Just started a Super Colony

[pumpkinman]

My pleasure!
I scoop em out with my hands. They stick together like a barrel of monkeys if you are old enough to remember that game. Lol. They have a defensive odour. It kinds smells like a cheap perfume. The smell will get in your hands good. A few washes to get the smell out so it wouldn't hurt to use latex gloves. What I have done with the babies up till now is just dump em in a 10 gallon tank I had laying around but they (when I say they I really mean the substrate/eggs) should really be put in a separate container every one to 2 weeks.
Don't get discouraged about baby worms because they will be there it just takes a while to see em.

Chris

 

[VogueStar]

So this is the setup details again. I have one plastic bin with a metal screen bottom that I made myself. I did this by taking an X-acto knife and ever so carefully cut the bottom of the bin out. Then I took some metal screen mesh and hot glued it to the bottom of the outside making it sealed. It is important to make it metal screen as the the worms can chew threw a normal mesh screen. The small bin is suspended inside a larger bin where all the worms will collect. I never transfer beetles to new bins or separate worms from beetles, because it happen by itself. When I need to get out some worms for feeding, I use forceps and pick them out, doesnt take long since they all sit on the egg crates. Im sure you could use your hand or a colander and sift threw the bedding to get some worms out too. I use water crystals [in a small cup] for hydrating my beetles it works great and doesnt dry out.

Ok so here are some pictures from my colony.

^^ bottom outside of beetle bin

^^inside beetle bin

TaDa! Effortless super worm breeding kit.

 

[tdharris]

Wow very nice setup seems to be virtually pain free LOL I do like that. What I have right now is just beetles in a bin and change them over every couple weeks. I do like the screen thing though I may try that with a few of mine and see how it works. Thanks for the pics of your setup.. :study:

 

[VogueStar]

Your welcome!

 

[pumpkinman]

It's a really cool setup. There is a vid on YouTube where a guy did the exact same thing. Maybe it was you!

My supers are flying now! My first bin has worms up to 1/2" long so you can really see em now. Thousands on them! I have been keeping them @85F and using carrots for hydration. I have tried apples, potatoes but carrots have been the best.

Cheers.

 

[Screamin99]

Just curious how did you guys attach your screen to your tubs? Im trying to use aquarium safe silicone and its working in some areas but its a total pain. Ive made such a mess and cannot for the life of me get this stuff to stick right!

 

[pumpkinman]

Hot glue gun baby!!!! The only way.
They have them at the dollar store here!

Chris

 

[Screamin99]

Gosh, no wonder I wasn't getting anywhere. Curious what size screen did you go with?

 

[pumpkinman]

Just your standard aluminum window screen. Openings are about 1.5-2mm

C

 

[Trogdorpheus]

Couple things that haven't been mentioned yet. Don't put your beetles in the beetle bin until they harden up for about a day, if not the other beetles will pick on the soft one and he'll end up gimpy and getting eaten by the end of the week. Also, I wouldn't do exactly that breeder setup because the "adult" worms will eat the really tiny ones if you run out of moisture sources in there... but I guess if you're on your game then its not a big deal. My setup is a little different though, I have my big worms in one bin, and 3 others that I rotate with beetles to baby worms. By the time the beetles need to go back to a bin, the worms are big enough to go in the big worm bin.

 

[pumpkinman]

My experience has been that as soon as the beetles have morphed I toss em in. They turn black within a day and I guess because I always have food for them, they never canabilize.
Also I am finding potatoes give the best bang for the buck for feeding worms. Slice the skin off on one side and they will hollow it out and leave the skin. The more potatoes, the faster they grow.

 

[Screamin99]

Great replies, thanks for the tips and advice!