Breeding superworms? Pics included.

[LennyTheLizardKing]

After a year buying tubs and tubs of supers i've decided to give breeding a shot, after watching a few vids on youtube i got an idea of how its done.
I seen a few in particular where people are cutting the bottom of the middle droor and applying mesh so when the beatles lay there eggs they just fall through into the bottom droor.
Should i use this method?
Will the size of the holes in the screen i have be okay?
The way to have no lip on the mesh droor?
Worms morphing into pupae

Alot of supers died because they were too small im guessing, I replaced most of the dead ones with alive.

The drawers and Oatmeal

Screen sample

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Wheat bran is cheap and doesnt mold like oatmeal.
When getting worms to morph use larger worms.
Are air holes drilled in the top?
Whats the screen for?? I dont use screen at all.

 

[LennyTheLizardKing]

Wheat bran is cheap and doesnt mold like oatmeal.
When getting worms to morph use larger worms.
Are air holes drilled in the top?
Whats the screen for?? I dont use screen at all.

I will be returning the oatmeal, good thing i didnt open it and kept the receipt.
I figured only the larger supers will morph but when i purchased 45 or so to fill up all the individual boxes the guy gave me alot of smaller ones.
I have drilled one air hole for each box on the lid. I also open the lid daily to get some fresh air in. Is 1 not enough?
The screen would be used for this method http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKJ52gW8i9M
So Its not necessary?
How many inches of wheat bran do i use for my drawers? they are 13"x11"x 3.75"
The drawers were $16.99

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

I trashed picked mine....lol
I put an inch to 2 inches in mine. I also use a piece of carrot instead of potato for moisture.
I now morph 120 worms at a time, but Im working on a bigger scale....lol
This is a slow process. My 1st beattles hit the wheat bran in the beginning of august. The worms still arent full grown.
The hard part is getting beatles to morph. After that its cake.

 

[MorlasMom]

Its funny cause my son Conlan did this in school. I guess in second grade the kids learn about the life cycles of insects. So they got to watch the stages beginning to end. My son also saw his molt a couple times which he loved. I'm guessing it is fairly easy. I know out of the 16 kids in his class only one didn't make it through. So I'm also guessing that its a pretty easy thing to do and you may be putting too much money and thought into it, they just had them all in individual plastic cups (which obviously you dont want to do, cause more then 20 can get pricey) then they had wheat bran in the cup as well as a small piece if potato which they replaced every other day and that was it.

 

[LennyTheLizardKing]

I trashed picked mine....lol
I put an inch to 2 inches in mine. I also use a piece of carrot instead of potato for moisture.
I now morph 120 worms at a time, but Im working on a bigger scale....lol
This is a slow process. My 1st beetles hit the wheat bran in the beginning of august. The worms still are not full grown.
The hard part is getting beetles to morph. After that its cake.

Ok cool I will use carrot for moisture maybe i can get my dragons to eat it too.
I do believe its a slow process. . Whats a good size your dragon should be before you can introduce supers to them?
How do you do your supers, drawers or containers?
I could return the drawers i got for $16.99 and get something more sufficient/cheaper.?
Thanks for the replies Wolfman and MorlasMum

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Once the start to turn to beatles I use the drawers. I used to put 20 to 40 beatles per drawer.
I use the same walmart craft containers to change them.
Your on track.

 

[LennyTheLizardKing]

Once the start to turn to beatles I use the drawers. I used to put 20 to 40 beatles per drawer.
I use the same walmart craft containers to change them.
Your on track.

Ok so when the pupae turn into beetles, put the beetles in the drawer, beetles mate, lay eggs, die, take out dead beetles and wait for the eggs to hatch? I watched many different methods and was unsure as to which works best.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

I leave the beatles in for about a month then move them to another bin. I do this till they die then start over.

 

[LennyTheLizardKing]

Ok great now I got a better prospective on how its done.
Thanks. I think my first breed should be a success.
I

 

[LennyTheLizardKing]

Where can i purchase Wheat bran?

 

[triumphtt]

Hey guys just wanted to jump in here. I have my supers pupated right now did 19 of em and 15 are good the other 4 just don't want to curl (they are still moving). It's been a few weeks and they just now started turning that burnt color so I'm expecting beetles this week I hope ( I leave for NC on Thur and will be gone for a week lol. perfect timing of course. Any how my only question is do the beetle climb/ fly or anything that I will need to put a lid on them? I also have a 3 drawer system but mines the bigger drawers like 1'x1'x9" roughly. To answer your question Lenny I have only seen it on amazon. I'm sure there can be something at a grocery store or something cheap. Maybe a generic cheerios or something. just guessing though I'm about where you are on this stage and I used oatmeal for my worms and it does mold easily which sucks.

 

[LennyTheLizardKing]

Hey guys just wanted to jump in here. I have my supers pupated right now did 19 of em and 15 are good the other 4 just don't want to curl (they are still moving). It's been a few weeks and they just now started turning that burnt color so I'm expecting beetles this week I hope ( I leave for NC on Thur and will be gone for a week lol. perfect timing of course. Any how my only question is do the beetle climb/ fly or anything that I will need to put a lid on them? I also have a 3 drawer system but mines the bigger drawers like 1'x1'x9" roughly. To answer your question Lenny I have only seen it on amazon. I'm sure there can be something at a grocery store or something cheap. Maybe a generic cheerios or something. just guessing though I'm about where you are on this stage and I used oatmeal for my worms and it does mold easily which sucks.

The beetles will not fly and shouldnt be able to climb flat/smooth surfaces. I have found the wheat bran Mr. Pets by my house had it.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Find a feed store.

 

[triumphtt]

hey guys I got about 7 beetles now doing good. I bought chicken feed at agway for $11 for a 50lb bag. very healthy for em only bad part is that its more of a sand texture so i dont think the screen idea will work but i decided against it anyway. i can try it but not sure what size screen. i saw the ones they use for needle point (7mm) and that seems to be the only size. its $0.59 for a sheet so not like its a big waste to try it