Superworm Breeding

[jbodkin]

I understand the basic setup for breeding superworms ... Just need to know when they are seperated individually into smaller containers to pupate, should you put any bedding in with them (oat meal or bran)? ... or Should they be left seperated with nothing at all to pupate?

 

[MAJ]

I have seen two recomendations on this. Some say no bedding, some say only a tiny bit of bedding.

I use no bedding, and have no problems with my larvae initiating, maintaining or completing the pupation process.

Within a couple of days of being left alone, they typically curl up and go dormant. Several days later, they shed into a pupa, and a couple of weeks after that, shed into a beetle. No bedding/food is needed for this stretch of dormancy.

If you are getting into breeding, I find the selection of worms for pupation to be of far greater importance than the presence of any bedding. Only pupate the largest of your superworms. Smaller ones simply don't have the energy stores to make it through their metamorphosis.

 

[jbodkin]

I have seen two recomendations on this. Some say no bedding, some say only a tiny bit of bedding.

I use no bedding, and have no problems with my larvae initiating, maintaining or completing the pupation process.

Within a couple of days of being left alone, they typically curl up and go dormant. Several days later, they shed into a pupa, and a couple of weeks after that, shed into a beetle. No bedding/food is needed for this stretch of dormancy.

If you are getting into breeding, I find the selection of worms for pupation to be of far greater importance than the presence of any bedding. Only pupate the largest of your superworms. Smaller ones simply don't have the energy stores to make it through their metamorphosis.

How big should they be ... (average)?

 

[MAJ]

Haven't really measured the ones I pupate, but I can check at home tonight. I am in the process of pupating a few dozen as I type. Need to start thinking about a crop now for about four to six months from now.

I generally pick through the worms and pick what my daughter calls the "biggest and juiciest" ones that I have at the time. The ones I am picking from right now were hatched last winter and have been a good size for a few months now.

I'll try and take some pictures and rough measurements tonight. How they compare to the size of superworms bought at retail, I have no idea. It has been a long time since I actually had to buy any!

 

[Spam Bot]

Maj is right, use only the biggest and fattest. From my experience (which is little), smaller ones can pupate, but they usually die when they try to change into a beetle. I used store bought ones, and I only use the biggest ones in the compartments to try to turn into beetles. I don't use any bedding in their compartments. I finally have about 15 beetles, and yesterday I saw some babies, so I moved the beetles into a new container. Finally! Anyone know how long it takes to grow up the babies, they're about 2 millimeters long right now.

 

[MAJ]

Anyone know how long it takes to grow up the babies, they're about 2 millimeters long right now.

It seems to take forever. It always seems to take months for them to get to about 1cm, and then almost overnight they are 2cm long and growing. It takes mine four to six months to get to feeder size, and a feeder sized "crop" will last six to eight months (although that will depend on the number of beetles you have and the number of eggs that can be laid).

For me, the toughest part is (eventually) keeping the bedding clean. Topping up with fresh bedding is easy, but at some point you get to a stage where there is a lot of frass/waste and the (potentially) thousands of babies are still small enough to easily pass through a seive.

 

[fresnowitte]

I personally do not put any bedding in with the worms I'm morphing. An it works just fine. They seem to morph quicker without bedding, they are more stressed this way. The bedding is actually a food source for them.

I have several thousand baby supers right now. Once they reach about 1 centimeter they grow fast.
I can't tell you how long they take to reach adult(2inches) yet.

There is also another thread about growing supers here;
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=85334&hilit=&start=0

For me, the toughest part is (eventually) keeping the bedding clean. Topping up with fresh bedding is easy, but at some point you get to a stage where there is a lot of frass/waste and the (potentially) thousands of babies are still small enough to easily pass through a seive.

You need yet another container to put the old food into so that your not loosing any of your worms. :wink:

 

[MAJ]

OK!
Here is a picture of two of my worms. One the larger one (about 2.25 inches long) would be ready for pupating if I wanted. The other needs to grow some more:

In various stages of pupation, they look like this:

My current beetles (about three dozen more on the way):

A few of my worms:

You need yet another container to put the old food into so that your not loosing any of your worms.

They kept burowing down before I could take the picture. This is a small fraction of the number of worms in the bin.

You need yet another container to put the old food into so that your not loosing any of your worms.

I do. Right now, I have one pupation bin, one worm bin, one beetle bin and two more for more babies. I always have an extra for bedding changes. I just hate having to hand pick all of the babies that pass through the seive with all of the frass. :wink:

 

[Anglwngss]

I've been breeding super worms too, but I have a question. I have all stages; worms, aliens, beetles and babies. At what size do the babies need to be in order to go into the worm bin? Right now, they are itty bitty and I'm afraid I don't know how to measure anything that small... But I was wondering at what point I would be able to mix them with the adults..

 

[MAJ]

I've been breeding super worms too, but I have a question. I have all stages; worms, aliens, beetles and babies. At what size do the babies need to be in order to go into the worm bin? Right now, they are itty bitty and I'm afraid I don't know how to measure anything that small... But I was wondering at what point I would be able to mix them with the adults..

I actually keep about five bins:
1 for pupation
1 for feeder size worms
1 for for beetles/egg-laying
2 others with babies in various stages of development.

I only add to the adult bin when a clutch of babies is fairly lose to feeder size and the feeder bin is running low. Once the beetles have been laying for a couple of months and I start seeing tiny worms, I move the beetles down to the next bin, leave them there for a couple more months and repeat the process.

 

[clear]

I have found something that helps them pupate! feed them high quality chow 2 weeks before so that they can store away more fat to make it through the morphing! My success rate went from 60-70 to around 90!

 

[jbodkin]

Do you make your own chow? If so what do you use?

 

[LittleRob]

Quik question. I had some delivered to my house once about 2,000 by mistake. Anyways feed them to my BDs well eventually I looked in there thing they where dead or all gone and saw there where beatles running around in there. Can you feed the BD's those beatles? Just for future refrence.

 

[fresnowitte]

LittleRob I'm sure that in the wild they would probably eat the beetles if they came across them. I don't believe that they are harmful in anyway just not as nutritious when in beetle stage.......more nutritious in worm stage.

 

[LittleRob]

i figured but was curious. thank you