Make money breeding and selling mealworms and feed your reptiles too!
Vložit
- čas přidán 24. 05. 2024
- I’m setting up a new mealworm colony as a staple food source for leopard geckos and other reptiles. I go into the setup and housing of a new mealworm colony to give you an idea of one way to do it. Once your colony is setup you can even use your new mealworms as a source of making money on your hobby. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to comment below. Thanks for watching!
My website: www.herpbook.com
epic video. I love doing my hobbies in the garage when it's storming out.
I have a baby setup and it has helped me get over my fear of bugs. The little babies are actually really cute and the beetles make me smile because they haul ass under stuff before I even open their little box -- they also get very excited when I give them veggies. It's a surprisingly enjoyable thing to do. AND you can use their castings for your plants!!
Mine love squash. I noticed that the beetles eat very slowly compared to the babies. I theorize the adults have more specific mouth parts for smaller sliced foods, not large chunks. The babies will burrow into chunks of food whereas the beetles will barely munch large things at all. I give them thinly sliced scraps and save the larger stuff for the wormies.
@@spawnofsailor7158 yeah but do they bite?
@@chucktrivette5723 mealworms/beetles do not bite.
Great video. As a fellow Floridian I guessed where you were before you told us. The crashing lightning is a Florida trademark.
Haha and the weather went bad real fast after that.
Searching for about an hour on the subject, your video is the most informative I've seen so far and easy to understand. So, thank you. Also, the thunderstorm sounds are awesome with headphones :)
Definitely worth the $40 frass is expensive not to mention every stage of life, plus the container cost. The mill worms at the store is $3.50 per 25 count so yeah it’s worth the measly $40 bucks!
good idea getting the sustainable food supply started before buying your reptiles!
Thank you for sharing.
I’m very interested in seeing the process.
I subscribed.
My boys and their kids and myself are moving back home to Central Florida this spring!!!
We can’t wait.
I subscribed.
love the video... short and to the point. i will continue to watch.
I have my mealies set up and already got my second generation of beetles! I can’t wait to eventually sell mine as products to people. Lots of people have chickens and reptiles in my area, and I feel like a few people might buy them to consume 😂
I’m thinking of eventually having a large drawer setup like this, but for now I have a nice tote, and a smaller desk organizer drawer set up with mealies in different substrates (as a tester)
Martha Stewart even has a couple recipes for these guys lmao
thanks for the video
Wish you would have kept going. You're very close to me in Florida. Probably would have bought some worms off ya.
Excellent video, thanks
I use meal worms as the protein source for my egg laying birds. Mixed with chopped comfrey/alfalfa/dried kelp plus a vitamin/mineral supplement. My birds are very healthy and lay eggs year round without added winter time lighting.
sweet ive been thinking about getting one started as well
Do it!
Royal 💜 I see you're in citrus county..thank you for the video..im excited to start mine for all our critters
Good luck to you 😊
Could you do an updated video that includes your set up, how you sift out, how often, etc.? Do you put wheat bran and moisture food on top of the fras while you wait for any extra worms to hatch? Also, have you (or anyone else) ever had a problem with weevils? If so, what is the solution? Thanks! Really liked this video - very helpful as a starting point.
The bag of wheat bran I bought was LOADED with moths, I'm assuming there would be some sort of weevil. I wish someone would address a solution to this! I've heard to bake the wheat.
Bake or freeze
Tysm this is a big help for me 😇
I'm so excited for my bearded dragon because I'm going to start my mealworms farm😄😄
Mealworms aren't good for bearded dragons . Go with superworms
Exactly what Vuln G said. Mealworms have more chitten then Superworms and beardies don't digest them as well. Superworms are a slightly larger scale, but are also very easy to raise.
can I only use meal worms with leapord geckos
No not only mealworms. Include another food choice. I'd recommend Dubia roaches and Superworms as the main staple for leopard geckos.
Average Jewish Man Yes
You've got viewers in citrus county. Thanks for the tip
+kieth ford excellent! What projects do you work with?
As of right now I just have a bowl of meal worms. Probably no more than 100. But I have 11 lizards that will eat them and wouldnt mind building a farm
Thanks man :) please post more
Thanks for watching! I plan on doing much more. The new colony is coming along great, so I'll be posting more videos of progress and some other tips and tricks I've developed over the years.
Thanx good luck nice and helpful so much ^-^
I love storms!
Hey I'm 14 and hoping to do this because I'm getting a tarantula very soon. Can't wait to start doing this and selling them
Thanks man very helpful can you do a feeding video of all your pets 😊
With recent moves and some changes, I currently do not have any herps.
Drill holes in the 1st two bins.... place Beatles on top worms will go through the holes in the next two bins when they become Beatles just take the Beatles and put them in the topbbin easy as that
Hi! Thank you for this video; it was very informative. Approximately how much should I market to sell mealworms for? I hope your colony is still going strong!
check on ebay and local online market
those sterilite drawers arethe exact ones i bought for my supers
Cheap, easy to clean and they can't crawl out! :)
For as long as this video is I wanted more info.
All it was was sifting the frass basically.
If u would take out all repetetive actions and instead of talking about the next step(how do u separate dead beetles?)
And how to count/weight for selling u would have a winner.
That's not 50,000 worms. 5,000 maybe.
Lots of them are under the food
facts
Weigh out 1000 worms adult worms and see what that looks like. Then triple the amount for eggs and small worms.
10,000 mealworms weigh approx 1 Kg. I estimate you have maybe 1/2kg of mealworms there.
rjk69
you should have a pt 2
So I see this video is several years old. I heard that thunder, and I said sounds like a FL storm. Then you talked about Ocala distributor. So I figured you are in FL. I have just ordered meal worms and red wigglers. I was going to raise them on my covered screened porch, but now I don’t know. I live in S FL, and I’m wondering if the hot humid summer months might be to hot for them. What do you think about it, as if your in Central FL, we get 10 to 20 degrees hotter here in S FL.
Good morning. You shouldn’t have any issues with the heat factor (they breed better in warmer temperatures). The humidity could be an issue with mold and if you picked up a bag of bran that has mights in it. Mights LOVE humidity and reproduce like crazy. The wiggler worms I’m not sure about I had started a project with them some years ago but didn’t stick with it very long. One last not to keep in mind with the mealworms on a porch is cooler temperatures will slow down the production.
Crickets and Dubai roaches are the healthiest for leopard geckos
I raise mealworms for my chickens never thought to sell them I have over a million of them or more
So ive got 1 large bin each of meal worms and superworms. A few pupaes already but just starting out...
Im looking to just feed my geckos for now but if i wanted to make some money,
how large of an operation would i need to make say... an extra 300 a week?
Hiw long do you leave them to make the frass after putting the wheat bran in the container
Do you need a permit to sell
Did you ever do the follow up videos?
How many days does it take to harvest from beetle to meal worm.
How easy is it to sell them? Need permits to ship live bugs or business license? Where do you sell them aside from ebay?
locally and yes you need a permit but most people don't use one
nice nice, i made a mealworm farm to feed my ant colony
What would you typically charge for mealworms, I know they are terrible expensive as farm supply places.
Xander Carey where I live i buy it 100 for 7$
I buy them from a local lady who charges me $5 for 100 but you can order them from Ebay for less than that.
Michelle Hewitt omfg I literally pay $3 for 20 :(
Xan are you kidding.I sell 1000 for $10.
Can I use Zoo Med's - Eco Earth Coconut Fiber as a substrate for breading meal worms and super worm? Will I need bran or any additional food source or can I just use the Coconut Fiber without any other food source?
oats, mealworm bran
They do smell 🤣
cool vid i wish i had as much frass as u:(
Give it time. Once established, with good upkeep they multiply very quickly.
Do they eat the bedding that they're in?
Wear a mask
Very good comment! I would suggest everyone do. I'm very sensitive to the frass they produce and normally do wear a mask plus I point a fan towards my work area when I'm cleaning bins.
He is in his house
@@mixmaster4316 comment was four years ago
Do the beetles eat the meal worms? I found my baby mealworms today and just wondered..
SarahandEmma Le Moignan the short answer is yes. The biggest reason they will eat them is lack of hydration. Keep them fed up with fresh fruits and veggies and that will help cut down on it.
Thank you. 😊
Did you keep at it?
How long does it take for the eggs to hatch
i know this is long ago but do u know how i can seperate the beetles from the worms?
I used these pans with a 5-gallon bucket to separate beetles from worms and smaller sizes I used to separate worms from castings. a.co/d/0HsAzRm
@@Norrad01 thank you👍✨
Where do you sell the worms/frass to?
i live in montana. what temp range can they live in?
Hi just started my farm. I have my first Pupa's hatching. Do I separate the beetles from the pupa's? I mean will the beetles feed on the pupa's?
As long as you keep plenty of moisture in there, they should be ok.
As long as you have ample moisture you'll be ok. Some will get chewed on but not enough to cause for concern.
Yes they will eat them for the moisture content. Mom beetles go to the bottom to lay eggs and u can cut out and screen the bottom so the eggs fall thru into another container and become worms..then worms become beetles so u need like 3 containers.
I have two dragons and a leopard gecko do you think it’s worth it to breed the bugs ?
Unless you have a place to sell or give away the mealworms I wouldn't suggest it. They will over breed what you leo can eat. And mealworms are not the best choice for beardies. Their digestive tract do not process the mealworms chitin very well.
I would suggest maybe superworms instead. You can better control the breeding cycle due in part because you have to "stress" the worms so they turn into beetles. And both leo and beardie will eat them just fine.
Can u pleas make a update video on your milworms thank you
como escolho a melhor peneira?
I am looking to start my own SMALL colony. how to I keep it small if I am not able to sell them? what do I do with the insane amounts I might get?
Find friends that need worms! lol
Most of it will depend on your own worm requirements... Selling isn't that hard really. Once your colony is established you can sell them on Craigslist, Ebay or reptile sites like fauna or kingsnake. Hope this helps.
I'll do my best ! Lol thank you.
Great idea! That being said, can also find someone who has chickens...
How much would you sell by the g
Do you notice the taste of the mealworms change with different substrates?
I personally don't eat them.
How long does it take from them to turn to beetles if you dnt have them in the fridge
If memory serves they have about a 7 week cycle from egg to beetle.
@@Norrad01 lol I’ll probably put them in the fridge I dnt think my gecko can go through 1000 in that amount of time thanks for the reply
Be careful with the frass like that it can cause respiratory problems and you can develop allergic reactions to it.
Question .. Wouldn't that worm poop be good for plants???
Oscar Garcia - he said it is a great fertilizer in the video
Yes save the fras. Ppl buy it too for gardens and house plants.
where would you sell them
Hi Richard, good tips in this video. I have been researching meal worms as a possible side business. I really want to raise chickens again, but is not possible in my current situation. Thought the meal worms would be a good compromise (since chickens eat them. ;P ).
I have been looking into containers for the purpose of selling. What do you use to package your meal worms for your customers?
If you are selling locally, just a plain brown bag will work. You could ball up a small piece of newspaper inside the bag as well.
how often should you move the Beatles to another area ??
Loreal Cooke I love them about every two weeks.
Can we use chicken feed
i just started to see my 1st baby mealworms 2!!!
You're off and running! Soon you'll have more than you know what to do with :)
Can you do a update
hi great video I want to do this for my hamster for meal worms and my turtles but also want to make money off of it so how do u sell ur meal worms?thnx
Craigslist, Ebay and to locals. Get to know some of your local communities and let them know you have worms. If you breed them, they will come. :)
Richard Howell OK thnx also great video
Never over feed hamsters on mealworms it can make them fat really fast
your local reptile show, if you live near a major city. theyre once a month!
Is that sand? That you sifted it out? Please tell me I need to know for mine or what should I use for their bedding
No sand, that would be the worm feces.
Because I try to find a them in the online store could not find
Look up sterilite
How do you dry the worms to sell?
I've always sold and fed live. Can't help with this one.
Please do not try to dry the worms yourself. They are freeze dried, which is a process you cannot duplicate in your own home without special equipment.
Haw to deal with flower mites? I am going crazy because all my colonies are infested.
Yes, that is a big issue. I've heard from some people that you can freeze the wheat bran prior to using it in your colonies. Not sure if this is true, I've never confirmed it. I did have a pretty good source for my bran that didn't contain any mites.
You never came back?
I do not understand why you would throw the beetles away? It takes roughly 6-8 months to go through life stages. I would also worry how long the worms had been in the container without food and water. Too long and they would emerge deformed and no good for breeding. With the beetles at least you can get eggs and control their development.
What do you call these racks
Wildeyes sterilize rack, walmart...anywhere really
Where I can buy it?
Where can you buy what?
Anyone know a reptile that will eat adult mealworms (darkling beetles)? Any tips very much appreciated
They are not the prime choice due to the beetles chitin. Its too hard to break down.
My hedgehogs like the beetles once in a while.
My baby mealworms are escape from the plastic box what can I do pls
What kind of box is this? Mealworms can't climb smooth plastic.
@@Norrad01 it's a storage box plastic
@@kevinfarrugia9525 Does it have smooth sides or is there any texture to it? If the sides are smooth like the ones I'm using in this video they will not be able to climb out.
Can I feed the mealworms to my fish?
No clue, not really a fish guy.
Depends on the species of fish you keep.
My Oscar cichlids love mealworms.
Typically yes. You could also consider BSF larvae.
could anyone tell if this kind of worm van breed in Thailand?
Not sure of your climate there, but I don't see why not...
Is this good for fish ?
Not sure.
Yes, fish eat mealworms and they're used in aquaponics. Chickens really love them as well.
where can I sell meal worms?
Yea how do we sell them
alicia renne lots of pet stores that sell repiles will buy from local growers. it's cheaper and significantly easier than buying provincially or regionally since you don't have to pay for shipping, the loss of product during transit, or other added fees. I've never personally sold insects but I imagine you would need to find a provider that already buys from a list of local growers. since they already depend on local growers it would be short sighted to only depend on one. so to ensure a constant supply for all the reptiles that rely on their supply they would have a list of local suppliers to call in case their current stock runs out. you would essentially be on that list and bring your worms over when they need it.
Holy shit, I know of 5 places that sell meallies. your boy is about to get his grind on.
I think that guy ripped u off I bought 1000 of them on amazon for 14 bucks and they pupate very fast
Lol I came here to learn how to sell to make a little pocket money not to learn how to sift worms . The title was a little misleading.
Selling and making the money starts with sifting. So you're saying I should post another video on the actual package and selling of them?
Meal worms do smell
How to prevent ants entering in the cage of worms
I've never had an issue with ants. If you are doing regular maintenance on them, I wouldn't think ants would be an issue. Sorry I couldn't be more help.
If you keep the the meal worms in sand most of the reptiles including your might get impaction
That isn't sand, its worm feces.
Definitely not 50 thousand worms. Maybe 5000. Nice video, but you didnt get an amazing deal imo just picked up 1k worms for 16 dollars shipped so just over a penny each. Good luck and have a nice life!
This guy is now homeless!It got so bad he had to eat his mealworms under the bridge.
Jennifer ROBESON lol what?
I think that was her attempt at making a joke. I will admit, it did make me lol. :-)
Richard Howell A joke like when you were in the men's room taking a pee and everyone started laughing at you?
Jennifer ROBESON yes yes, we know you were a mistake , calm down
Richard Howell she is a hater though, but great video
Why are you calling it fraz it's called castings
How about we call it what it really is. "Worm crap"
Could you do an updated video that includes your set up, how you sift out, how often, etc.? Do you put wheat bran and moisture food on top of the fras while you wait for any extra worms to hatch? Also, have you (or anyone else) ever had a problem with weevils? If so, what is the solution? Thanks! Really liked this video - very helpful as a starting point.
Can you do a update