MEALWORM FARMING FOR BEGINNERS - Organizing Your Mealworm Colony FOR GROWTH!

[@pamelaelliott274]

Rancher Mike is my "go to guy" for all things mealworms. I've watched tons of videos and his are the most educational and understandable. Lots of people seem confused but Rancher Mike knows what he's doing. Awesome videos.

[@TheRealRancherMike]

Thanks, Pamela!

[@lindabirmingham603]

Great information. Will listen to this a few more times! Any recommendations for a source of wheat bran? I have 10 chickens and figured I would start with 1,000 worms. Not sure how much I need...

[@jessicagraddy5959]

Hello! Definitely liking the videos you have about breeding/keeping feeder worms! I would LOVE to see a “how to” set up the bin lids you have on your work bins. Thanks!!

[@umairjavaid1851]

Love and appreciation from Karachi, Pakistan.

[@radkanovotna7240]

Hi, amazing videos. I'm Věry pleased about Czech subtitles. Radka Czech republic

[@pemeoff]

Where do the tray covers come from?

[@DisgustingJustinAD]

A very education experience here, thank you for sharing this content. I've recently started last month raising mealworms to spoil my wild birds & some of my spiders XD I had to tell my room mates to stop moving them all over the place because they are getting too stressed & probably entering their pupae stage far too soon than I would want them to.

[@dajanamudroch8039]

Thank you very much for the tips and tricks 🥰.. When you form 1 bin with beetles you dont add any new pupas or beetles in that bin until all the beetles in that bin dye off? That is the part i dont understand 🙂

[@h.s.6269]

For the pupae trays, how do you handle having a lot of them end up being stuck on their back after they finished transforming? A lot of them seem to get stuck with no way to flip over since there is nothing for their legs to catch. I had wanted to have it setup so all the beetles wander off the tray into the wheat below, without me having to intervene and flick them off or pick them out of the pupae still not turned.

[@supabiscuit]

Subscribed because of this

[@keithyats1093]

Looking to use bakers rack that is 20” wide. What are you using for your bins and racks.

[@TheRealRancherMike]

At the bottom of each of my YT videos, I include a link to my Amazon storefront. There, you will find a section called “Mealworm Farming.“ In that section, I list several bins, totes, and lids that you can use with your mealworm farm. Each time you purchase from my link, I get a very small commission, which helps me continue making these videos. For my system, I used these pans: amzn.to/3FoYtgg and these lids: amzn.to/384RNI5. For the lids, I cut the top with a router and added mesh for ventilation. The mesh I used is here: amzn.to/3KTc8NV. I attached the mesh with this two-sided tape: amzn.to/3FmRynV. I then placed this gaffer’s tape over top: amzn.to/3FmRt3B. Hope that helps!

[@danielengsvang3126]

Very professional. Great condensed info. Thanks :)

[@TheRealRancherMike]

Thanks, Daniel!

[@nebenazemi9045]

Amazing system - I will follow. 👍

[@ebermedeiros5938]

Obrigado Amigo. Brasil.

[@SABRINA-xy4gz]

Thanks for this!

[@roomi1148]

Hi Mike , thanks a lots good video can you pls tell me where did you get you bin & stand ?

[@TheRealRancherMike]

I had someone make the stand for me. As far as the bins go, at the bottom of each of my YT videos, I include a link to my Amazon storefront. There, you will find a section called “Mealworm Farming.“ In that section, I list several bins, totes, and lids that you can use with your mealworm farm. Each time you purchase from my link, I get a very small commission, which helps me continue making these videos. For my system, I used these pans: amzn.to/3FoYtgg and these lids: amzn.to/384RNI5. For the lids, I cut the top with a router and added mesh for ventilation. The mesh I used is here: amzn.to/3KTc8NV. I attached the mesh with this two-sided tape: amzn.to/3FmRynV. I then placed this gaffer’s tape over top: amzn.to/3FmRt3B. Hope that helps!

[@strictlyconservative8777]

Do you feed these to your hens live or do you dry them and how do you dry them? Can you use your oven?

[@joyfulcookie92]

This is soo helpful thank you

[@lennescustomcreations]

So how often do you clean out the tray completely? I am assuming with the beetles dying off, you will have a lot of bead bodies or maybe dirty substrate?

[@anneingraham]

First of all I enjoy your videos - very well explained with great camera work ! I am just waiting for my mealworm shipment which is delayed due to cold temperatures. My question is , " do the pupae need a food source as they are turning into beetles or do you just leave them on the metal tray ?

[@TheRealRancherMike]

No - pupae don’t eat or drink as they are transforming into beetles. 😉

[@Pmz604]

I see your using Bran Feed from a large bag and scooping them into the large trays, how do you prevent grain mites in your operation ?

[@TheRealRancherMike]

I heat-treat all of my wheat bran to get rid of any grain mite eggs and then store the wheat bran in containers that have Vaseline around the opening to prevent them from crawling in.

[@TskQuails]

I started a 3 drawer system. And have lots of beetles now. I started with oatmeal and bran cerea crushed ( I didn't know i needed a different substrate). What do you recommend on substrate? It's hard to sift, and i found lots of new babies .

[@jenniexfuller]

How many chickens does a system like this feed? Also, what portion of the chicken feed do the mealworms make up?

[@TheRealRancherMike]

I can support 15-20 chickens easily with my system. Thanks!

[@muhammadjaudatsnai9715]

Good information. Can you please guide me from where you bought these black trays with mesh lid on their top? I have been searching on Amazon, but haven't succeeded so far. Thanking you in advance.

[@TheRealRancherMike]

At the bottom of each of my YT videos, I include a link to my Amazon storefront. There, you will find a section called “Mealworm Farming.“ In that section, I list several bins, totes, and lids that you can use with your mealworm farm. Each time you purchase from my link, I get a very small commission, which helps me continue making these videos. For my system, I used these pans: amzn.to/3FoYtgg and these lids: amzn.to/384RNI5. For the lids, I cut the top with a router and added mesh for ventilation. The mesh I used is here: amzn.to/3KTc8NV. I attached the mesh with this two-sided tape: amzn.to/3FmRynV. I then placed this gaffer’s tape over top: amzn.to/3FmRt3B. Hope that helps!

[@subtropicalsteph]

Great video and nice setup! Is it really necessary to have the screen lids on the trays if they are kept indoors? Is it to keep flies and other critters out? Just curious. Thanks!

[@TheRealRancherMike]

Yep! It keeps out flies, moths, and other critters that might want to snack on the mealies!

[@DisgustingJustinAD]

Also, I am curious, my little critters are being very picky with their foods, what would you recommend I try? I've had celery, apples, maple leaves, mixed berries, pears. But they still don't eat the food I put in very often.

[@Sara11614]

For mealworms the best thing is carrots. You can use potatoes, but carrots last a long time while potatoes tend to shrivel quickly.

[@technopathic7597]

@@Sara11614 that's strange, every food ended up vanishing after falling into a pile of 1000 mealworma

[@TraumaQueen65]

Hi Mike. Just wanted to let you know that 2 videos in this playlist are Private and can't be watched 😯 (video #3 and #5) TIA

[@DisgustingJustinAD]

Another thing, is it true that Mealworms can survive eating spicy vegetables like Habaneros & Jalapenos? I've seen people on reddit & youtube who say it's the only food they feed the bugs. It kind if seems a bit dangerous for them though lol

[@8Secondsoffame]

Who built your rack system?

[@TheRealRancherMike]

A welder friend. 😉

[@MysticSkyFox]

Where do you get this rack system?

[@TheRealRancherMike]

A welder friend made it for me. I love it!

[@Vincent-tn7ut]

In your experience, what are the foods that bring the best results, such as bigger and fatter worms?

[@TheRealRancherMike]

I feed mine wheat bran and carrots (for moisture), and they produce like crazy!

[@teamoon8546]

I'm using oat.. What is the suitable temperature to kill mites egg? Need to bake for how long?

[@TheRealRancherMike]

Bake at 275 for 45 minutes to an hour to kill any mite eggs.

[@paulsoutbackgardenaustrali7674]

Hi...i like your system and bins...just asking if u can send me the SIZE of the bins and must i need a lid...i want to grow and sell these as side income here in Australia any help be great.thnx

[@TheRealRancherMike]

Hi Paul. Check out my Amazon storefront (there’s a link at the bottom of each of my videos). There you will find a section called “Mealworm Farming.” You can find the black pans there, and they provide all of the measurements you need. Hope that helps, and thanks for watching!

[@Irishokey]

Can you give me a link on your equipment?? Thanks

[@TheRealRancherMike]

Go to the bottom of my video and check out my Amazon storefront. I curate most of the items you see in my videos, and if you purchase using my link, I get a small credit from Amazon (which allows me to keep making these videos). Thanks in advance for your support!

[@Tarvares31]

Hi.. I was wondering how much your rack cost ya?

[@TheRealRancherMike]

It was not cheap, but you can find a dough trolley on my Amazon storefront link (at the bottom of each video) that you can purchase. It’s not that expensive and serves the same purpose. Hope that helps!

[@louisgagnon1640]

How many mealworms adults you get per week with your system

[@TheRealRancherMike]

Not sure. I collect about 2-3 pounds from each bin every 4-5 weeks.

[@cassiep.3007]

What do you do with the frass?

[@kusumumgeorge5864]

I mean getting it natural way n not buying worms from anywhere

[@meaa8059]

Mike, please help me. I feel my farm is failing.. it has been a few months since beatle stage.2-3 months .. How ever I am not able to locate egg or youngens.. What am I doing wrong ?

[@Sara11614]

Where did you buy your bettles/mealworms from? I've heard that the ones you get from a lot of pet stores are treated with chemicals and therefore don't lay eggs once they become bettles. I'm not sure if that's true. But I am struggling with the same issue and I got my mealies from petsmart.

[@TheRealRancherMike]

Check out www.mealwormfarmingsolutions.com if you want to purchase live mealworms!