What trays to use for raising mealworms?

Leave your questions in the comments, I'll respond to them all!
#mealworms #livemealworms #howtoraisemealworms #geckos #leopardgecko #crestedgecko #beardies #beardeddragon #reptiles #feeders #insects #bluebird #bluebirds #chickens #chickenfeed #urbanchickens #backyardchickens #smallbusiness #homestead #homesteading #ducks #duckfeed #themealwormguy #livemealworms #quail #quailfeed #process

[@kristinec212]

Loving your videos very helpful.

[@MidwestMealworms]

Thank you!

[@lostinspace2780]

I personally use the 6 quart shoe/storage boxes. (2.48 each at Lowes). The tops are cut out and screen is glued on for ventilation. If I stack them, I make little legs out of PVC (about 1" long) and glue them on the bottom so that the lower box can 'breathe'. Easy clean and add as many as needed to hold all of the worms and beetles. Also, I glue in a mesh bottom on a couple of them (for the beetles) so I can stack them over another container so the eggs drop thru. I simply move the beetle containers to new containers every 2 or 3 weeks so I have a constant supply of new eggs. So far it is working for my small chicken flock.

[@MidwestMealworms]

That's an awesome setup, it would be cool to see a video of it to get more configurations out there for people to see!

[@lostinspace2780]

@@MidwestMealworms I will see what I can do. It is really simple for a beginner or to raise a few thousand worms every few months or so.

[@lostinspace2780]

@@MidwestMealworms kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGmoXoGKf5uan9k

[@gileletricistateresopolisr2273]

Parabéns pelo trabalho! Qual quantidade de larvas pode colocar em cada caixa sabendo a dimensão da caixa,,, exemplo caixa 40cm x60cm pode colocar quantas larvas, como calcular sendo dimensão maior ou menor??? Obrigado

[@MidwestMealworms]

It depends on the size of the larvae and the temp of your environment.

[@human5258]

Hello and thank you for everything you share! Do you use the stackable trays of 145 mm height or 190?

[@MidwestMealworms]

You're welcome! 145mm.

[@navaloncho]

Hello! what about design a tower with dough trays, but leaving the open space as it has the blue ones. All setups I see they are very tight between trays. The blue trays are 15cm tall, just design from bottom to bottom of the trays 15cm...

[@MidwestMealworms]

Before the blue trays, I had hundreds of white trays. I built wooded towers for them. They work, but you have to pull / push every single tray to feed and see the tray. The blue ones fix that issue.

[@gileletricistateresopolisr2273]

Parabéns pelo trabalho! Estou usando caixa plastica de misturar cimento, encontrei alguns besouros no chão sera que terei que colocar tela?? Os seus besouros também foge?? Obrigado

[@MidwestMealworms]

I do find them out of the trayd sometimes, usually just from us dropping them during processing. They can also climb vertical surfaces if the surfaces are dirty....

[@joeyfritz9249]

I’ve been using oats for my substrate and find it hard to sift through. What would you recommend? Please help

[@MidwestMealworms]

Wheat bran.

[@raytripp6155]

Where do you get the stackable ones?

[@MidwestMealworms]

I'm assuming you are asking about the blue ones? Those are from Beekenkamp in the Netherlands. I have been buying them from Tricycle.eco in Canada but lately that's been a struggle...

[@1337farm]

When can I buy blue trays from Midwest mealworm company?

[@MidwestMealworms]

I've done that in the past, it's not fun. Freight companies hit me with big fees after delivery, it was a big pain. If you want to handle all freight or pickup directly from me, I'm open to it.

[@song9663]

this video is super helpful to me :) I have questions. don't mealworms eat the box out at all? I've heard that mealworms eat everything including plastics. and how many kilograms of mealworms can stay in one tray? normally.

[@MidwestMealworms]

The mealworms do eat plastic, but they need to be able to get their tiny mouth around it. The large flat surface makes it impossible for them....think of it like a human trying to eat a wall. Quantity depends on age, tray size, temp, and humidity. Too many variables to have a clear cut answer unfortunately.

[@song9663]

​@@MidwestMealworms thank you for ur answer. I wonder how you get rid of the dead old darkling beetles. and if i decide to buy some for raising mealworms and superworms, what sizes(?) of them are good for buying to breed for the first time?

[@MidwestMealworms]

@@song9663 remove dead beetles: use an egg carton or paper towel, pour them on, wait 2 mins, then flip it over. The live cling to it. Buying larvae will work, if you get beetles make sure they are less than a week old when shipped, the beetles lay most of their eggs in the first few months of life.