Mealworms...

[bry12345]

I just got my first order of 1000 mealworms from rainbow mealworms. I've got them in a plastic container with Great Value whole grain oats and some potato cuts. I have a few questions...

1) Getting them into the container was a real chore. What's the easiest/fastest/best way to get them out of the bag and the newspaper?

2) When I change out these oats in a month, how exactly do I separate the worms from the oats?

 

[acpart]

1. transferring the mealworms: get a big plastic bin. Take out the newspaper and smooth it into the bin, shaking off mealworms as you go. Turn the bag inside out and brush off the mealworms. It's a pain in the neck, only not the neck. Then you can pour the bin of mealworms into your smaller container. I also put the bin on some spread out newspaper in case some of the worms fall out of the bin

2. separating worms: your best bet is to use your blender to pulverize the oats, otherwise you're going to be hand-picking mealworms out. With powdered bedding, you can use a sifter. I find no need to change out the bedding. Eventually, though, the powdered bedding becomes all powdered mealworm droppings and then I sift out the mealworms and discard the droppings.

Aliza

 

[bry12345]

1. transferring the mealworms: get a big plastic bin. Take out the newspaper and smooth it into the bin, shaking off mealworms as you go. Turn the bag inside out and brush off the mealworms. It's a pain in the neck, only not the neck. Then you can pour the bin of mealworms into your smaller container. I also put the bin on some spread out newspaper in case some of the worms fall out of the bin

2. separating worms: your best bet is to use your blender to pulverize the oats, otherwise you're going to be hand-picking mealworms out. With powdered bedding, you can use a sifter. I find no need to change out the bedding. Eventually, though, the powdered bedding becomes all powdered mealworm droppings and then I sift out the mealworms and discard the droppings.

Aliza

Thanks, Aliza!

I have another question. So far, I've been feeding him every day since he's still a baby. However, how much should I be? I've been giving 15 dusted mealies once a day. Sometimes he'll eat them all, other times there will be two or three left in the container.

 

[JessJohnson87]

General rule of thumb is feed what they will eat in 15-20 minutes and take out the remaining. Some days they will eat more than others.

 

[acpart]

With mealworms it's not a problem to just leave them in the dish for snacking. I usually have extras in there for my juvies.

Aliza

 

[strhunter2]

for my mealworms i use corn meal and corn grits instead of oats then i made a sifter from craft mesh... its like a plastic mesh, and it makes cleanup soooo much easier