Superworm Breeding

[kgallego]

I've had 20 beetles for 3 months and nothing is happening. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

I keep them in a 12 inch x 18 inch sterlite plastic container with the lid open. On one side I have oats and on the other side I have pete moss, which I spray every couple of days with water to keep it moist. Between the oats and the pete moss I have a piece of an egg crate to keep the oats from molding. They are keeps in a book case where it's pretty dark. Light only comes in from one side. They are at room temperature ~70 degrees F.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

K

 

[jonpfeiffer]

I believe you want slightly Warner temps, 80-85 I thinks is ideal.

 

[absolutbill]

I've never sprayed down my bedding. I use wheat bran, though I believe oat bran is preferred - Sandra may chime in here with that information. I cover the bottom of the container with the wheat bran, about 1 1/2-2" worth. I place egg crate on top of that. In 1 corner I have a yogurt cup with water crystals, and I place my food around that - carrots, potatoes, etc. Then, I let the beetles do what they seem to do best.

I've never timed it, but you'll see the bedding start moving, and that's when you know you have babies. I then transfer all the bedding into the container that I want to use to raise the superworms, and place all the beetles back into their original container with new bedding. That way any eggs that were not hatched yet will hatch in the "growing" bin. Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions - I've been raising them for about 5 years now.

 

[Rush2112]

At what stage/size do the supers go to beatle stage?

 

[Norcal55]

Hi I thought that the beetles needed to be removed after being together for a week or or they woud eat the eggs/babies. Not sure hopefully we get a few more responses I have about 40 pupae ready to become beetles

 

[Raphael1047]

For my superworm breeding i use a shoe box size container to house about 500 worms. For them to pupate, i found that a fishing bait thing is the easiest and most organised way for them to pupate. As for my beetles I use oatmeal wheat bran blend with them (and the worms too), with no moss and I do not spray. Here is my whole set up. It is working great for me, have been breeding them for a good year now and had around 40 beetles at one point which is many more then you need IMO.

 

[Norcal55]

For my superworm breeding i use a shoe box size container to house about 500 worms. For them to pupate, i found that a fishing bait thing is the easiest and most organised way for them to pupate. As for my beetles I use oatmeal wheat bran blend with them (and the worms too), with no moss and I do not spray. Here is my whole set up. It is working great for me, have been breeding them for a good year now and had around 40 beetles at one point which is many more then you need IMO.

Hi,
How do you seperate the babies?

 

[Raphael1047]

From the beetles? I just take the beetles out and put them in a new container. I do this maybe once a month or when you dig around the wheat bran you see movement.

 

[Norcal55]

From the beetles? I just take the beetles out and put them in a new container. I do this maybe once a month or when you dig around the wheat bran you see movement.

Thanks, thats what I was needing to know How small are the baby Supers? I have never seen them other than the Micro size about the length of a penny.

 

[Raphael1047]

Thanks, thats what I was needing to know How small are the baby Supers? I have never seen them other than the Micro size about the length of a penny.

Baby supers are super small lol. I don't know what to compare them to; maybe (when first born) a grain of rice. If you are looking for them good luck, I just see very small movements telling me that they are there.

 

[Norcal55]

Baby supers are super small lol. I don't know what to compare them to; maybe (when first born) a grain of rice. If you are looking for them good luck, I just see very small movements telling me that they are there.

Thats cool! Thanks so much. Hopefully ill have some before too long. I know they are pretty cheap to buy in bulk but I love growing my own feeders. I get a kick out of growing my Dubia and Im setting up a cricket breding set up this wekend
Thanks again!

 

[Raphael1047]

Thats cool! Thanks so much. Hopefully ill have some before too long. I know they are pretty cheap to buy in bulk but I love growing my own feeders. I get a kick out of growing my Dubia and Im setting up a cricket breding set up this wekend
Thanks again!

You're welcome. That is why I breed my feeders it is fun and i do get a kick out of it. OP i hope we helped you out too.

 

[kgallego]

Thanks all - But I'm pretty sure I've tried pretty close to what everyone else is doing...still no success.

Maybe my beetles are gay :/

Thanks anyways