Mealworms: Need advice from someone who breeds.

[LEOPARD1]

I have about 500 + .5" mealworms and I am trying to get them to a reasonable size. It seems to be working because the top layer of their "container" is 1" off fluffy casings. I thought that it would easy to separate due to them being lighter than the worms.

Whats the trick to getting casings out without grabbing a a bunch of .5" mealworms.

My Dubia Colony is exploding and thats great but I like to treat the LG's to mealworms.

Thanks in advance...

 

[mecoat]

How long have you had these? Mine has hardly any casings visible (just the odd one or two that you can pick out). I think they eat them along with their food here.

 

[Hilde]

I use one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Polder-6631-75-Stainless-Steel-Extending-Rubber-Grip/dp/B00006NWBG

Place the strainer in a tub (I use a drawer from one of my storage racks), then dump the whole mess, mealworms and substrate, in there. The strainer can sit in the tub, or extend the side grips to let it hang. Shake it a bit to let the substrate and small worms fall through. Larger worms and the castings will stay put. I do this outside if possible, since it gets a bit dusty. Next just blow air over the strainer to blow the castings out.

The larger worms go into a new raising container. The smaller ones that fell through with the substrate go back to the original container, with some fresh substrate added to the old. Trying to separate small ones tends to kill them, so I leave them until they're big enough to get trapped in the strainer. It also allows any eggs to hatch, no use wasting them by pitching them out with the substrate. As long as there aren't any beetles to lay more eggs, it generally takes about 2 cleanings to get the worms big enough to separate out completely, leaving only the old substrate which can then be pitched.

Big worms get can get fresh substrate the same way, strain out the old, blow the casings out, and return them to the container with fresh substrate.

 

[hmarie186]

Just go outside and blow them off the top. I've been doing it that way since I started breeding. Mind you, don't blow so hard you flip babies out with the skins.

 

[Tongue Flicker]

And oh, might as well cover your nose or face while blowing the cast skin off, you don't wanna sneeze while doing the whole process haha