Mealworms 2 questions

[LRM]

Has anyone grown their own Meal Worms? I downloaded some information from RSPB but it doesn’t give a lot of detail. How long do they take to reproduce? If I bought some mealworms now, how long before they develop into beetles and produce more larvae? How many would I need to buy now in order to keep the robins and blackbirds well supplied in the spring breeding season? How easy? Would I need an incubator? I believe it said 25C.


Second question- Bit late now, but if anyone knows anything it would be interesting. When I first started buying mealworms, a wet March in 2008 for an early baby Robin, I bought a small tub, which hardly smelt, but then I was tempted into buying a large tub, much better value. But when I opened it, it smelled very strong, like a chemical smell. Since then other small tubs have a faint odour but not unpleasant, this was definitely not nice. It was too far to travel back to the store and when I did go back 2 months later, I forgot to take it with me. I tried contacting the RSPB but either my text didn’t go through or they didn’t answer, so I didn’t buy any for awhile, as they are so expensive. But as it was so wet, I eventually bought small tubs locally, which have been alright even when they were nearly out of date!

As far as I remember the Robin and Blackbirds didn’t touch the few I put out, but the Rooks ate them. But I was worried about them so didn’t put any more out, as I think some of them are produced in China and since there have been scares about toxic cat food, I think, and toys, not to mention the baby milk in China, I wasn’t keen on possibly poisoning the birds. It’s a shame as these big tubs were much cheaper than the equivalent small tubs.

[Dinasaw]

Hello LRM! I don't know about mealworms BUT my feeling would be that 'farming' your own could get messy! and you could need special arrangements to stop them getting everywhere - ooooh-er! As for the smelly ones you bought, if it was an ammonia-like smell, wouldn't that indicate they had 'gone off' ?? I hope someone can give you a helpful answer - maybe they were all watching the dancing on TV.

[fluff11]

Originally Posted by LRM

Has anyone grown their own Meal Worms? I downloaded some information from RSPB but it doesn’t give a lot of detail. How long do they take to reproduce? If I bought some mealworms now, how long before they develop into beetles and produce more larvae? How many would I need to buy now in order to keep the robins and blackbirds well supplied in the spring breeding season? How easy? Would I need an incubator? I believe it said 25C.


Second question- Bit late now, but if anyone knows anything it would be interesting. When I first started buying mealworms, a wet March in 2008 for an early baby Robin, I bought a small tub, which hardly smelt, but then I was tempted into buying a large tub, much better value. But when I opened it, it smelled very strong, like a chemical smell. Since then other small tubs have a faint odour but not unpleasant, this was definitely not nice. It was too far to travel back to the store and when I did go back 2 months later, I forgot to take it with me. I tried contacting the RSPB but either my text didn’t go through or they didn’t answer, so I didn’t buy any for awhile, as they are so expensive. But as it was so wet, I eventually bought small tubs locally, which have been alright even when they were nearly out of date!

As far as I remember the Robin and Blackbirds didn’t touch the few I put out, but the Rooks ate them. But I was worried about them so didn’t put any more out, as I think some of them are produced in China and since there have been scares about toxic cat food, I think, and toys, not to mention the baby milk in China, I wasn’t keen on possibly poisoning the birds. It’s a shame as these big tubs were much cheaper than the equivalent small tubs.

the majority of mealworms are bred in belgium then imported over here,we buy in maybe 20kg a week.make sure you keep plenty of bran in with them or they can sweat and get smelly.

[Cowgirl]

Just to tag onto this question, To stop them pupating I was told to keep them in the fridge but the fridge I use is approx 1C (beer fridge!), is that too cold?

[Tringa]

Don't know about breeding them, but none of the tubs of mealworms I have bought have had any sort of smell, unless I kept them for too long.

I think if they were smelly when you bought them were probably a bit old.

[fluff11]

the fridge would be too cold,they need a something like a icecream container to be stored in,provide them with plenty of bran(this will prevent them getting sweaty),store them in a frost free place, and if your feeling really nice throw them a slice of bread or banana skin to eat

[Elizabeth B]

Originally Posted by Dinasaw

Hello LRM! I don't know about mealworms BUT my feeling would be that 'farming' your own could get messy! and you could need special arrangements to stop them getting everywhere - ooooh-er!

We used to breed mealworms, and didn't have any problem with them getting everywhere. The ones that had been "farmed" ready for offering to the birds were kept in an open 2 litre ice cream box on the dining room table (unless we had visitors).

The "breeding chambers" were buckets which stood on our rather elderly boiler which provided the ideal temperature for propagation. Sadly, the boiler had to be replaced, and the utility room is now too cold, so we save a lot of money on our gas bills - and buy mealworms online!

[Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by fluff11

the fridge would be too cold,they need a something like a icecream container to be stored in,provide them with plenty of bran(this will prevent them getting sweaty),store them in a frost free place, and if your feeling really nice throw them a slice of bread or banana skin to eat

Thanks for that fluff, no wonder they didn't seem to last long!

[Dinasaw]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth B

We used to breed mealworms, and didn't have any problem with them getting everywhere.

I am very relieved to know that! I fancied they would be very wriggly, and get out ...... Years ago when I was but a child, my dad put a harvest of apples to store under my bed ( my room was very cold ) and one morning I found I was sharing my sleeps with a harvest of maggots! So you can see my uneasiness with mealworm breeding. Sorry!

[gillwrig]

LOL - I accidentially made some last year .

I thought I would feed them to my rescue hedgehogs for a treat and to help them to learn how to catch "real insects" once they went back out. Well the hedgehogs didn't want to know and the mealworms all escaped out of the bottom of the crates - I'm still finding the adult beetles now. Somewhere in my spare room there is probably a huge mealworm factory

Never did find the silkworms that I fed to them either ... lord knows what they turn into.

Gill