Raising Mealworms… farming protein!

Raising mealworms for protein around the farm. This is the three-drawer method, which takes more time and effort than a one-drawer/bin method.
Stay tuned for part 2 where I update on the refrigerator method!

[@heatherhayes4835]

You’re video is comprehensive but simple. Your honest and humble! I love it, thanks for the info

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I appreciate that!

[@pigeon-feet]

The scientific term for a beetle emerging from a pupa is to “eclose”, but honestly, “hatch” isn’t incorrect and works just as well! Thanks for the video, very informative!

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thanks for the info! 😉

[@renorhino]

Love that you informed in a manner that wasn’t intrusive or rude. Also didn’t know that so thank you for expanding my vocabulary.

[@euphoniahale5181]

Thanks for the honesty in saying they stink.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Smell kinda like rancid peanut butter. I’m very smell sensitive, so it is not something I want in my house. They’re good from temperatures ranging fro 60-85, so a garage or shop works for us.

[@ColossalSwordFormAndTechnique]

lol the pupae are funny. They spin like crazy 😂

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Hehe

[@michellemcelrath4545]

The best video yet! You covered all the little questions!

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thank you!

[@MichB-qc4ti]

Your video is amazing and I can see without glasses . It amazing I'm over 60 years old till today I don't net reading glasses. Yeah the can see moving beetle and mealworms. You doing awesome job. Good luck

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thanks!

[@sleeplessinthecarolinas8118]

Your video was very helpful. Thanks!

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thanks for watching!

[@ThatGermanMom]

Great video! Love the drawer idea 👍🏻

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thank you!👏🏼

[@falksvic]

I love my 3 tier system.

[@101Cecilia]

Good Job! I love your set up. So simple. I will copy what you’re doing

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Have fun!

[@guardianminifarm8005]

Well done. Very helpful. Many thanks.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@uglyburrito_]

This is really smart, going to try this for my turtle, it's his favorite snack. Thanks for the info

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Awesome! Good luck.

[@bubbahicks51]

Thank you for the GR8 video and sharing you knowledge.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@randyhilton1592]

Very well done video. Great job thank you

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@marlenewilliamson4005]

Very well done . Thank you

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thanks for watching & commenting!

[@hitechfarmerseb]

This video was so wholesome!

[@ittybiddyfarm]

😊

[@normalind577]

Good very informative video, I just have few weeks with my larva’s and this video explain to me a lot thanks

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Glad it helped!

[@notsorry3631]

This is such a smart setup, wow.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thank you!

[@bamagator13]

thanks so much for the info!!!

[@ittybiddyfarm]

You’re welcome! Thank you for watching!

[@naptown9672]

Great video! Im making my first farm and looking at different videos before deciding exactly what im doing. Yours was very instructive, thank you. I am going with a similar setup, except i think im going to use both lower drawers for larvae, and rotate them. The eggs will still fall into the middle drawer, which will be for young larvae. Then ill swap it to the bottem when the time is right. So the bottom will be older larvae for harvesting and gathering pupae. Probably going to put the pupae in a separate bucket until they transform, or maybe have them in the top drawer on an elevated tray of some kind, so the beetles will fall down and not be able to get back up. Again, thanks for sharing your experience. Wish me luck! 😅

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Sounds like you’re thinking it through well! The pupa are defenseless, so making sure they are protected from hungry/thirsty mouths is key. Good luck!

[@timberskid]

Thank you so much! This is genius!

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@RavenNest-br7gk]

Thank you for this video! I really like the setup you have and plan to eventually do the same but for now I'm using plastic parrot food containers with holes drilled in the lids.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

It’s super convenient to have the drawer system. If I had need for more than 1000+ mealworms, I’d probably get a larger plastic drawer system.

[@fishandreptileinfo]

Very interesting. Nice video. Thank You (UK)

[@ittybiddyfarm]

So nice of you!

[@connellfarm315]

Great video. I like the system you have.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thanks!

[@dannysan626]

Literally Starting at 5:40, there was a beetle "hatching" lol, And you look like you're doing great! You say throughout your video that you are not a "professional", but you are succeeding with breeding these guys, and you're SUPER informative! I've recently been looking into this hobby, and seeing you basically having the container quality and same substrate makes me feel like I am actually doing it right. All I need to do now, is engineer it for layering for the different cycles like you have.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thank you! I am almost 11 months into the journey and have learned a lot. Let me know if an update video would be interesting.

[@dannysan626]

@@ittybiddyfarm Oh MOST DEFINITELY! I'm sure everyone in the hobby would not mind another video showing us your progress

[@christinaschoolfield519]

Yes thk u for ur help

[@ittybiddyfarm]

💝You’re welcome!

[@Chillerll]

Looks like a solid set-up. I am contemplating about getting these guys or maybe crickets.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

They’re very easy care and the chickens just love them!

[@NeanderthalDogma]

Crickets are very annoying ill just say these are fairly quiet and easy to move around another alternative is dubia roaches

[@jbhessock8427]

Very informative my friend

[@deliahdykes7824]

thanks, good review on my level too.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kellyd4221]

VERY helpful, thank you for sharing your experience with us. I'm gonna do this for the ducks! Much appreciated

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@HelenEk7]

Great video! I have watched quite a few on mealworms, but this is my favourite. One question, how do they get from the middle to the bottom drawer?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I pick them out or mostly sift the drawers and the bigger mealies go in the bottom until they turn into beetles, then I pick them out & put them on top.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thank you!👏🏼

[@HelenEk7]

@@ittybiddyfarm Ah ok, so the bottom drawer is for future parents, and the ones you feed the chickens you pick from the middle drawer?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

So,I dump the top drawer into a bucket, then use it to sift the middle drawer (dump the middle drawer into the now empty top drawer & sift). Then dump the worm remaining in the top drawer into the bottom drawer. Add oatmeal to all 3 drawers & dump the bucket back into the top drawer. This way any eggs or teeny worms stay in the middle drawer and the larger worms are in the bottom drawer & the beetles are in the top drawer. In this way you can use the bottom drawer to feed your chickens and if they pupate, leave them be until they eclose. Once the beetle emerges you put them in the top so they can lay eggs, which fall into the middle. Repeat as often as necessary (every month or so).

[@HelenEk7]

@@ittybiddyfarm Thank you!

[@LionKing-xw5dv]

Hatching usually when they are born. After breaking their cocoon i believe its commonly worded as emerging.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thanks!

[@johoney5458]

thank you for taking the time. I am very interested in the worms for my chickens. I like your setup and the spoon idea might help me a lot. I have swollen knuckles and arthritis in my fingers and don't like to handle them for fear of hurting them. I have read from others that you to strain the bottom box with the mealworms about every 6 months. Do you think that is fairly accurate. You have a blessed day and I look for the next video.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

In regard to straining the bottom drawer, I had to totally replace all the oatmeal about a month ago because I’d let the “moisture items” mold & it affected too much of the oatmeal! I have seen people leave it until there are no oats left at all before sifting out the frass (worm poop). I have mixed feelings on it. My 2nd drawer, “the nursery” has never been sifted & the top drawer “the darklings” is sifted as they walk around. Thanks for watching & commenting!

[@melissaseppala4343]

Love this video, definitely helpful! I am starting a farm for chickens. Do you have air holes in the drawers? I’ve seen people doing them with the container system, is there enough airflow because it’s a drawer system? How big is your farm for how many chickens? Sorry for all the questions 😂

[@ittybiddyfarm]

No air holes. Top drawer has mesh bottom, no holes in the other drawers (they’d crawl out). In one of the prior comments I tagged the drawers on Amazon, I will try to find it.

[@Bdfhvj]

This is awesome!!!! I tried starting a mealworm “farm” and had a mold issue 😅 also I think I got the wrong type because they were never pupating! Months and months just the same ole worms! Gonna look for the tiny ones- mine were huge.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Oh no! Maybe superworms? I got mine from Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm. Also, be careful that there is enough airflow and the food isn’t too wet. I prefer broccoli stems & carrots or sliced potatoes.

[@countrywyfe]

i love your set up. where did you get the plastic shelves.....thank you i would love to see a followup

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thanks! Followup video is in the making. I actually got this drawer system many years ago when my daughter was in college. But here’s a similar one I have bookmarked on Amazon for when I expand the setup: amzn.to/3mCvoZw

[@Hertz2laugh]

Thanks for sharing. I'll be starting my mealworm farm soon. Where did you source your original batch of mealworms (or beetles)? Also, do you bake your oats before putting them into the farm? I've heard that they can have mites and that baking the oats will kill the mites.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I ordered 1000 mealworms from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm. I did not bake the oats, they are organic rolled oats from Azure Standard, and I have never had an issue with mites. If you are worried about bugs, you can store them in the freezer for 2 weeks first, which will kill any bugs or eggs.

[@joegirardi-thegirardihomes9369]

If you are like me with no room in the freezer microwave for 2 minutes. I'd do it anyway regardless.

[@joegirardi-thegirardihomes9369]

​@@ittybiddyfarmI like a good deal. Uncle Jim's has a web only BOGO offer. I bought 10,000 for $109 and got another 10,000. I suggest the $10 for 1 day shipping. 5 days in the mail is just too much. 😉

[@sandrarichardson2713]

Thank you Itty Biddy---that was good info without all the hoopla...lol. I am going to start a farm pretty soon. One thing that keeps me holding off is the winter. Like you I wanted to keep them on the back porch (closed in) and not in the house, but it's so cold and I heard they really do not like it cold cold. How cold is your garage? And on the other hand...how hot does it get in the summer? I wouldn't want to freeze them to death nor burn them to death. Thanks for your help with this. Jesus bless.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Great question! I am in Florida & my garage doesn’t get colder than 65 even on the coldest days. I have not had the worm farm through the summer yet, but the garage never gets above 85, so I’m sure they will be fine. The biggest issue is moisture. Balancing enough moisture without letting the oatmeal mold is very important. Like I said in the video, I check often and remove the moisture source before it can mold. Summer humidity may tell a different tale. We shall see & I will update when the time comes. Thanks for watching!

[@sandrarichardson2713]

@@ittybiddyfarm Appreciate the response. I'll be getting mine this week so I can adjust to them gradually with the temps. I am along I-10 just inside the Texas line. Will have to play around with outdoor thermometers to see if there is a couple of different places for them--a winter home and summer home. lol Thanks again. Jesus bless.

[@Bossin302]

Great video as I am about to start doing this. Quick question, about how many mealworms to you yield per week? Subscribed 😊

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I honestly have no idea. I feed my chickens about 1/8 cup mealworms a week. Maybe 40-50 worms?

[@Bossin302]

@@ittybiddyfarm Thanks!

[@JunipersQuest]

Similar to caterpillars in a cocoon the worms go through Metamorphosis while they pupate.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Yes.

[@laisviana6295]

Thanks for the video, I loved the idead of putting the mesh on the first drawer! But whats the use of the 3rd drawer?

[@laisviana6295]

idea*

[@ittybiddyfarm]

The bottom drawer is for full grown mealworms (ready for chickens to eat). One day that drawer will be full of worms & not so many oats. 😊 Stay tuned for an update soon about how things are going 90 days after the first video. 😊

[@birdwatcher4147]

Thanks for the video, it is excellent. Am learning about this little hobby from great people like yourself. I was going to buy a kit, but they are just so hard to locate, so a wee bit of DIY. My question is what size is the mesh coming down. Thanks again and keep up the good work educating us.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Glad I could help. The mesh is a metal screen material that I hot glued to the plastic drawer. I’ve seen setups without the screen, but in those cases the beetles need to be moved into fresh substrate every couple weeks &/or the substrate needs to be sifted so that eggs are in a safe place to hatch. Thanks for watching!

[@ittybiddyfarm]

amzn.to/40qWP7L here is a link to a similar mesh to what I used. It’s .4mm and I would suggest not going bigger than a .6mm

[@audrey9718]

Yes! every feeder smells to me, but none of them are nearly as bad as crickets so i guess that's why people say they dont smell

[@ittybiddyfarm]

They definitely smell! 😉

[@Midn1ghtDew]

Hi, Thank you so much for the video. It's inspired me to try this out for my crested gecko 😊. Do you by any chance know what size mesh did you used for the top drawer? Like the overall diameter of the holes? I'm looking at getting a sheet online and the sizing is confusing 😅. The way it's worded is 10 x 0.9 = 1.64mm diameter. 10 squares per inch (a4 in overall size) by the thickness of the wire 0.9 = overall diameter of 1.64mm Thank you! 😁

[@ittybiddyfarm]

amzn.to/40qWP7L Here is a link to the size I used. It’s a fine mesh, like a window screen, except made of metal so the darklings cannot chew through it. I believe .4mm is how they measure it. I wouldn’t go smaller than that or bigger than .6mm

[@Midn1ghtDew]

@@ittybiddyfarm Thank you so much! 🙏 I really appreciate your content and the depth you go into in your video. You replied so quickly! Thank you 🤩.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thank you for watching!

[@yousifucv]

Do you manually move the hatched mealies from the second drawer to the bottom one?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Generally speaking we sort the boxes every 2-3 months, at which time we sift the nursery. The larger mealies go in the bottom drawer and anything small enough to sift out is then placed back in the nursery drawer. Stay tuned, we have a video coming out soon showing the process.

[@reneebrown2968]

Molt is the birthing process for darkling beetles

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thank you!

[@kreepergrimms]

found your video today after doing some research on mealworms, will definitely be doing this setup, my question is how many mealworms is the minimum to start with? I am doing this for a meal supplement for my chickens and just curious as to how small of a start can i be successful with, without it costing too much to start

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I started with 1000 mealworms & it’s been going for 15 months. That’s with feeding my chickens the occasional mealworm snack, maybe once a week. I have 8 chickens. I guess your answer would be based on the # of chickens & how often & how much you feed them, but that gives you an idea based on my experience.

[@jennp7536]

Hey! Do you have a video on how you clean out the substrate?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I made one but I haven’t edited it and put it on KZbin yet.

[@johnwilliam4950]

Thank you! Sorry if this has already been asked, but would it be ok to swap the top and middle drawers so the eggs drop straight into the mealworm section? I’m just starting out so any info would be greatly received! Thank you :).

[@ittybiddyfarm]

You can do that. Some people don’t even separate them at all. The reason I found this system to work best is so that there are no hungry worms to munch on the pupa. (As they will if they get thirsty or hungry). Also, it make moving beetles easier if you just have one drawer to chase them down in.

[@soul_desu]

I don't know if you're still answering questions but is the mesh you're using metal or plastic? And how did you put it on the bottom of the drawer? Glue? Staples? And do you move the meal worms from the second drawer to the third?

[@starrriaa]

i have the same set up and i bought a metal mesh from michaels but amazon and any crafts store sells them and i just cut square out of the under side of the bin and hot glued the mesh onto it and its been 6 months going strong

[@ittybiddyfarm]

The mesh is metal, hot glued to the bottom of the drawer, which was cut out. I do move the bigger mealworms from the middle to the bottom drawer from time to time.

[@moeshafreeney6761]

Can I use regular screen mesh or do the squares have to be a certain size

[@ittybiddyfarm]

It is metal, either aluminum or stainless steel. The size holes are like a window screen, except not nylon.

[@vickiabbott3838]

I've never tried raising mealworms, but I'm wondering if part of the smell problem is the broccoli cuts you're using for moisture. Broccoli stinks after I put the fat stem pieces in my kitchen garage can and I have to take out the trash within a day. Have you tried not using broccoli?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Yes. Actually, I use carrots many times or slices of potato. Sometimes green beans or zucchini ends. But great suggestion. No, the smell is more like rancid peanut butter.

[@jackietrent7819]

I would love to know where you purchased the container and what size it it? Please and Thank you

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I actually got this drawer system many years ago when my daughter was in college. But here’s a similar one I have bookmarked on Amazon for when I expand the setup: amzn.to/3mCvoZw

[@Kingdragon17]

When do you pick the babies out and put them in the bottom ? Once they are big enough to see ?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I actually sift the drawers every couple of months, so that’a when they go in the bottom drawers. I just filmed a video showing the process. Stay tuned for an update!

[@lis819]

👍

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thanks for watching & liking!

[@AAchurch]

Does the 2nd nursery space have screen also?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

It does not. Only the top has screen.

[@MaxwellSchutz]

How do the baby mealworms make it to the bottom layer where the fully grown worms are? Cheers

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I pick them out & put them there.

[@KevinMcGreevy]

In the second tray, how do you get the baby mealworms out to the bottom tray?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Once they’re large enough, you can either sift the substrate & frass, or just pick the big ones out to the bottom drawer. I prefer sifting.

[@mookfarr]

Mind sharing a link for the mesh material you use?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thanks for watching! I wish I had a link… it was some scrap we had laying around. If you look at a window screen, that’s the size holes and the mesh is metal. Any hardware store should have it, as well I believe Amazon carries it. Somewhere in the comments we talked about mesh size.

[@TwoSixVille]

Living in an apartment. During the summer, is it okay to leave the farm outside, cause the smell is what im worried about

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I guess it depends on the environment. We keep ours in the garage during the winter and on the enclosed porch during the summer. We live in a very hot and humid climate.

[@NeanderthalDogma]

I have the nursery on the bottom and eggs fall into mealworm drawer not sure which is better

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I’ve heard the mealies may eat the eggs if they aren’t getting enough moisture. I prefer to put the bigger mealies separate. 😉 I’m not sure which is best as I’ve never tried another method.

[@veraaddams]

Hello quick question how long do beetles live for ?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

2-3 months

[@ColossalSwordFormAndTechnique]

Do they need a heating cable or any heat source? 🤔

[@ittybiddyfarm]

They actually need a non-humid, not too hot climate, but no heating pad.

[@AdelardRen]

How and when do you transfer the baby mealworms into the mealworm bin? Do you just scoop them out when they are big enough, with your spoon like you do with the pupa and the hatchling beetles?

[@katieweeman5007]

Yeah I was wondering the same thing… I would think the mealworm drawer should be the middle drawer? So the eggs from the top drawer go into the worm drawer to then grow into a bigger worm…

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Yes, that is what happens. Eggs fall from the top to the middle, then we sort the larger mealworms to the bottom drawer every few weeks.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I sift them out. I have another video that I have not uploaded yet, but sifting the second drawer lets the teeny ones & eggs fall out, then we put the larger ones in the bottom drawer to finish out. Then the middle drawer gets fresh oats and the things that sifted through.

[@flipper123tlc]

I am wanting to get some Darkling Beatles where in the world do you get them I want to start the process

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I purchased 1000 mealworms from unclejimswormfarm.com in August 2022. I did not feed any to my chickens until they had pupated and emerged as beetles, then laid eggs, which became mealworms. Only then did I start feeding them to my chickens.

[@AshleyNCRealtor]

Does the middle drawer have mesh?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

No, it’s solid.

[@jimmysantos4454]

What do you do with the beetles after a while?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

They die after a few months & I scoop them out.

[@JB-mj7hg]

It's best to feed them to the chickens after 3-4 months. They are not really productive after 3-4 months, but they can easily live 8 months.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

@@JB-mj7hg Great point! However, unless you start a new drawer every 3 months, you’d have no way to know how old they are

[@orvinstrickler2130]

Where did you order your mealworms from?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Online. UncleJimsWormFarm

[@ckfarm9292]

So did you buy the 1,000 mealworms and let them hatch into the pupa ?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I purchased the mealworms. Instead of feeding them to the chickens, I let the pupate, then eclose as beetles, then lay eggs and start over. Now I have enough to feed chickens and keep the mealie farm going.

[@slicktires2011]

Do they eat regular plant leaves?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

They really like more substantial things like carrots potatoes or broccoli stems

[@flyngoat6681]

Wont the bottom drawer turn into beetles also ??

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Yes. I generally move the pupa to the “nursery”, then once they emerge as beetles, move them to the top drawer. I don’t usually leave the pupa in the bottom drawer because the bigger mealworms may eat them.

[@larrybenford5351]

How do you separate the worms from the oats?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Sifting.

[@vuelor7170]

Can you link to the 3 drawer you have there?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

This is a hand-me-down from my daughter’s college days. I have a link to a similar system here: Sterilite ClearView 3 Storage Drawer Organizer amzn.to/3qbsL2R

[@Drakelett]

How do the eggs get all the way from the top to the bottom?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

The eggs are in the middle drawer (nursery). They fall through the screen floor of the top drawer. Every few weeks I sift the middle drawer & put the mealworms into the bottom drawer. There are no eggs in the bottom drawer.

[@snapped4433]

BTW they can fly. Had a phew flying around when I was doing a big amount for my freinds

[@ittybiddyfarm]

They absolutely cannot fly. Their wings are fused. You must have something other than mealworm darklings.

[@reboot530]

How do you clean them?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

No cleaning. They eat all the debris. Once every 5 months or so I sift out the frass.

[@wrentidwell6090]

Do the beetle eggs then become meal worms ? I'm confused. How do the eggs get down to the bottom layer to become meal worms?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

The beetles lay eggs on the top drawer & the eggs fall down to the middle drawer because there is a screen mesh in the bottom of the top drawer. They hatch, then grow and grow & after a few weeks they are large enough to be sorted and moved to the bottom drawer. Or, I’ll dump the middle drawer into the bottom drawer & put new oatmeal to start the nursery over again. The nursery is the middle drawer.

[@mcdanielaugie]

How often do you add oatmeal

[@ittybiddyfarm]

After I sift the middle drawer, I put new oatmeal in there for the hatching eggs and teeny worms.

[@reboot530]

what 3 drawer do i need to buy?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

This is a hand-me-down from my daughter’s college days. I have a link to a similar system here: Sterilite ClearView 3 Storage Drawer Organizer amzn.to/3qbsL2R

[@royzellhenderson-ty6my]

What do you feed your meal worm

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Carrots, broccoli stems, damp cardboard, apple slices. Anything that will hold moisture but not be “juicy” & cause mold.

[@justingraham1205]

I get grain mites every time I try to do this. Any ideas? Do you have mite issues?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I have not had any issues. You may want to freeze the oats for 48 hours first to kill any eggs or bugs. I’d pop them in the dehydrator or oven after to be sure no moisture remains.

[@Adam-vj7dn]

You have to treat your oat bran first, either in the over for about 175f for 30 minutes or in the freezer until it's frozen thru, takes a day or 2. You'll also need to sanitize your enclosure if you are reusing it and do a thorough cleaning of the surrounding area to kill any mites that are currently living there.

[@justingraham1205]

Thanks!

[@jenf7309]

Just got mealworms and they’ve climbing all up the shoebox I put them in so now I’m confused on what to put them in

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Something plastic so it’s smooth. Anything with even the slightest grip will help them crawl and they LOVE cardboard (to eat).

[@mcdanielaugie]

How do you clean out your mealworm poo.? I think my shed is too humid in sc and I bottles escaping 😊

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I sift the worm drawer occasionally. Let me know if a video of that would be interesting. The humidity is not great for them. I had to move them from my garage to my porch due to high humidity. Be sure the sides are tall enough the beetles cannot reach the top edge. My beetles have never escaped, but I put too much substrate in the worms and many of them did! Now I put them in a cardboard box just in case.

[@carywebster3307]

Ive had lots of beetles for several weeks and still no sign of eggs hatching. Any idea whats wrong?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

The eggs take a few weeks to hatch and then the worms are so teeny you won’t even realize they are there until one day you start seeing their paper thin skins they outgrow! Keep a baby carrot or something in with the eggs so when they hatch they have moisture and that may help them grow faster!

[@grilspartn]

Update please? I've recently started keeping darkling beetles and im trying to decide exactly how i want to keep them before i put money into it

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Update? The process continues. I invested about $30 on the worms & a couple dollars on oats. The drawers I had around the house. The wire was about $2-3 and so I may have $40 in this project + moisture source.

[@grilspartn]

@@ittybiddyfarm I work with geckos and have been saving up pupae and Beetles for two months now. I still don't have any worms, I think my house is too cold. I've been buying organic fruit and giving them the scraps. Their favorite is banana peel and their second favorite is orange peel.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

The worms take a few weeks to be big enough to see once they hatch. It took me about 5 months before I saw any results. I almost gave up.

[@_Obey_]

Oh yeah, they do stink lmao and I don't think I got a especially sensitive nose at all. I'd love to do this but I got a bad fungus gnat investation and they sure LOVE to fester in all of my feeder insect bins. Maybe in summer so I can put them on the balcony.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Smelly!

[@ohroonoko]

Why don't you have the eggs drop into the mealworms drawer instead of in the nursery drawer?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

We spoon mealworms out every couple of day to feed our chickens. We would destroy a lot of eggs if we didn’t have this middle step. Stay tuned for our sorting video… coming soon!

[@candicehawkins2676]

Worm woman...have you had any problems with the darkling beetle chewing thru your screen. I found 4 beetles in my egg tray and researched the screen. There was 2 holes chewed by the edge where I glued it. They werent there 2 days ago. I used cloth screen since handling metal screen was too hard. In all the worming videos no one had this problems. What do you think?

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Hi. We used metal screen, so they can’t chew through it.

[@ashleyavalos127]

So do beats turn into mealworms

[@ittybiddyfarm]

The beetles lay eggs that then hatch into mealworms. The beetles live a few months then die, at which time I scoop them out.

[@oraliapugh5054]

How long can the beetle produce eggs

[@ittybiddyfarm]

They can live in the beetle stage for 2-3 months. They start laying eggs within 2 weeks of emerging & they will lay about 500 eggs each! Isn’t that amazing? Thanks for watching.

[@HamzalyFF]

@@ittybiddyfarm How can your chicks eat big beetles??

[@HamzalyFF]

@@ittybiddyfarm I think Larva is better for chickens or maggots

[@ittybiddyfarm]

These beetles are about 1/2” (not big at all).

[@falksvic]

You have the system backwards. The top should beetles with a screen bottom. 2nd tray for worms and 3rd for pupae only.

[@falksvic]

I do clean my 2nd every so often

[@ittybiddyfarm]

We have found that sorting the middle drawer and placing larger mealworms in the bottom drawer works best for us. We feed the large worms to our chickens, generally the pupae are moved to the egg drawer (nursery) to keep from accidentally scooping them up at snack time.

[@markem9415]

Emerge or hatch

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thanks

[@ETSalvador1984]

Metamorphosis is the word, not hatch

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Thanks. Someone used the term “eclose” to replace “hatch”. Metamorphosis happens before the worms eclose. 😊

[@arthomarts8034]

If you give then pineapple then the Beatles will fly. It happened to me an dit was so weird

[@ittybiddyfarm]

These darkling beetles cannot fly, their wings are fused under their exoskeleton.

[@MrMetalpunx]

Oh for your chickens…… I thought you just hated oatmeal 😂

[@ittybiddyfarm]

😂

[@ittybiddyfarm]

🤣

[@ColossalSwordFormAndTechnique]

I believe it’s called evolved 🤣

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Another commenter said it’s “eclosed” when the beetle emerges from the pupae stage.

[@GamingRealmOfTheGods]

I don’t understand why the nursery is the center and mealworms in the bottom. Don’t you use the nursery for the Pupa? Wouldn’t you want to put the nursery at the top? The point is the mesh bottom is for the eggs to fall into the mealworm bin as a self shorter so all we would need to do is move pupa over the the nursery. Although, every time I see the drawers being used the nursery is in the center.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Actually, the you want the pupa in the nursery so they are not snacked upon while transforming into darklings. The eggs & newly hatched mealworms do not harm the pupa, while the larger mealworms or darklings would find them a tasty source of moisture. I’ve found that placing the pupa in the nursery results in less death in pupa stage or damaged darklings. Keep in mind the nursery is where the eggs and newly hatched mealworms live, therefore they must be under the darkling bin (which has the mesh bottom). If you let the eggs and newly hatched mealworms fall into the mealworms drawer, you’d be scooping out eggs and baby mealworms when you feed your critters. Nope, large mealworms are in a drawer by themselves, darklings are in a drawer by themselves, and eggs, newly hatched mealies, and pupa are together for their safety.

[@joegirardi-thegirardihomes9369]

Don't know who is spreading the rumor but wheatbran is NOT cheap. Oatmeal is cheap cornmeal is cheap.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

That’s the same in my area. Whatever is cheapest… they’re worms, just feed them and then feed them to some critter.

[@andrewhenderson6544]

Humans eat bugs, very nutritious.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

I hope I never know. 😅

[@andrewhenderson6544]

@@ittybiddyfarm If you don't eat these, what's the purpose? If you're ever in a situation where you starve, these WILL keep you alive whereas plants will not.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Yes, many cultures eat bugs & in a survival situation, I’m sure I would as well. However, we raise these for our chickens. They love a tasty treat and in turn lay good eggs for us to eat. A tradeoff.

[@andrewhenderson6544]

@@ittybiddyfarm That's a lot of work considering there are millions of bugs on your property already more than likely and chickens spend the vast majority of their time pecking for said bugs.

[@ittybiddyfarm]

It’s not much work at all & our chickens cannot free range, therefore their animal protein is limited without supplement. The mealworm farm allows me to inexpensively provide this snack for them. Don’t worry, they get plenty of other bug snacks from rotting wood and garden munchers, but this is an easy way to treat them.

[@SHIEET817]

You will eat ze bugs

[@ittybiddyfarm]

🤣

[@shaunblade2116]

Proud Piece of shieet

[@toddwynn1968]

They love toilet paper cardboard rolls and get some buffalo Beatle for cleaning

[@oceancommando7309]

what is buffalo beetle

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Interesting… I will have to look into that. Unfortunately I do not have room in the 3-drawer bin for tp rolls (too shallow) but I have considered creating a larger farm for future mealworm generations, as it is getting quite crowded in the darkling bun, so I know the nursery will boom soon! Thanks for the info and thanks for watching!

[@ittybiddyfarm]

Smaller beetles that do not compete with mealworm resources.