Mealworm colony too big?

[biggiy05]

Last year I decided that I would start another mealworm colony since Piglet was going through worms like the apocalypse was coming. Then Briley came and after a long stint of not eating she starts devouring worms too so the colony worked out well.

We moved and the beetles took a hit and I'm guessing from the garage. No big deal, I've got plenty of worms to get Piglet and Briley through. Fast forward to today and I've got a huge colony going. I've put an ad up on craigslist offering mealworms for sale at a reasonable price but I haven't had much luck.

My concern is that I've got way too many beetles and not enough reptiles. What should I do about the mass amount of beetles I have? I'd hate to just dump the majority outside but I'm not sure I have any other options. The majority of the worms are in the fridge to keep from going into the pupae stage.

 

[Dog Shrink]

I know there is only like 1 person that sells them on ebay and also amazon. That could work for you if you don't mind the shipping thing. I know people would eat them up if they're reasonable, like includes shipping is one of the big things I love seeing for on line orders Also I know my local petstore has a hella time keeping them in stock. Also bait shops if you have any local might be a place to try and sell them as well.

 

[goReptiles]

I would be leery of eBay, as ice been told you are not supposed to sell live on eBay. There was one seller years ago who sold crickets and worms, and ebay figured it out closed all of their ads. I purchased from them regularly till then. They shot me an email after one order and told me that. I continued buying from them via their site for a while.

 

[biggiy05]

I know there is only like 1 person that sells them on ebay and also amazon. That could work for you if you don't mind the shipping thing. I know people would eat them up if they're reasonable, like includes shipping is one of the big things I love seeing for on line orders Also I know my local petstore has a hella time keeping them in stock. Also bait shops if you have any local might be a place to try and sell them as well.

I think you're following me around Kel. :main_laugh:

I thought about the shipping but can't justify it yet because of the cost of buying the shipping materials. I need to look into the bait shops...well first I need to see if there are any bait shops around here.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

As long as the temps are okay, you can ship postal in a free priority mail box for around $5. 2-3 days to most destinations won't hurt the worms a bit as long as they have a piece of veg for water. When I've ordered worms, both supers and meals, from Michigan to Florida it's been fine. Also, you could offer beetles or starter colonies. I don't know about winter shipping tho. Whatever you do, don't turn them loose! If you have to dispose of any just freeze to be sure they won't be introduced into the eco system.

 

[Dog Shrink]

I think you're following me around Kel. :main_laugh:

Noooo I'm no stalker... any impression of following you is strictly coincidental :main_yes: I just read the new posts in order as they appear and click the ones that interest me... Maybe your posts just interest me more than others do

 

[tastyworms]

You might try calling a few local wildlife rehabilitators. They might have use of them. I know some people feed the beetles to oscars, and other large pet fish. So an aquaria forum might be a good place to ask.

I did get a call from Ward's Scientific once looking to buy beetles. You might try giving them a call and see if they want them. They sell them to schools and such for biology classes.

The rule on EBAY is that you can sell live insects, but you have to list them with overnight shipping. Most people list them as overnight shipping included, and then send them with some cheaper method. Just be prepared to give people their money back if they die (they probably won't in the fall). I just checked, and I didn't see anyone selling any Darkling Beetle colonies.

Like FL Orchid Slave said - Do not turn them loose. Kill them as a last resort. We don't need any more illegal insects around here in Florida .

 

[artgecko]

You can always feed the extra worms to the birds. Just need a feeder that holds them. Not sure if birds would eat the beetles though.

 

[biggiy05]

Like FL Orchid Slave said - Do not turn them loose. Kill them as a last resort. We don't need any more illegal insects around here in Florida .

You won't have to worry about that as I'm in Ohio. =P

I like the idea of getting a bearded dragon as he/she would help keep the colony under control and the beetles can breed as much as they want. The fiancee is not to thrilled with that idea at the moment.

I've got an empty butter container full of worms in the fridge. Probably no less than 500 with room to spare. I'll let the beetles keep going for the time being as I would like to get a beardie after the first of the year. Possibly another leopard gecko but I've gotta get through physical therapy for my shoulder before I can do any of that.

If I do need to thin the number of beetles I have I will be sure to freeze them first and not let them loose outside regardless of how cold it is up here, especially as of late. The bird feeder idea sounds neat and I might do that just to see what type of birds I attract.

Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[ZooKeeperKarin]

Bluebirds LOVE mealworms, especially to feed their young in the spring. (Maybe you could get in touch with Audobon members).

I like the wildlife rehab idea. I donate all my extras to a brain injury wildlife program (the people have brain injuries, not the wildlife!).

You could also call the local elementary schools. I know our school breeds their own for class projects but I'll bet many buy!

Do you have a local zoo? If they don't need them they probably have a list a mile long of who would!

 

[biggiy05]

Bluebirds LOVE mealworms, especially to feed their young in the spring. (Maybe you could get in touch with Audobon members).

I like the wildlife rehab idea. I donate all my extras to a brain injury wildlife program (the people have brain injuries, not the wildlife!).

You could also call the local elementary schools. I know our school breeds their own for class projects but I'll bet many buy!

Do you have a local zoo? If they don't need them they probably have a list a mile long of who would!

Well I did a mass cleaning today. I've been keeping up on the sorting but today I went through and got rid of every last piece waste. I have fewer adult mealworms than I thought but a good number of small mealworms that are growing.

I'll keep those ideas in mind when I have a surplus.