Raising Mealworms

By Hklbrries

"We live in the country, so we couldn't figure out why bluebirds wouldn't visit our yard. Our neighbors have a pair every year, so my husband was determined to find a way to bring these beauties into our yard.

He built and put up a new birdhouse in our honeysuckle, and a few days later, a pair came to check out the home. I was determined to keep those bluebirds happy and healthy, so I decided to start a mealworm "farm."

A friend gave me a start from her own collection. I received mealworms, larva and beetles. Then I purchased 15 pounds of soybean meal from the mill.

I placed the meal in a 16- by 10-inch plastic container. We snapped on the lid and drilled about 75 ventilation holes in the top. I placed my worms, larva and beetles in the bean meal in the container. Then I placed a paper towel over them, followed by thin apple slices. After this, I put the lid back on and set it up in our insulated garage. This combination gives the worms enough moisture and food to grow well.

Every 3 or 4 days, I check to see if there's enough food left. I add thin table scraps like potato and banana peels to keep the worms fed.

Eventually, the worms turn into larva, the larva turn into beetles and the beetles lay eggs to hatch more worms. The cycle goes on and on, keeping me stocked with mealworms at all times.

During nesting season, my bluebird pair feed their young about 50 mealworms a day. It's a pleasure to feed and admire these beautiful creatures.

Friends and neighbors are amazed when they see the bluebird fly in when I ring my bell for feeding time. I'm just thankful to have the opportunity!"

Darlene Peters, Germantown, IL

Ingredients

• Mealworms
• Soybean flour
• Apple peelings
• Potato peelings

Preparation

Step 1

Follow instructions on description page.