keeping/ breeding/ sorting mealworms???

[daniellebluetoo]

HELP!

I really really need to get this under control, I tried, and failed MISERABLY I might ad, to the point where I killed about 10K mealies.......

Here lies the problem, I need to find a way to keep them that is NOT smelly, and by not smelly I don't mean to you and I , I mean to John Q public.

My partner, who is BARELY tolerant to my reptile hobby, is VERY intolerant of the SMELL, I tell him it's nothing, I get dirty looks and ordered to leave the feeders on the porch..... (which is how they died, I forgot to check on them thru out the day, and the sun came around and lit up the porch and BAKED then, litterally in the tub!)... WELL THAT CERTAINLY DID SMELL!

So please please PLEASE enlighten me, all you mealworm growers keepers and feeders of, HOw on earth do you all keep your mealies? whats YOUR system?
Please point me in the right direction.. I beg of you, my partners life ( cause I'm going to kill him if he keeps bit*#ing at me) and thousands of future feeders depend on it!

Thanks in advance, D

 

[clear]

i use 12qt sterilite tubs with oatmeal, wheat germ, baby cereal, dry milk as the substrate and put carrots, apples, potatoes on top for moisture. I can keep a lot in each one, once they start to morph i move them to another container to start fresh. the substrate smells a little but its not something unbareable. Also try to keep them about 75F, to cold and they will die and to warm they will grow a lot faster.

 

[HepCatMoe]

i just keep mine on oatmeal. i cant smell anything except the oatmeal.

 

[wings2fly]

Do any of you have problem with mold growing from the carrots, potatoes, etc. that are put in for moisture?
Do you have a lot of die off?

Carin

 

[clear]

I hardly have any die off and i only put enough in that will get eatin in a day or 2.

 

[roaches42993]

i use 12qt sterilite tubs with oatmeal, wheat germ, baby cereal, dry milk as the substrate and put carrots, apples, potatoes on top for moisture. I can keep a lot in each one, once they start to morph i move them to another container to start fresh. the substrate smells a little but its not something unbareable. Also try to keep them about 75F, to cold and they will die and to warm they will grow a lot faster.

Same as you except I dont use baby cereal or dry milk and I also move the beetles to a new container after they have been in one for a month or two because they eat the offspring .

 

[Halley]

I put up to 30,000 in a 15-qt Sterilite tub. I use chicken feed, grinder up in a food processor, which takes the feed, and makes it into small piece, so that the mealworms are easy to shift out. I don't separate mealworms, form pupa, or the beetles, by the time the worms hatch, the beetles are dead. When the worms get big enough, I shift them out and give them new beading. It might help if you gave them a little heat as well, they do best around 80. I would also keep four tubs. This way one as worms growing, one has worms you can feed, one has pupa, and one has breeding beetles. That way you always have some.

I use a colander to shift mine out.

 

[moosassah]

We're a much smaller operation since we're only feeding 4 pet leos. I'd suggest cutting your potatoes/carrots thinner if you are ending up with mold. My husband makes salads for lunch so I always snag his carrot shavings & toss them in the bucket. I'm betting that the smell you had was from the mold, not the bedding or mealies. Good luck getting the right combination!

 

[clear]

Same as you except I dont use baby cereal or dry milk and I also move the beetles to a new container after they have been in one for a month or two because they eat the offspring .

I honestly didnt know they did eat the offspring, i always have tons of babies. I guess i will start moving them around each month thanks for the input!

 

[Paco]

???????

HELP!

I really really need to get this under control, I tried, and failed MISERABLY I might ad, to the point where I killed about 10K mealies.......

Here lies the problem, I need to find a way to keep them that is NOT smelly, and by not smelly I don't mean to you and I , I mean to John Q public.

My partner, who is BARELY tolerant to my reptile hobby, is VERY intolerant of the SMELL, I tell him it's nothing, I get dirty looks and ordered to leave the feeders on the porch..... (which is how they died, I forgot to check on them thru out the day, and the sun came around and lit up the porch and BAKED then, litterally in the tub!)... WELL THAT CERTAINLY DID SMELL!

So please please PLEASE enlighten me, all you mealworm growers keepers and feeders of, HOw on earth do you all keep your mealies? whats YOUR system?
Please point me in the right direction.. I beg of you, my partners life ( cause I'm going to kill him if he keeps bit*#ing at me) and thousands of future feeders depend on it!

Thanks in advance, D

Sounds Like you need a new partner( unless it's a loved one)? JMO. If this guy/girl is your "Partner" and can't deal with what you are doing to take care of your animals and make a business succeed. He/she needs to be educated on the subject. How can you have a business partner who will not let you do what needs to be done to make the business move forward. Thats detramental. I only see problems for you in the future. You better sit this guy down and tell him how it's gonna work and needs to work, or the business will fail. Maybe that knowledge will change his mind and he can get used to a few smells. Another way you can solve smell problems would be to Invest in an VERY GOOD air purifier/cleaner and not one of those cheap things you can pic up at any Local store. Trust me these are crap. This might help your situation greatly. May cost a bit but smells could become a non issue with the right unit.

 

[daniellebluetoo]

LOL...........

Intersting insight Paco,

well, my "partner" is my life partner, no, I'm not gay,

*(not that there's anything wrong with that)*.....

I just find it REAL hard, at well, MY AGE, to call him my BOYFRIEND, it just doesn't sound right, and yes partner sounds gay, but what ya gonna do?.....LOL......


SO I let his naggin get to me and put these poor critters out on the deck in an enclosed container over night, and the next day the sun hit the box and they COOKED in it and with the moisture/condensation from the veggies I gave them the day before, well..... lets just say it wasn't pretty!

I think maybe, if I have abig enough box, and enough bedding/dry food stuffs, it *might* be ok....

PACO, can you recomend a GOOD air filtration unit? If I move this box into a closet or something WITH an air purifier, that might be another solution.......

I too use a pasta strainer to sift thru them, but what do you do if you have different sizes in one box? Different size strainers? Does any one market these?....lol.... size 00 for baby mealies, size 01 for small, size02 for med.... and so on and so forth? If not some one needs to get on that, could be something big! :main_thumbsup:

THanks for all the tips guys!
Thankfully I've been a customer of sunshine mealworms, and was able to order them for a midweek delivery!

 

[clear]

If you are having a smell come from mealworms something is def wrong, the only thing you should smell from mealworms and superworms is the oatmeal! Remove your worms and start with a new container. Mix a decent substrate and start off feeding alittle bit of carrots and potatoes. They should be gone by the next day or atleast no longer than 2 days. Remove any that are dead that you see. I keep all my insects in a closet and the only thing you can smell is the roaches but isnt bad! Always remove the dead!

 

[roaches42993]

I honestly didnt know they did eat the offspring, i always have tons of babies. I guess i will start moving them around each month thanks for the input!

It only happens if you dont feed them enough and if you have more then 1k I wouldn't even worry about it .