Breeding Superworms - Containerized / Enclosed

     For the past 3 years and so months, we have been transferring beetles from an old basin to a new basin every 15 days. The beetles are counted with each transfer. A portion of the video I uploaded in YouTube below.

I wanted this labor intensive part of counting and transferring of the beetles to become somehow effortless.

I tested with my first container enclosed beetles here...

Top view

Two hundred beetles are in there

Close up from outside

I am not satisfied with this set up. The opening is located on one corner. There were two incidents of escape. Almost half of the beetles were already outside the container. It's a good thing we have a net on top of it.

Then I tried another type.

Trying it for size

Let me show you how I made it with pictures...

I cut the bottom part. Put 4  pieces 1 inch nail and put bottle caps to act as a handle

1 inch nail glued 

     In the next post, I will be showing the advantage of this project in the breeding of your superworms.


                                       Happy Breeding!!!

Breeding Superworms - Transfer of Darkling Beetles

In breeding superworms, one of the techniques that I used to ensure steady supply of superworms is to transfer the beetles to a new container every 15 days. 

By then, you will be seeing some small hatched superworms.

The advantage being, the beetles will not be able to eat the small superworms and unhatched eggs.  You will also have fairly uniform sized superworms.

Happy Breeding!!!

3 Crawling Monsters You Need to Avoid in Breeding Superworms

During the past three years of breeding Superworms, I have learned to battle with three monsters. They are cunning. They use stealth. One uses an army.

Lizard

            Number one on the list is the house lizard. They are stealthy. They attack in the dead of the night. You will know that they are dipping into your Superworms when you see one or two as large as a Leopard Gecko hatchling. That means trouble. Lizards are good to have around the house because they eat insects. Insects like mosquitoes, house flies and small moths. If you have 10 to 20 of these around, imagine the savings that you will get of not having to buy insect killer spray. Sad to say, if you have 1 to 3 of these around your unprotected Superworms, they mean disaster. At first you will not notice what you are losing. Overtime you will see your basin that is usually full of Superworms dwindled to a few hundreds. A typical basin can hold a thousand Superworms. With the lizard monster around, you will be lucky to get 300 to 500 pieces.

Netted basins

     

My solution is to cover each basin with mosquito net. This is an added cost to your fix assets but this will ensure no entry of these monsters and you can recoup your investment over time.

mouse
Photo credit 

            The number two monster is the mouse or rat. One or two of these smart monsters mean that you will be on a never ending repair sessions with your mosquito nets. 

They can rip through the net. They eat your vegetables if not some of your Superworms as well.  Although, I do not have a proof that they do eat Superworms, I do see some beetles out of the basin when the mosquito net has been breached open by the mouse. The beetles may have clung on the mouse and when the mouse goes out, they get to ride out.

            My solution is to prepare a sumptuous dinner for them with squash, squash seeds, uncooked rice and used cooking oil laced with Zinc Phosphate. Three days after you will be engaged with a monster hunt. Sniffing, sniffing, sniffing and pinpoint where they rest in peace.

Ants

            Number three wanted monsters are the ants. You will be seeing one or two leisurely promenading on the shelf. You will see some on the floor, and others on the edges of the basins. The next time you will be seeing them in one line and they already have an army eating into a morphing worm. The scouts discover the individually kept worms. 

Not so lucky beetle eaten by ants

They somewhat wait until this turn into an alien and that is the time they attack, often times when the alien already resembles a beetle. They love young beetle because it is still soft. If not discovered, they can eat all your morphing worms.

trapped ants with chalk type insect killer

            My solution is to always keep the shelves and floor clean. Sweep off the dust and bedding particles from the shelves and floor. If you observe that there are many ants around, wipe the shelves with a cloth damped with an insect killer. I also use the chalk type insect killer.

            With these monsters controlled, you can be sure of a high and successful production ahead.  Happy breeding!