Mealworm feedback requested

[Sue and her hens]

Hello,

This is my first time visiting this forum... thanks for the access!

I raised chickens for many years, got busy with other things, but recently got a few for the company and fresh eggs and decided to raise some mealworms as well to supplement their diet. I've had no problems at all generating pupae and beetles.

I have done a lot of reading about the process and have provided the recommended temp typically is about 71) and humidity in the area has run about 37-41% which is well below the recommendations I've read. I have monitored the bins for signs of mold regularly.

The egg bin that I sifted out from the beetles in mid February has shown no signs of hatching which has been concerning to me, and today I was really bummed to discover that it was suddenly loaded with mold so I pitched it. That was not the case three days ago, there was good air flow to the bin, and it was not overloaded with anything that would produce too much moisture.

I have a second egg bin that I sifted out a week ago that is showing minimal signs of mold developing. If I move it to a cooler, drier area and provide no moisture, is there any possible hope that I can salvage them?

I have a ton of beetles, but am running really low on pupae, and I'm very close to the end of my original supply of 3k adult worms. I have invested a good bit of $$ and a whole lot of time, only to lose a lot of potential worms. I am hoping there are some successful mealworm farmers in who would be willing to offer some, and even better some in Washington County, Oregon (or reasonably close) who would be willing to share a new colony to help me get going again.

All good wishes,
Sue

 

[ChickNanny13]

Glad you joined us You'll enjoy learning and all the informations out there.

I've raised MW in the past, never had any issues and they do multiply. Excuse my ignorance but what's an "egg bin"? I used a clear plastic storage bin with no lid. The substrate was wheat bran from a natural food store that I froze for several days (kills any critters). Then filled my bin, left for a day to "defrost" to room temp.

Added MW and that was that ... They do prefer warmer temps, no clue about humidity, not sure where you read that. What are you feeding? Adding moisture?

There's a lot of info online, you can do a search here for a thread also. Here are some links ...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/se..._comments]=1&c[include_reviews]=1&o=relevance

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/raising-meal-worms-to-separate-or-not-to-separate.1443162/

https://www.knowyourchickens.com/raising-mealworms/

 

[jlwquilter]

Hello! Welcome!
I’m new at mealworms and have done a ton of research as well but real life is different than just reading lol.
Your temp seem on the low side as does the ambient humidity. Temps should be closer to 77 degrees if you can make that happen. Low temps will slow down the egg hatching. And preferred humidity is closer to 60-70%. For reference, humans generally prefer 40-60% humidity.

Eggs take 7-14 days to hatch with 10 days being the norm. If you sifted in mid February, it’s only a week later…? Maybe they need a few more days especially with a slightly lower temp and relative humidity.

What exactly is molding? The wheat bran? You don’t need any food/water source in the egg bin until you get larvae. If it’s the wheat bran I’d guess it was damp to begin with. Did you heat treat it before adding it to your bin?

Beetles only live 2-3 months so getting mass die offs is common in a cyclical fashion.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Freeze the Wheat Bran upon purchase for a few days, defrost well before adding mealworms. The molding would be the Wheat Bran, due to over moisture from humidity is my guess. The "heat" is what's important ... Mine did better when temps were in the 80's and humidity around 60% ... I live in HI; they flourished during the Summer months; humidity can be issue due to the rains but I never had an issue with mold.

Got lazy once & didn't freeze prior, ended up with "grain" mites in the room I had the container. That was no fun.