Breeding mealworms?

[Hobama]

I'm gonna start breeding mealworms, and would like to get some suggestions. My order of 200 large ones should be coming in a few days. I'm mostly confused on separating them. Do I separate large ones from small/eggs, or just the beetles? I plan on using oats, so is there a way to sort them without a sifter? How many containers should i have overall? How often should I separate beetles from eggs? I tried youtube but im still pretty confused, so if someone on here who breeds them can help id really appreciate it!

 

[Claudiusx]

Do I separate large ones from small/eggs,

You won't have large mealworms in with eggs. You keep each "generation" separate more or less.

Put your beetles into their own enclosure seperate from any other worms/eggs. I usually let the beetles stay in the same enclosure for a month or so before moving them into a new home. Their old home is full of eggs and larva that have hatched. Keep this seemingly empty bin fed, and eventually you'll see thousands of little mealworms. You just keep repeating the process, putting the beetles in a new home every month or so. The beetles will live for about 2-3 months typically.

If you want, you can keep your beetles in each enclosure longer than a month. You really can't screw it up, it just takes time. You might lose a bit of mealworm larva from the beetles eating them, but you'll have so many anyways I doubt you'll care.

I've always used one of those cheap 3 drawer bins that you can pick up from walmart or something as my mealworm enclosures.

-Brandon

 

[DizzyLizzyNC]

I used emmymade “Grow Mealworms for Food” YouTube video as inspiration for my farm. I had it for many years. She used a 3 drawer system, I preferred 4 drawers. You really can just keep mealworms in one big bin, but there is always some level of sorting or picking out the dead beetles.

Another word of advice. After one flour mite outbreak, I always froze or baked my oats after that.