Hi, I have never seen anyone in a video use anything but veggies for hydration of the MW's. I have been raising meal worms for over 10 years in TX.. Trust me it's hot (especially this summer, 2022!) the heat is great for reproduction but veggies aren't enough water. For many years I have been cutting up cheap sponges in quarters, soak in water.. Put a small piece of plastic wrap or wax paper under the sponge (so no mold in the bran/oats) the worms & beetles swarm the sponges, love the extra water. Every week I soak for a minute or squirt a few drops of water on. Hope this helps with the extra water as it has me :)
@sandrarichardson27132 жыл бұрын
Hi there...I am in southeast Texas. Do you keep your meal worms outside year round or how do you manage the 1-2 month winter we have? Thanks for the sponge tip. Jesus bless. Oh, an do you think it would be possible to use shallower trays and thereby have a bigger population in less space?
@ivysteele23102 жыл бұрын
@@sandrarichardson2713 hi, I never keep them outside in the elements but normally keep my 3 sterilite drawer system in the barn, well covered with a blanket on 3 sides (for air) & add extra bran because I lost part of my colony during "Snowmaggeden". I just started a 2nd "system" in a spare room in the house 2 weeks ago but plan on putting them out soon as they start to pupate (they & fruits & veggies get smelly by a month or so) IE: carrots, zucchini, apples, lettuce, cabbage heart ect. I feed whatever is going "bad" from the fridge.. Aalso I use the more shallow, wider drawers but don't think it really matters as long as you keep plenty of food inside. You will be able to tell you need to add because the frass is a slightly different color & looks like fine sand at the bottom. I didn't know about the "screen system" 10 yrs. ago so keep the frass pretty deep because that is where the eggs tend to live & hatch in my setup. It has worked for a very long time & I feed my hens a cup/day + dead beetles. Also I bought the giant MW once & they tend not to reproduce so stick with the large. Hope this helps :)
@Wolf19751 Жыл бұрын
How often do you feed them
@TakeTheRide Жыл бұрын
How much light do these beetles and worms require?
@Playswithfire3782 Жыл бұрын
I just dump a couple caps of bottled water in the oats every few days. Works great. I started doing it because the veggies alone werent enough.
@Karen-kw8jg Жыл бұрын
I used glass aquarium. Food source was dry oatmeal. Water source was just slices of potato which they would bore into and even lay eggs into. Sliced side down on top of oatmeal. Used light colored worms ( freshly molted) for food for my leopard gecko. I did same with crickets but they required a screen lid on top of aquarium. I would go thru about once a month and remove dead ones. When oatmeal started getting to a lot of poop I'd set up new aquarium with fresh oatmeal. Id transfer live worms and other life stages into new aquarium. They I'd let old stuff sit to see if new eggs hatched for at least a month. I'd pull out any if found. I'd keep adding new slices of potato for their moisture source. I raised lots! Crickets would also get big sections of tree bark laid on top. Little crickets would hide in nooks and crannies of the bark or under the wood. I live in Pennsylvania so it was the only way I'd have live food for my lizard in winter. On the farm chopped corn we used for cattle feed would get them in it too.
@freshoil1 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for your honesty with the mistakes and keeping it real it is much appreciated. I will be starting a farm soon as I plan to get quail in the spring. Thanks again.
@alfbeef5880 Жыл бұрын
I have been farming mealworms for years, I have one container that they live in all of them they reproduce they do their own thing all I do is clean it out once or twice a year and I never buy mealworms. I guess it's an every mealworm for itself situation I find if you keep plenty of food in there such as grits or oatmeal and every now and then you toss and some fresh vegetables they will respond well and not eat each other..
@maureenhanson19462 күн бұрын
Any possibility that you have a video of how to do this from your perspective
@frogsong632 жыл бұрын
Are you aware that the Sterilite drawers can be stacked? You can remove the top off one and fit another one on top. Saves room.
@Defective63 Жыл бұрын
Great info. I want to start my own mini farm and these would be perfect. Thank you.
@akbananachucker2441 Жыл бұрын
What do you mean? The drawers don't have any top on them.
@frogsong63 Жыл бұрын
@@akbananachucker2441 No, you take the top off of the part that the drawers are in.
@thenextbondvillainklaussch3266 Жыл бұрын
18:18 your fluffy T-Rex's love those mealworm , all gone in no time. A few random Ducks in there to.
@coreenasilver Жыл бұрын
Those green screens are made to be on top of each other, so you can sift through several screens at the same time..
@HideyHoleOrg Жыл бұрын
I raised meal worms in much smaller numbers at one point, I was feeding a single hedgehog, not a whole flock of birds. I am amazed at how the systems scale up. How frequently do your birds get a batch of worms out of this system?
@ivysteele2310 Жыл бұрын
Daily in the summer & every few days in winter. They are more active in the heat & go through the stages faster so more meal worms. I only work with 1,000. A larger scale would produce more
@danainglis86082 жыл бұрын
Hey! Few questions. 1. How much time invested? Initial set up, daily maintenance, weekly, monthly? And how often do you do the sifting, how long does the process take? 2. What's the money investment? Initial costs, wheat bran, oats, and how often you need to purchase or replenish their substrate? 3. How much of the birds' diet has been supplemented with the worms thus far? How much do you intend/expect to supplement with worms in the future, as a percentage? 4. Do they not try to escape from the sides/top of those containers? If they get out, is it a risk of infestation in your house? Thanks so much!!
@EmmyGee2122 жыл бұрын
I’d love to hear the answers to these questions too! Great questions. & Thanks for the step by step here you guys!
@micahharpel67782 жыл бұрын
And what sift set is that? I really like it.
@h.s.62692 жыл бұрын
Curious to this as well, especially the maintenance and amount supplemented. for #4 though as long as they have about 2-3" of slick siding like smooth plastic or steel they can't climb out and they don't fly. I'm concerned about the handling of the drawers accidently dropping eggs on the floor or carpet. Though I'd assume they can't develop past really small worms without feed, but the thought of super tiny worms on the floor creeps me out...
@steve3in142 Жыл бұрын
can u feed chickens the meal worms ?
@tamcsilva2 жыл бұрын
I glued the screen on the outside of the drawer, so the beetles can't chew off the glue. So far I haven't had to fix anything since.
@Mrbigiron452 жыл бұрын
City prepper sent my over after watching your shared interview. I watched two of your videos so far. Great content 👍🏻👍🏻
@LovinofftheLand2 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much and nice to meet you. Hope you enjoy following along
@michaelbessette86852 ай бұрын
I put the very fine frass in my red worm bins.
@stevesoutdoorworld4340 Жыл бұрын
Some vegie is good but get some gel water crystals. Keep about a 1/2 cup of gel in the center of the bin. I used keep a lot of bearded dragons and went thru a lot of worms per week. The worms eat mostly the bran! I did mostly super worms back in the day! Happy bug farming ! 😁
@TayyabMohammadtay Жыл бұрын
Can you share a snap to see how big the sponge and the cup or plastic container is?
@stingingmetal9648 Жыл бұрын
I already know how, I worked at an insect farm. Good stuff.
@ritamcclure1601 Жыл бұрын
where did you get your green sifters? I would like to get one
@trblclef000 Жыл бұрын
In order to have a small mealworm operation going to supplement a small flock of chickens, do you need to end up with five sets of drawers going? Or can you do it with one or two sets of drawers?
@owenthompson77932 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing. Was looking to start a Mealworm farm this year
@LovinofftheLand2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Owen
@mareknieznalski328 Жыл бұрын
They should be on Klaus menu twice a week.
@thenextbondvillainklaussch3266 Жыл бұрын
Yes you Eat de Bugz , while i eat steak And own nothing and be happy 😁😁 while we at the WEF own everything
@Washkeeton2 жыл бұрын
How much oats or bran do you go through a month
@kmarie13512 жыл бұрын
I'm really enjoying following your journey this go-round. You learned so much last year!
@JustMe-hc8mp Жыл бұрын
An easy way to get rid of the exoskeletons is to use a handheld blower. Outside of course 😅
@cecildean36482 жыл бұрын
The feed stores around here are not carrying any. Thanks and will be looking forward to the video.
@reallyskeptical Жыл бұрын
If you worry about the heat, you could lay a small plastic on top with a small cut sponge with cold water on it. Plastic stops moisture in oats wheat
@freeofusmartinez5199 Жыл бұрын
This seams like a ton of work
@radamson12 жыл бұрын
How many chickens do you have and what portion of their feed comes from the worms? In other words how much money do you save on chicken feed?
@tystone48 Жыл бұрын
A lot ?? It's practically free.
@SwatchMeCrochet Жыл бұрын
Mealworms have no calcium in them and shouldn't be a complete feed replacement
@davedunks4647 Жыл бұрын
@@tystone48 doubtful. The bin he fed the chickens at the end was a quick snack for those chickens. That bin took months to get to that stage. Multiply that by how many bins he has.... this is an occasional treat for the chickens but I dont think it will substantially add much to their overall size
@billc3405 Жыл бұрын
@@davedunks4647 i agree not sub stainable
@JenniferSummers-qq3cl Жыл бұрын
Depends. You need about 100 worms per chicken per day. He only started with 200 worms. He also killed a bunch and had them in the house over the winter most of that time, which is a slower multiplication. You wouldn't feed your chickens just mealworms anyway, that's only a fraction of their diet.
@S.Trades5 күн бұрын
Whatever i try, i get those damn mealworm mites. Can't avoid them!
@mannykhan775211 ай бұрын
Nice video. Very informative.
@northerngirlhobbies Жыл бұрын
On it. Thank you for the info.
@irishcoffee6894 Жыл бұрын
Hi, thanks for these clarifications on growing MW. I have a little tip for you. If you want to cut out the bottom of those drawers, make sure you have a piece of metal/ruler or a angled piece is even handier, where you can let your grinder run along. It gives you a much straighter cut out and therefor easier to glue the mesh on. Save you a lot of time on repair too. Good luck and again, thanks
@frodrickfronkensteen9241 Жыл бұрын
Great tip! Thanks! I'll use this when I set our system up!
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
That's a great tip. Will definitely do that. Thank you
@irishcoffee6894 Жыл бұрын
@@LovinofftheLand you're most welcome. We're all here to help each other isn't it
@larissaronk29102 ай бұрын
I wish I had me a set of the sifter pans but they are so expensive 😢
@breesechick2 жыл бұрын
Thanks, I wondered how people did this.
@supabiscuit Жыл бұрын
This was helpful for my indoor mealworm farm. Subd
@jeffkuhn6244 Жыл бұрын
How often do you add new vegetables. When the old ones are gone or when the old ones dehydrate? Thanks
@sheilacharle-mcatee8195 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for this information on Mealworms...... could you tell me where you bought the sifters?
@anthonyedwards72362 жыл бұрын
Do you have much trouble with mice? Trying to get into the bran etc?
@backtonature11502 жыл бұрын
Where did you get your sifters from? I'm starting my mealworm farm next week and this looks like the best way I've seen so far for cleaning and maintaining. Thanks!
@jenniferdutton24692 жыл бұрын
What size screens are you using? Thanks!
@lisavincenti46882 жыл бұрын
I found them for the best price at CAL Ranch
@Adam-vj7dn Жыл бұрын
Those green sifters look like gold mining classifiers :)
@scottmash4929 Жыл бұрын
Have you ever resifted the frass and found baby mealworms, if so what did you do for that. I resently purchased a #50 screen sifter tray to see if that helps any.
@samh49682 жыл бұрын
I’m so sorry if this is random lol but what kind is your turkey?? I have one that looks like that but never knew which one he is. Thank you so much for sharing your experience!!
@LovinofftheLand2 жыл бұрын
The one in the video was a Blue Slate turkey :)
@cassiep.3007 Жыл бұрын
Can you link the different size sifters and specify which you use for what?
@Selfmaze8806 Жыл бұрын
Any luck on the sifters?! I am getting ready for my second farm and only have a small sifter😂: TIME TO MOVE TO 5 gallon sifters!
@elenacerasela Жыл бұрын
Thank you.
@chaselyda99732 жыл бұрын
Hey!!! Y’all are amazing! Keep it going🍀🌲
@danawilliams7208 Жыл бұрын
Where did you get your MW to start the farm?
@ChristianWarfare Жыл бұрын
Thanks
@S.Trades8 ай бұрын
Every time, I get grain mites. Every culture. And yeah, I freeze the oats before using.
@LovinofftheLand8 ай бұрын
Maybe try wheat bran from an animal feed store. We have found this has worked well.
@S.Trades5 күн бұрын
Given up trying now. Every culture has had this problem. No-one has ever suggested that before.@@LovinofftheLand
@BushLieWorldDie3 ай бұрын
Where did you get thoose sifters and containers?
@edavydenko24666 ай бұрын
What size of the mesh did you use for the beetle bin? Also what size is that sifter?
@h.s.62692 жыл бұрын
With your setup of 5 full storage tiers (without an incident of neglect or catastrophe) do you think once it's going well it would provide enough worms to give a handful or two a day as feed? I have about 20 quail and they go absolutely insane for them like your chickens do. But i can't afford to keep buying dried mealworms every month, especially since I refuse to buy the ones grown in china, so it's a lot more expensive for north American grown mealworms or BSF larvae. I'm trying to figure out how much space it will end up taking to grow enough to at least heavily supplement me so I don't need to buy so much.
@irishcoffee6894 Жыл бұрын
Hi, I think that if you take a different type of drawers (larger and flatter) you can stack them very easily on top of each other. In this set up it should be easy to make at least 5 set ups next to each other, so you can have 5x more as shown here
@debfergeson8460 Жыл бұрын
Look into 10 drawer wheeled craft cart. Available from Michael's and sometimes Walmart
@Lady_of_Ishpeming Жыл бұрын
Hello! Where do you get your sifters from? Thanks for sharing!
@jenjohnson2984 Жыл бұрын
Those sifters are used for gold prospecting. Some military surplus stores have them as well.
Any issue just letting the meal worms go to beetle form and feeding the chickens beetles? Is there a nutrition difference between stages?
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
There is more nutrition in the mealworms, but there are no issues in feeding the beetles, too. Once our bettles die, we feed them to the chickens as well.
@itscommonsense9169 Жыл бұрын
Need to scatter the mealworms out more so the non dominant birds get some LOL
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
Haha. Definitely true. 1❤️
@tabp8448 Жыл бұрын
Awww, I was thinking the same thing, I always try to throw them some, but often the more dominant hens run to it faster and chase them away.
@soronos8586 Жыл бұрын
I tried the catch, kill, grow, or raise challenge for a year. Of course I spent 100k at Costco first on non perishables and hid them in trees around the property for later foraging 😂
@kellyd4221 Жыл бұрын
You forgot to give the duck some!!
@lst854 Жыл бұрын
What size mesh is each of your sifters and you progress down to the small stuff?
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B00C7YCQIQ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title These are the ones we got. It has the dimensions for each one if you scroll down. Not cheap, but we struggled to find any anywhere else
@lst854 Жыл бұрын
@@LovinofftheLand Thank you, I am familiar with the product. Was looking for clarification on which size you use when sorting the worms at which growth stage.
@courtneyblock6795 Жыл бұрын
@@lst854 if you click on the sight above. Sizes are listed
@n8errific9 ай бұрын
I have two questions. 1. I saw you use three different mesh sifters. What are the mesh opening sizes of those three sifters you used? 2. Do you put the pupae in the top drawers with the beetles? Thank you 🙏🏻
@LovinofftheLand9 ай бұрын
I hate that we got them through Amazon, and they were way too expensive, but I couldn't find them anywhere else www.amazon.ca/your-orders/pop/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b_pop?_encoding=UTF8&gen=canonical&lineItemId=nhqjnvpnlkkwqny&orderId=701-7053129-8897003&packageId=1&returnSummaryId=&returnUnitIndices=&returnUnitMappingId=&shipmentId=DqNMFlwsc 2. Only when we are going to start a new cycle. When the beetles in the top drawer start to die, they all get fed to the chickens, and a bunch of pupae get moved to the top to start again
@n8errific9 ай бұрын
@@LovinofftheLand Thanks for getting back to me. 👍🏻 The link is taking me to an Amazon sign in page. 🤷🏼 I want to know what size the mesh of the ones you used so I can try to find different brands somewhere else or make them myself. I’ve seen the sets of the green ones on Amazon but I assume not all the sizes of mesh are needed. Do you leave the pupae in the drawer with the worms and when they turn into beetles you move them up? I’ve heard that the worms will eat the pupae and that the beetles will eat the worms? Also, how much of your chickens feed has been replaced with mealworms?
@DominickBrewer-f1v Жыл бұрын
What trays were you using and where do I get them
@truthserum8326 Жыл бұрын
Wonder if this process could be enlarged to say ...bathtub SIZE in order to step up production?
@meoff7602 Жыл бұрын
Anything can be made bigger. You'll just have to shift it all somehow.
@sirenamber2 жыл бұрын
Are these for the chickens or are you making protein flour/powder for yourselves?
@ritamcclure1601 Жыл бұрын
I forgot to ask you can I use rice bran?
@dianamarlowe3352 Жыл бұрын
Where do you get your bran and oats? Can I see the bag
@jbbayarena92745 ай бұрын
Stack the sifters so you can do have to do it so much
@johnroekoek12345 Жыл бұрын
You're gonna be busy 🙂
@darlenehilty9 ай бұрын
Whered you get tge sifters?
@e.a.70975 ай бұрын
Could you please put the link where did you buy those set of screens?... thanks
@kathbillings Жыл бұрын
Hello .. is it better to have the worms warm.. or does that matter
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
Yes. They will breed much faster if it's warm
@ragingpatriot772 Жыл бұрын
What is the optimal temperature for mealworms?
@strawberrymilkshake9074 Жыл бұрын
another video said 75 degrees farenheit
@ragingpatriot772 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for the info @@strawberrymilkshake9074
@sueflo100 Жыл бұрын
What sizes of screens do you use the most the green ones that fit in the bucket?
@sueflo100 Жыл бұрын
1/20, 1/50, 1/100, 1/30, 1/??
@toordog1753 Жыл бұрын
Whats vegetable skat?
@cecildean36482 жыл бұрын
Just ordered 3000 meal worms to start farming. Having trouble finding oat bran at a good price in NE Missouri. Where would be a good place to look. I was thinking about Amazon but not sure how many pounds I will need to start. Also how much will 10,000 consume in a month on the average?
@LovinofftheLand2 жыл бұрын
Hey Cecil. We get ours from our local feed store. Same place we get our animal feed. It was $15.99 CAD for 20KG. Especially when they are starting out that should last you at least 3-4 months. New Video Out later this week that actually discusses this and how much time it takes to maintain.
@palmettoblues4990 Жыл бұрын
Check a feed store. Mine has gone up but still a good deal. 50# for &19.00
@Lisa-xk1wz Жыл бұрын
Where did you get the sifters?
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
Unfortunately, on Amazon as we couldn't find them anywhere else
@missyrabbit5250 Жыл бұрын
what size mesh is sifter?
@jessetucker5720 Жыл бұрын
When you use the poop for your garden, do the worms turn into beetles? I have fruit trees and don't want the beetles to eat my trees or garden.
@davedunks4647 Жыл бұрын
no, itll be too wet and they die.
@SeaOtter420 Жыл бұрын
What about grapes? Or fruit? Can they only get moisture from vegetables?
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
No, you can use fruit too. You just have to be careful with things going moldy and we find potatoes do a good job of not doing that. Fruit is totally fine too though, just remove if it gets moldy
@mohammadfathur92658 ай бұрын
1kg, how much for thats price?
@1991pjc9 ай бұрын
Do you keep your meal worms outside?
@LovinofftheLand9 ай бұрын
No, they are inside in an unheated basement.
@dianamarlowe3352 Жыл бұрын
Nobody has shown the eggs. Can you video those please
mealworms drink i pit bottle cap water on top egg crate piece they crawl up to drink.
@angelarogers3137 Жыл бұрын
What type of mesh? How big of holes in the mesh?
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
I don't have an exact measurement for you but we used screen door mesh. It would be the same as you get at the hardware store for a screen door
@ratherbehomesteading9739 Жыл бұрын
Where do I get the Beatles
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
Message Chris facebook.com/profile.php?id=100026059613584&mibextid=ZbWKwL
@sandylee7586 Жыл бұрын
Do they need heat, I want to start a farm but don’t want them in the house because of mites, want to place them in the garage and it gets cold here, so how can I keep them warm
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
They do better with heat, but as long as they are in a garage, they should survive. The main thing is that there life cycle will slow down a lot so they won't be as productive in the cold months
@susanholley90823 ай бұрын
I keep mine in the basement, the garage is too cold in the winter even here in Georgia. The basement is cool, so I use a heat lamp and hang it up above the top of my bin, it puts off enough heat to keep them warm. You just have to judge how close to hang it, you don't want to burn them and also dry out their food.
@marcoducceschi3849 Жыл бұрын
Save time do all five sift at same time much quicker
@felixnelson21142 жыл бұрын
what is the output of the farm?
@kevinfarrugia95252 жыл бұрын
My mealworms are climbing the plastic box what can I do pls
@klarag70592 жыл бұрын
Taller smoother walled tub draws, maybe a smear of petroleum jelly on the top inch lip of the inside of the tub.
@ivysteele23102 жыл бұрын
Hi, if you don't have paper egg carton inside do put some, cut up in 3-4 egg parts because the beetles like to hide under them. I have never in 10 yrs had the climbing problem but I have plenty of places for them to hide and breed :)
@williamrobinettejr4976 Жыл бұрын
Those white mealworms are not about to turn into pupae they are freshly shed
@susanholley90823 ай бұрын
FYI: "Since it has a hard exoskeleton, the mealworm will need to molt and shed its hard outer shell in order to grow. Molts will occur ten to twenty times during this stage of life. A recently molted worm will be soft and white, but the exoskeleton will quickly harden. During a mealworm’s last molt it will turn into a white alien-like pupa." So true, not every white mealworm is about to be a pupa.
@raincreek8032 Жыл бұрын
Hmmm How to start go back and see another video 😑
@ThatBritishHomestead2 жыл бұрын
I love this idea but I hate the way they move!!! They creep me out
@LovinofftheLand2 жыл бұрын
We stick ours in the storage basement. Hardly even have to see them ;)
@ThatBritishHomestead2 жыл бұрын
@@LovinofftheLand LOL I honestly dont know how you put your hand in there! but like I said I would love to do it, that and worm farming looks so beneficial
@scrapzwtf Жыл бұрын
Let me start with I hate crawly things. I started a bin of red wigglers last year. The only time I don’t wear gloves is when I feed them. I think I can do mealworms the same way. I searched and searched before finding a red wiggler worm setup that wasn’t completely skeevy. I believe I have seen a few ideas and containers I can combine for mealworms that I can handle. I already added 10” tweezers to my Amazon cart. Honestly I think if you just keep watching an overload of worm videos it’ll be a little easier to overcome the ick factor.
@sneakernomics Жыл бұрын
Do they stink?
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
There's a mild smell, but we don't find it that bad at all.
@southernrockiesselfreliance2 жыл бұрын
Cheerio
@labella9291 Жыл бұрын
You NEED to use a mask and advise people to do so. Not recommending and using a mask is irresponsible considering the HUGE number of people who develop allergies to the frass.
@robinsouth8555 Жыл бұрын
He did say to use a mask.
@TravisCalvert-kx6ne4 ай бұрын
12:30
@momojanaimo6 ай бұрын
Melange
@ER.Drones Жыл бұрын
meal worm pov be like O.o
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
🤣🤣🤣
@billc3405 Жыл бұрын
So all this trouble just for a treat for the chicken's?
@jhost0311 Жыл бұрын
This seems pretty complicated… lol
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
Definitely some work to set up, bit really not much to it once it's going
@hsienjungchung2031 Жыл бұрын
You can sell the worms to EU, they want to eat them.
@weseng-wx3yi Жыл бұрын
OK, appreciate all the effort you put into the mealworms and the videos to date but OMG what a waste of time materials and effort. Hope you made some money off KZbin because this method of raising mealworms produces so little product to use as feed or even treats that it's just ridiculous and I'm sure you know that even though you're not saying it. Sorry, I'm not a hater, but many years ago I raised a lot of mealworms without this involved procedure and constant effort. I built a 4' by 8' by 2' deep plywood box with sloping hinged lid and attached 4 legs to put it at a good working level. I filled the box 3/4 full of bran flakes and added an initial batch of mealworms. Old vegetables suck for water source, If you have cactus or live where wild cactus grows it's the best, or plant cactus, even thornless if you like, easy to grow indoors and out and it will double production. I did nothing but leave them alone in the dark and occasionally scoop out a bunch of mealworms. Virtually no work or sorting efforts needed. The part about beetles eating eggs is mostly myth if they have enough food. Poop and garden compost is easily harvested off the bottom after scraping the other materials aside. So easy it makes raising mealworms somewhat sensible. Thanks for reminding me I think I'll do it again for my chickens.
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
Hey Weseng. That definitely sounds easier. If there is no separation.... when you scoop out the frass, how do you make sure you're not scooping out thousands of eggs with it?
@weseng-wx3yi Жыл бұрын
@@LovinofftheLand It's a good point, I never really worried about it. No doubt I was getting some eggs but never cleaned the bottom very thoroughly. In such a large area without bothering them too much and several large leaves of cactus you will have so many beetles and worms it just doesn't seem to matter.
@teresapisanello54649 ай бұрын
@@weseng-wx3yi thx for the great cactus idea! How often do you have to replace the cactus? Does it last a long time? Can the cactus stay alive and healthy in the substrate? Dealing with the veggies is a pita 🥴
@weseng19 ай бұрын
@@teresapisanello5464 Hi Teresa, yes the cactus will last a long time as it's mostly water and if you just lay it on top they will feed on it from the bottom so it takes a long time to dry out. Hopefully you have a fairly good source for the cactus and if it shrivels up too much after a few weeks just replace it.
@teresapisanello54649 ай бұрын
@@weseng1tysm! Well I live in Florida and I have cacti w/thorns growing wild here so I'm thinking of planting the thornless variety. Hopefully it spreads like the wild ones I have here 🤗
@Darth_SurgeYo2 жыл бұрын
Racist, you don’t give the ducks or turkeys any worms 😤
@LovinofftheLand2 жыл бұрын
🤣🤣🤣
@GigDrivingKatt Жыл бұрын
😆
@akbananachucker2441 Жыл бұрын
Yeah what's up with that?
@Holypikemanz Жыл бұрын
@Lovin Off The Land if you put a wet towel in there (top of a soap dish, so It didnt get the food wet) would the beetles be able to "drink" the water from the towel, like crickets?
@LovinofftheLand Жыл бұрын
I would be worried about mold and making the bran too wet