Your container will also need a lid or screen mesh to put over the top (make sure it allows for air circulation.) The recommended size is around 12 inches x 24 inches x 12 inches deep. You can use a plastic storage tote, old aquarium, or. The first step in building your mealworm farm is determining the container which you will use to grow them in.

projects, it is possible to buy mealworm farm kits online: And there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be eating them ourselves. Protein is one of the most expensive supplements to buy, so why not grow your own? There’s a reason why mealworms are a great choice for raising healthy chickens.

They take up very little space, can be grown virtually anywhere (with the proper setup), require less feed than traditional livestock, and do not consume much water. In addition to being nutrition powerhouses and super sustainable, insects have incredible potential in urban farming. I often joke that in the movie The Martian, Matt Damon would have been better off growing bugs instead of potatoes on Mars.

Their total lifespan is around five to six months. Darkling beetles are brown for their first few days in their new form, but they gradually turn a black color. This stage will last for two to three weeks before hatching. While dormant, they are transforming into adult Darkling beetles. These critters will molt their exoskeleton several times before they reach the pupa stage at around three months of age.ĭon’t be alarmed – the pupas might look like dead mealworms.

After an average of twelve days, the eggs hatch into larvae known as mealworms. They extract the nutrition and water they need from the grain that they live in.Īdult female beetles can lay up to five hundred eggs during her lifespan of five to six months. Mealworms are the larval stage of the Darkling beetle insect. These critters are typically found in dark, dry places like flour or stored chicken feed. You can grow your own mealworms for a fraction of the cost and know that you’re doing your part in the earth-friendly farm-to-table movement. Mealworms are a healthy, nutritious snack full of protein. Want to try your hand at starting your own home mealworm farm? Are you thinking about growing your own mealworms?

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