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Worm Farming Made Easy
First - purchase worms. Start with anywhere from 500 to 1000 worms. I know that sounds like a lot of worms - but it really isn't. I have 2 gliders and I started with 1000 worms. I highly recommend ordering worms online from Grubco or Worm Man Worm Farms. They cost under $15.00 for worms and shipping. Cost when purchasing from a pet shop is about $3.00 for maybe 30 worms.
Container - a container is necessary for your Worm Farm. You can purchase a 3-drawer plastic container at Wal-Mart for under $6.00. (look at Rita's photo album for pictures.) Take a small drill bit and drill holes all around the edges of all the drawers. These will act as air holes and are very important.
Bedding - Fill the containers with bedding for the worms. I use oat meal (real oats - not cooked and not instant!)and oatmeal baby cereal. Use about 3/4 oats and 1/4 baby food cereal. That equals about 3 cups of oatmeal mix. Place about 1 1/2" for the beetle tray, 1' for the pupae tray and 1 1/2 to 2" for the worm tray.
Moisture - Carrots are the best thing I have found for moisture (some use potato slices) - worms, beetles and pupae need something to drink, too! Replace the carrots when they get dry. How long this takes will depend on how many worms or beetles are in a tray. Mine usually need fresh carrots about every 2-3 days. It's not advisable to use fruit or anything that will cause mold to form. If mold should form in your farm - the worms will become toxic to your gliders and you will need to throw it all out, dis-enfect your container and start all over again.
Worms (aka larvae) - You will start out with worms. It's not necessary to refrigerate them. They should remain at room temperature. The worms under go a series of about 10 to 20 molts during which they shed their exoskeleton (outer layer of skin). They burrow under the bedding during this time and stay toward the bottom of the drawer. They eat the oats and get moisture from the carrots. You can use these worms as your feeder worms when your suggies are hungry for a mealie snack.
Pupae - The second stage of worm farming is the pupae. During this time - the worm comes the surface, and turns into a "C" shape. They are white, alien-looking and very ugly! Don't worry if you don't see them moving much at this stage. They should be separated and put into the 2nd drawer - if you have beetles, the beetles can and will eat the pupae. They will not need as much moisture as beetles and worms, so you don't need to put as many carrots in with them. The pupae then turn into beetles. This can take a couple of weeks. Suggies can also eat the pupae.
Beetles - The pupae then metamorphose into beetles. You cannot tell the males from the females. They can't fly, so you don't need to worry about them escaping the container. Put a piece of cardboard egg carton in the drawer with the beetles as they like to lay their eggs on something. Beetles lay their eggs usually about 9-24 days after they hatch. They lay eggs for up to 3 months before they die. A female beetle can lay up to 50 eggs per day during their lifetime. You won't be able to see the microscopic eggs or the tiny new meal worms. The first thing you will notice is it appears the oatmeal mixture is "moving". You should be able to see them in about 4 weeks.
The cycle will then begin all over again!
Mealworm Farming is a test in patience. As you can see, it can take a few months to get a farm up and running. You may have to replenish your "feeder" worms before you actually get your farm up and running.
Stage Time*
Egg 4-19 days
Larva 10 weeks. Visible after about a week
Pupa 6-18 (18-24?) days
Beetle 8-12 weeks
Search for Worm Farm on all of Sugarglider.com.
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