You have decided to start your own farm raising mealworms. Perhaps among those wiggly small critters you are searching for a great lunch for your beloved pets. No matter which tickles your palate, you are not alone looking for alternative source of proteins. Mealworm farming is less frightening than it sounds. Continue reading?
They really are hardly worms at all first of all. What they are, larvae of beetles. Still, let’s not be really technical since who has time for that science mumbo jumble? You really only need a shallow container. You are aware of the vintage plastic storage bins gathering neglect in the basement? great! Straighten it then drill some holes in the lid. Not even mealworms—none likes stuffy motels.
Then the agenda calls for bedding. Old oatmeal, wheat bran, chicken feed lying about will work marvels for your young larvae. Layered like lasagna, cover the bottom of the container one to two inches apart. Mealworms bury themselves in bedding and munch down. It looks like their concept of breakfast in bed.
Remember the moisture; call off the presses! Mealworms needs to be somewhat wet to offset their dry diet. To keep them hydrinated and nutritious, throw some fresh potatoes slices or carrots monthly. Just keep in mind to replace them should they start to seem as though they have partied too much.
Put it very simply: provide food, space, moisture, and voilà! Your mealworms will soon be tangoing in their life cycle. Little larvae will develop into pupae, which become beetles. Not exactly a butterfly, but they have certain appeal. They then lay eggs, and in a few weeks you will have a batch of fresh larvae. This cycle offers your pets a continuous, renewable source and will recur like clockwork.
One also gives temperature some thought. Keep it heated, as your cappuccino is. Nobody likes to be forgotten in the winter embrace. Therefore, consider that your farm should be in a good location far from direct sunlight or drafty window.