The process I go through weekly to separate my beetles from the substrate.
Пікірлер: 87
@Rachel-kh9gh Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for your video! I’m just starting a darkling colony and unlike other videos, your is simple and to the point!! I greatly appreciate it!😊
@KrusinTheSierra Жыл бұрын
I’m glad you got some help from it! Are you growing for reptiles or chickens or?
@laurapayne8177 Жыл бұрын
Very interesting and informative.
@KrusinTheSierra Жыл бұрын
Thank you
@ponggero19984 ай бұрын
I appreciate this. Thanks
@KrusinTheSierra4 ай бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@jadepayne13262 жыл бұрын
One tip for dark limb beetles don’t make large air holes! They escape I have now found 2 loose ones 😳
@KrusinTheSierra Жыл бұрын
That’s for sure
@KrusinTheSierra Жыл бұрын
New video loaded
@myobs2 жыл бұрын
HI, I have a problem with the beetles eating their eggs and young in a ferocious manner, turning the substrate over to get to them! The beetles are 2/3 weeks old and have been mating for 1/2 weeks. I have managed to recover several pieces of apple and kiwi which have their eggs and young on them and have put them into a separate container to protect them. I was hoping to leave the beetles mating and laying eggs in their respective containers for a couple of weeks before taking them out, as you are doing. They have plenty of food to eat but it's not stopping them eating their young! Do you have any suggestions please?
@melanierose36082 жыл бұрын
I'm having the same problem. I watched a beetle lay eggs on cardboard, turn around, and eat them. I have siphoned 3 times over a month and no babies yet. I'm worried.
@KrusinTheSierra2 жыл бұрын
I cannot give you an answer to that as I’ve never had issues with them eating their eggs. Mine will dive down into the substrate to lay their eggs but I’ve never had issues with them eating them in the 2 years I’ve been raising them.
@amandam120 Жыл бұрын
I know this is sort of old and you might not see it. I hope so though. My daughter has reptiles so I am trying to help her raise some mealworms. we have beetles now, fresh. only a few are black. They're in a separate bin. They have oats, carrot, a moist small paper towel, and a thin apple slice. my beetles don't move much. they act like they're slowly dying. yours seem to move quite a bit. I can't help but wonder if I have done something wrong. I'd hate to have gone through all this trouble and spent the money for the stuff, just to have the beetles die. the pupa move more than my beetles. something has to be wrong. thanks for any tips edited to add. I wonder if it is my oats? They're plain oats but they seem to have a lot of powdery stuff. edited again to add: I just used the oats I had in the cabinet. my dad gave them to me, not in the box. just a gigantic bag. I didn't see a point in buying more when I had the jumbo bag. he told me they are quick cook oats. is that a bad thing?
@KrusinTheSierra Жыл бұрын
Hi there! First off, congrats on raising the mealworms for your daughters reptiles! Next, it sounds like you have too many sources of “water” happening all at once which could end up being harmful with mold. I only give what they can consume in a 24hr period. Next, I don’t know much about oats as I have never used it. I only use Wheat bran that I get from the local feed store (it’s used for colicking horses). Something definitely doesn’t sound right I’d your pupae are moving more than the beetles. Is it cold where you are? Cold will slow them down a bit.
@Lucciii32 Жыл бұрын
These guys are more active in warmer environments, hence why when you buy them from pet smart they tell you to keep them in the fridge.(which slows down their metabolism)If I were you I would buy a reptile heating pad and place it under your setup(make sure your plastic won’t melt)
@sarashuman389018 сағат бұрын
Question, why use the super fine seive if you dump it back in with everything else? Just curious, I don't think we have the super fine one, and we're getting ready to sift for our first time today!
@KrusinTheSierra14 сағат бұрын
What goes through the fine sieve is the frass and goes in garden and house plants to feed the soil. That fine sieve will still get eggs in it from passing through previous one. Sometimes you’ll STILL have eggs that get through even the fine one.
@KrusinTheSierra14 сағат бұрын
I stopped raising mealworms about 2 years ago as I became highly allergic to them
@AxelFoley-sb5re Жыл бұрын
I have a question. What if I just want to start a colony without feeding purposes? Will they keep breeding until it’s no more room? Or do they balance themselves out?
@KrusinTheSierra Жыл бұрын
I’m not sure what you mean by “without feeding purposes”. I don’t really know the answer to that as I’ve not attempted to do that so I have no personal experience to reference.
@AxelFoley-sb5re Жыл бұрын
@@KrusinTheSierra no I’m saying what if someone just wanted to keep them as pets and not as feeders for animals.
@followme82383 ай бұрын
@@AxelFoley-sb5rethe adult beetle has a limited life span, they’ll die in a few months. So even tho you don’t need mealworms as a food source, you’ll always need to raise mealworms so they can become pupa and replace the beetles as they die
@Tiny_n8ture3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this information. Extremely helpful. Do you put carrot peels into the nursery of baby worms even before you can see any of them?
@KrusinTheSierra3 жыл бұрын
No. Not until I see movement.
@Tiny_n8ture3 жыл бұрын
@@KrusinTheSierra Thanks so much. Have a great day!
@KrusinTheSierra Жыл бұрын
New video just loaded
@raymesias92383 жыл бұрын
How often should you remove the beetles from substrate? Weekly?
@KrusinTheSierra3 жыл бұрын
Biweekly
@curbelo2732 жыл бұрын
@@KrusinTheSierra i was just about to question that answer thank you
@curbelo2732 жыл бұрын
great question
@Tiny_n8ture3 жыл бұрын
So, now we have nurseries with teenie, tiny mealworms in them. Do the carrots have to be carrot peels in the nurseries or can it be long slices of carrot which would be thicker? If just carrot peels, how do you keep the substrate from going moldy? I'm finding the wheat bran going moldy from the carrot peels.
@KrusinTheSierra3 жыл бұрын
Sounds like you’re offering too much for them to eat. They should be able to consume within the day. If they don’t then you’re feeding them too much
@KrusinTheSierra3 жыл бұрын
I feed by either peeler or coined
@Tiny_n8ture3 жыл бұрын
@@KrusinTheSierra I can't even thank you enough. This is a new venture for us as we will be using them to feed all of our backyard birds. We were spending a fortune buying them. Your videos and advice are absolutely excellent and have really helped. Also, your bins always look so clean and well maintained! That was pretty important to me too! Thanks again!
@KrusinTheSierra3 жыл бұрын
@@Tiny_n8ture I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the videos! Yes I understand where you are coming from! When Covid hit I wanted to make sure I was feeding my chickens healthy yet cheaply! I grow them barley fodder every day too! So we only supplement with commercial feed.
@ashleyfuller59233 жыл бұрын
Where did you get your sifters from any links to the places of possible
@KrusinTheSierra3 жыл бұрын
Amazon There is a 5 pc set and then I got the 1/30th screen separate for frass
1 black bettle lay how many Eggs ? How long those eggs are hatching?
@KrusinTheSierra3 жыл бұрын
In her lifetime she can lay around 500 eggs It takes anywhere for 4 days to 2 weeks or more to hatch depending on its conditions.
@saireddy63343 жыл бұрын
@@KrusinTheSierra Thanks for your reply
@christinehaslam94803 жыл бұрын
Do you ever have mealworms hatch in the 5gallon bucket? Thanks for the video...
@KrusinTheSierra3 жыл бұрын
The substrate from the beetle bins gets moved to a different bin than the 5gal bucket once I’m done separating beetles. So in this circumstance no.
@kaylalala45302 жыл бұрын
Hello! New to mealworm raising (small scale/personal use) and one thing I'm wondering is what you do with all of the beetles. I understand they can live for quite awhile and if all are reproducing you would have quite alot of beetles every couple months. Do you have them live out their life cycle naturally or have another plan in place for too many beetles? Thank you!
@KrusinTheSierra2 жыл бұрын
I let nature take its course. I’ve found that I never have an abundance that I can’t keep control of.
@KrusinTheSierra2 жыл бұрын
From what I’ve read their lifespan is 6 months to 2 years.
@KrusinTheSierra2 жыл бұрын
But I’ve found it to be around the 6 month mark or less
@laurapayne8177 Жыл бұрын
Feed some to your chickens.
@lindabirr37508 ай бұрын
How long do you wait between separating the beetles from eggs. And thank you for this making video!!
@KrusinTheSierra8 ай бұрын
I’m not raising them anymore as I developed an allergy. Please please use a respirator mask when working with them. But I’d usually remove the beetles every 10 days to 2 weeks and put them in new wheat bran. Thank you for watching!
@Melaniesmugz Жыл бұрын
Does it matter how many beetles you put in one bin?
@KrusinTheSierra Жыл бұрын
I mean you can definitely overcrowd them
@KrusinTheSierra Жыл бұрын
Do what works for you and your set up. If they are in a larger bin they can have more to a bin. If smaller than not as many.
@Victoria19711000 Жыл бұрын
Google was telling me mealworm beetles fly! I take it that’s not the case from watching your video?!
@KrusinTheSierra Жыл бұрын
Mine have never flown lol
@kayanowtoo759311 ай бұрын
They definitely fly but I'm guessing there are sub species and like cockroaches some fly some don't. I've actually seen them fly around 2 or 3 times in the 2 years I've been breeding them. I often see them split their shell to reveal the wings but usually they don't fly. I often use a fan and on at least 2 of the 3 times I have seen them fly the fan was on so perhaps they need a specific set of circumstances like overcrowding, insufficient food for colony and maybe a certain breeze to help lift off. (I don't know, just surmising) the ones that do get away seem to always end up on my bed (I live on one floor and my bedroom is next door to the room I use for the beetles) so maybe attracted to body heat again I don't know for sure.
@cas78762 жыл бұрын
When they lay egg when they mate
@KrusinTheSierra2 жыл бұрын
I’m not sure what you are asking
@melanierose36082 жыл бұрын
My darkling beetles appear to be eating eggs as soon as they lay them. They have plenty of food and moisture (wheat bran substrate, carrots, potatoes, Romain lettuce). Why are they doing this? I've sifted into two baby bins starting a month ago. No baby larva.
@KrusinTheSierra2 жыл бұрын
What makes you think they are eating them?
@KrusinTheSierra2 жыл бұрын
How long were the Beatles in the substrate?
@sherimoen6172 жыл бұрын
Are you sure it's a 1/18 and not a 1/8
@KrusinTheSierra2 жыл бұрын
The numbering on the tray itself is a GP2-18 Yes it’s 1/8”
@dream336113 жыл бұрын
Putting the Beetles back in the tote with the eggs, don't the beetles eat them when they hatch? I just move my beetles to a new bin with new egg carton since they will lay eggs on them also, i'll give it about a month and then use the egg carton's again.
@KrusinTheSierra3 жыл бұрын
I’ve never had an issue doing it the way I do. I’m not concerned with the beetles eating a few before the next time I switch out the substrate.
@user-xg8ij1hs3x2 жыл бұрын
Do you need to separate them
@KrusinTheSierra2 жыл бұрын
You should yes
@user-xg8ij1hs3x2 жыл бұрын
@@KrusinTheSierra will they eat the worms? I know they eat the pupae
@KrusinTheSierra2 жыл бұрын
@@user-xg8ij1hs3x I’ve honestly never left them in long enough to find out lol
@motazllsayed11493 жыл бұрын
What is the size of mesh sifter for sifting frass from wheat bran
@KrusinTheSierra3 жыл бұрын
1/30th
@nickford55492 жыл бұрын
Y not just make the new tray the beetle tray and the egg covered one the mealworm bin? Keeps the eggs together
@KrusinTheSierra2 жыл бұрын
Not enough room in those bins for all the worms that will hatch. They go into a much larger container. The next time the beetles get clean WB then there will already be little hatched out mealworms and that’s just fine. The system works for me.
@patricedurham52233 жыл бұрын
How long after they mature into beetles do they lay eggs?
@KrusinTheSierra3 жыл бұрын
MEALWORM LARVAE STAGE 2-3 weeks Each mealworm eats a tremendous amount and grows a lot, molting (shedding its exoskeleton) many times as it grows. It then enters the pupal stage (this stage lasts from 2-3 weeks, up to 9 months, if the pupal stage over-winters). The pupa does not eat and seems inactive, but it is transforming itself into an adult. BEETLE EGG STAGE 4 to 19 days The mealworm undergoes complete metamorphosis. The female darkling beetle lays hundreds of tiny, white, oval eggs, which hatch into tiny mealworms (the larval stage) - it takes from 4 to 19 days to hatch. PUPAE STAGE about 1-3 weeks After about 1-3 weeks the pupae metamorphose into beetles. BEETLE STAGE about 2-7 days After about 1-3 weeks the pupae metamorphose into beetles. At first the beetle is white/light beige with a soft shell, and then it darkens and hardens to red, brown, and finally turns dark brown/black after about 2-7 days.