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More farm questions!

Posted By: Anonymous

More farm questions! - 08/17/06 03:41 PM

Well my worms finally came in. I put them in a ziplock container with holes in the top and sides. I used the oatmeal, baby cereal, and bran flakes recipe. I don't have any paper towels so I folded up some toilet paper and put some carrots on that. Is that ok? When I put the paper over the mixture should I place it over the whole thing or just half? How often do I need to replace the veggies and the mixture? What does it mean when some of the worms are white? How many worms can live in the same container? Also I was wondering if any one has a picture of what a pupae looks like. Sorry for so many questions! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 04:09 PM

Sorry I can`t answer your question about the toilet paper, personally I would and do use paper towels. I leave carrots in there for only one day and take them out. You don`t need carrots in there every day though, they do eat the oatmeal mixture. Don`t worry about the white mealies, they turn white for only a short time and turn the normal color again. I think it`s a stage when they grow. You can still feed them when they`re white, my gliders love them! I`ve never worried about the amount of mealies in the same container, just make sure you have enough of the oatmeal mixture for them. Also, I only cover about 1/4 of the mixture with paper towels, I fold it up but I don`t think that even matters, I just know they like to crawl in between the paper towels. Sorry I don`t have a pic of any pupaes but maybe someone else will. You`ll know them when you see them, believe me lol. I think I covered everything, maybe someone will be along to know about the toilet paper. Good luck!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 04:21 PM

Okay the container sounds good.
The potty paper may be eaten next time you check, but it will do for a quick feed fix, how about some napkins? Got any? Anyways, I just place a folded piece in the center, they will flock to the moisture of the veggie, placing it over half would be fine too. I feed the veggies to my farms like two to three times a week, sometimes four. The white worms have just shed their exoskeleton and are very tender, this indicates that they have just molted. They will molt like this 9 or more times before becoming a pupa (or alien). I have a container about the size of a shoe box and I have seen up to 1000 plus worms gradually grow in this size container from hatchlings. Of course they grow slow, so any sudden change from one large container to a small one, may shock them, but as long as you have plenty of mixture and good ventilation, they should be fine. Here's some fairly decent pictures from a website:

http://www.district196.org/sv/classconn/classrooms/second/Menas/insects/insect.html

Hey Party, do you plan on allowing all of your mealworms to turn to beetles?

I would just set about 200 to 300 hundred at first to morph into beetles, then add some every week or so to get you some different aged beetles. That way it will continue to produce for you. Glad you got worms!!!!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 04:29 PM

Oh I forgot to add, I don't really know how many you received, but you can place the ones you are not morphing in your farm, into your frige. They'll go into stasis and will still stay alive for feedings or to add to your farm later.....
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 04:53 PM

I have a medium sized ziplock container with about 200 to 300 worms in it. Attached is a picture. When you say that you feed them veggies two to three times a week, do you leave the veggie in there for the whole day? How long will the mix stay good for? Should I leave a paper towel in the container at all times even on days when there are no veggies? Should I moist the paper towel? I also have a bunch of worms in the fridge. If they are still alive by the time I have pupa can I transfer them into the worm container? Thank you guys so much for your help! I really appreciate it. Just wanna make sure I got everything down. That link is really helpful, cycy!

Attached picture 616710-Picture405.jpg
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 04:56 PM

Here's a pic of the top!

Attached picture 616712-Picture406.jpg
Posted By: Dancing

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 05:04 PM

When they morph, they look like little aliens. Trust me, you will recognize them! Creepy looking little things. They don't move much but if you pick them up, they will wiggle their tails. ewwww.

Also, once you have beetles, do not throw out your bedding. I know for a long time I thought my farm had failed because I did not see any baby mealies. The baby mealies are soooooooo small, you won't see them at first but that doesn't mean they are not there. Just keep adding bedding as needed to the farm and eventually you will be able to see the babies.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 05:27 PM

Okay here goes this round of answers... LOL!! Party you tickle me!! Who would get that excited over a picture of a Pupa!! Just a fellow Glider Lover, that's who!!! Lol!!
I usually leave the romaine lettuce in...., it's gone by the time I go to bed that night, so yep, it's left in. With carrots, though, they will dry out over night, and you probably should take them out after you look in the container and see no worms around them, probably the very next day, go ahead and remove them.
The mix is good until they hatch and those hungry little mealie babies devour it!! The bedding will eventually become a fine dust. It's not really dust, it is actually the waste, and it is called frass. You will need to sift your mealworm babies out and place them in new bedding. I usually wait til they get big enough where they won't fall through the sifter, and I just keep adding bedding mix until they get big enough.
I leave the paper towel in all the time, I change it out every week or so, cause they will eat at it, it does gather moisture from the veggies, and they will extract it no matter if it's in the paper towel or in the veggies, or in the mix.
I would be careful placing any other moisture in your farm other than the veggies. Mealworms and beetles are very proficient at extracting the moisture found in the (what appears to be) dry cereal mix. If you spritz with any water, you will be setting yourself up to induce mold in your farm. If you find any mold, you'll have to trash the worms and the container of bedding, scrub the container, and start over. So I would not mist with any water, but that's me.
When your current larvae become pupas, go ahead and add some more worms to your container. Transfer your pupas to a container of their own, the mealworms WILL eat them.

Did I answer everything you asked? I hope so, let me know!!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 07:27 PM

Wowzers, ya'll are awesome for farming worms for your suggies. As much as I love em, just don't think I can go there, least not yet. But hey, never say never, right??? hehe
Posted By: Dancing

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 07:43 PM

When you have 30+ gliders at any particular time, you got to farm them...just to expensive to buy all the time. Besides, it isn't as hard as it seems. I just set up my buckets/containers and let them do their thing.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 08:26 PM

Cycy, You're awesome! I don't have any more questions! lol

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thanx.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 09:22 PM

I would like to share one disaster that happened to my farm yesterday. The farm was well started and i had already reached the 50+ beetle count in the last stage when disaster struck. I still cant figure out why, or even how that happened, but my main box with the worms in it started producing humidity like crasy, without any source of humidity inside. In less than 24 hours, my farm was overrun by acarians! Many thousands of them formed a 'dusty' film on everything, inside and outside of the container, spreading to my entire closet! I had to trash and sanitize everything in the closet, and still more hatches every hour to start crawling over every surfaces. I contacted an exterminator and she said not to worry, since the main source of food is gone, the remaining eggs will hatch then die from lack of sustenance. Still, it really scared me to see that, and to think yesterday i fed my couple a dozen mealies. I am watching them like a hawk, trying to spot any sign of trouble in them.

Has anyone ever had this kind of problem? What happened? where did i go wrong about it?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 10:10 PM

Ewwe, little mites everywhere????! I personally have not. Sorry you lost your beetles.
What type of bedding were you using, Jack?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 10:19 PM

Sounds like mites, but not sure. You did a good thing, trash the whole batch of worms and mites and start over. I have read a post here a year and a half ago with mites all over the mealworms. If I recall right, the mites started from the oatmeal or the grain which you may have used as bedding in your mealworm farm. The person who posted about the mites trashed the whole thing out.

Best thing you can do is microwave the oats or bake them to prevent any further mites from taking place. Here is the link I found: http://www.sugarglider.net/ubbthreads/sh...true#Post362614

I hope this helps.


Jen
Posted By: mattysmom

Re: More farm questions! - 08/17/06 10:31 PM

I am using aquariums with screen lids for my mealworm farms. They're outside on a very warm porch (Florida) and multiplying like crazy. They live together in varying stages from mealworms to pupae to beetles. I just keep them supplied with oat bran and potatoes and select fruit for moisture. I scoop up a mess of worms, use a sieve to shake the bran off, pick the best and throw the rest back in. I'm driving the lizards on the porch nuts but I'm saving a bunch of money by growing my own so I recommend it - I had to expand from one aquarium to two.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/19/06 06:31 PM

Yikes, again, I commend ya'll for loving your suggies so much to have these "farms". Ugh, for now, I'll just stick to my own little "farm" of animals, hehe.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/20/06 02:40 PM

Awe come on, MyGliderGirlSyd, you should just set up a farm and check out the fruits of your labor!!!! Lol!!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/20/06 03:23 PM

I second Cycy's comment! You should try it! Think about how much money you would save!


Jen
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/20/06 05:06 PM

I would have never dreamed that I would be doing this in my life! I would of never even touched a worm. I started out with the freeze dried. After I got used to that I fed the can o' worms. When the pet store stop selling the cans I bought some live worms. I was pretty grossed out. When I seen how happy my suggies were I decided to keep buying the live ones. I got used to feeding the live ones. Now I am farming and you should give it a shot too. It is kinda exciting to check on them and see if any of them have morphed yet. Not to mention my kids love checking on the worms as well! They kept one worm as a pet and named him Bubba! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" /> I think it will be a great learning experience for them.
Posted By: mattysmom

Re: More farm questions! - 08/20/06 06:09 PM

It's a little yucky but my mealworms are thriving. You can control what they've been fed - that's a plus. I guess having them on the porch in aquariums where they're away from our living area helps. I don't think family and friends would enjoy opening the wrong container...
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/20/06 07:53 PM

Hahah!! Bubba made it? Too funny Party!!

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" />


You should make Bubba your Glider's mascot!!!
Hey Pix, I don't think ANY "Bubba's" would make it two inches from any of my suggie cages!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/23/06 08:27 PM

I have my first pupa!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/multi.gif" alt="" />

I am ready to put him in the pupa container! You said that they don't need much mix because they don't eat hardly. Do I need to put a paper towel in there and a veggie for when they turn to beetles? Sorry for asking another question!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/23/06 11:20 PM

Nope. You are correct with just a little mix. Pupas don't eat anything, they just lay there and twitch, it's really creepy.
The pupas are very vulnerable at that stage in the morphing process. Just keep checking on the Pupa because they will turn into a beetle in a week or two. But, before he turns, you'll have many more pupas, and the pupas that turn will find the other pupas and eat them, so make sure you transfer the 'beetles' as soon as you see them turn.

You have learned well, jedi! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" />

Good going Party!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yelclap.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: More farm questions! - 08/24/06 03:56 AM

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" /> Well, I learned from the best! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thanx.gif" alt="" />
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