy, and then it wouldn't be nice for you either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New2this Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Wow! I had no idea you could do this . This forum never ceases to amaze me. I would love to try this but my OH is on the verge of divorcing me over the chickens. Although I wouldn't mind and I think our 4yr old would love this, I think pots of smelly beetles and grubs might be the last straw . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Blimey!! I can't even bear the odd whiff of dead MW's I get from when I take the lid off of a tub of dried ones - let alone breed the things!! I admire you lot!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
