I saw someone ask about raising thier own mealworms in another post so here it is. Very simple and takes no time at all....
Here we go, good luck all. yer birds will definately love you more for it and i assure you....
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SMASH THIER LITTLE HEADS.
It's not hard to get started. You'll need a supply of mealworms, oat bran, a few apples, brown paper grocery bags, and a container to house your "mealworm ranch." Ready? Okay, let's get started!
Order or buy a supply of mealworms. Be sure to NOT get the giant ones since they don't seem to multiply as well as the smaller ones.
In the meantime, get a 5 gallon plastic pail or a clear plastic container with a lid and with sides about 6" tall. The container should be about 1 ft. by 3 ft. If using the clear container, get out the drill and make about 30 - 40 holes in the lid so the mealworms will get plenty of air. If the inside of the container gets water droplets, simply drill a few more holes. If using the pail or a container without a lid, get a piece of screening that will lay across the top.
Get enough oat bran to fill half of the pail or container. You can buy oat bran at a feed store (cheapest place) or a natural food store. The oat bran is food for your newly hatched mealworms.
When you get your mealworms, they will normally be packed in crumbled newspaper. You do not need to touch them, just take the container and shake them out into the pail or container. Put no more than 1,000 in one pail or 30-40 per square foot if using the clear plastic container. Be sure to not exceed these amounts since overcrowding will generate heat and may kill the mealworms!
Place your container or pail out of direct sunlight. Keep them in a place that has temperatures between 45 and 75 degrees F. Basements, closets, and cellars are great for your mealworm ranch.
Your mealworms need moisture. The easiest way is to simply cut an apple in half. Push the cut side down into the oat bran until it can barely be seen. Do not spend time cutting off the skin of the apple. This is enough moisture - DO NOT add more. Every couple of weeks, take out the old apple and add a new half.
On top of the oat bran, put 3-4 layers of torn brown grocery bags. The mealworms will crawl in and hide between the layers of bags.
Remember the mealworms are the larval stage of beetles. In their lifetime, these mealworms will go through 10-20 molts, turn into a whitish pupa and then transform into an adult beetle. These beetles can not fly but to make your family feel better, you might want to put a screen over the top of the pail or keep the lid on the plastic container.
The mealworms' cycle into beetles can vary from 100-300 days or more, depending on the available food and temperature at which you keep them. The mealworms turn into beetles, lay eggs and then die. The female beetle lays 500 to 1000 bean-shaped white sticky eggs. Eggs hatch in about one week but the larva are very small so it may take a few weeks before the larvae are large enough to be seen well. Teeny larvae will hatch from the eggs and will quickly grow to the size to feed birds. You can up to 3,000 new mealworms per square foot! With this many new mealworms, you may need to add an additional apple half when you see the newly hatched mealworms.
When you have new mealworms the size the birds love, take them out of the oat bran, and put them in a different container. Clearly label this container (again to avoid domestic horrors) and keep it in the refrigerator to keep the mealworms in the larval stage.
Every several months, take some mealworms from the pail or container and start a new pail or container. Doing so will ensure that your backyard birds will have a steady supply of tasty mealworms.
PS, i can say from experience. As recommended above.Do NOT get the giant mealworms, they are hybrids and they WILL NOT breed.
Also, when yer adult beetles die, take 'em out and toss 'em to yer birds, don't waste 'em.
One more thing, yer mealworms are only as nutritious as what's in their bellys. Don't be afraid to feed 'em extra fruits and greens, jist stay on top o' this if/when you do and DO NOT ALLOW MOLD TO GROW in yer worm ranch.
Good luck and have fun.
oh yeah, crickets are just as easy to raise fer yer birds.
Jim
Here we go, good luck all. yer birds will definately love you more for it and i assure you....
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SMASH THIER LITTLE HEADS.
It's not hard to get started. You'll need a supply of mealworms, oat bran, a few apples, brown paper grocery bags, and a container to house your "mealworm ranch." Ready? Okay, let's get started!
Order or buy a supply of mealworms. Be sure to NOT get the giant ones since they don't seem to multiply as well as the smaller ones.
In the meantime, get a 5 gallon plastic pail or a clear plastic container with a lid and with sides about 6" tall. The container should be about 1 ft. by 3 ft. If using the clear container, get out the drill and make about 30 - 40 holes in the lid so the mealworms will get plenty of air. If the inside of the container gets water droplets, simply drill a few more holes. If using the pail or a container without a lid, get a piece of screening that will lay across the top.
Get enough oat bran to fill half of the pail or container. You can buy oat bran at a feed store (cheapest place) or a natural food store. The oat bran is food for your newly hatched mealworms.
When you get your mealworms, they will normally be packed in crumbled newspaper. You do not need to touch them, just take the container and shake them out into the pail or container. Put no more than 1,000 in one pail or 30-40 per square foot if using the clear plastic container. Be sure to not exceed these amounts since overcrowding will generate heat and may kill the mealworms!
Place your container or pail out of direct sunlight. Keep them in a place that has temperatures between 45 and 75 degrees F. Basements, closets, and cellars are great for your mealworm ranch.
Your mealworms need moisture. The easiest way is to simply cut an apple in half. Push the cut side down into the oat bran until it can barely be seen. Do not spend time cutting off the skin of the apple. This is enough moisture - DO NOT add more. Every couple of weeks, take out the old apple and add a new half.
On top of the oat bran, put 3-4 layers of torn brown grocery bags. The mealworms will crawl in and hide between the layers of bags.
Remember the mealworms are the larval stage of beetles. In their lifetime, these mealworms will go through 10-20 molts, turn into a whitish pupa and then transform into an adult beetle. These beetles can not fly but to make your family feel better, you might want to put a screen over the top of the pail or keep the lid on the plastic container.
The mealworms' cycle into beetles can vary from 100-300 days or more, depending on the available food and temperature at which you keep them. The mealworms turn into beetles, lay eggs and then die. The female beetle lays 500 to 1000 bean-shaped white sticky eggs. Eggs hatch in about one week but the larva are very small so it may take a few weeks before the larvae are large enough to be seen well. Teeny larvae will hatch from the eggs and will quickly grow to the size to feed birds. You can up to 3,000 new mealworms per square foot! With this many new mealworms, you may need to add an additional apple half when you see the newly hatched mealworms.
When you have new mealworms the size the birds love, take them out of the oat bran, and put them in a different container. Clearly label this container (again to avoid domestic horrors) and keep it in the refrigerator to keep the mealworms in the larval stage.
Every several months, take some mealworms from the pail or container and start a new pail or container. Doing so will ensure that your backyard birds will have a steady supply of tasty mealworms.
PS, i can say from experience. As recommended above.Do NOT get the giant mealworms, they are hybrids and they WILL NOT breed.
Also, when yer adult beetles die, take 'em out and toss 'em to yer birds, don't waste 'em.
One more thing, yer mealworms are only as nutritious as what's in their bellys. Don't be afraid to feed 'em extra fruits and greens, jist stay on top o' this if/when you do and DO NOT ALLOW MOLD TO GROW in yer worm ranch.
Good luck and have fun.
oh yeah, crickets are just as easy to raise fer yer birds.
Jim
Last edited:
