I GOT WORMS...

>>1145611
Sure dude why not. Weird as fuck but go for it I guess.

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Having some trouble finding wheat bran. It is the bedding and food for the little guys and hopefully adds some to my bottom line. In my research it's about $2 a pound shipped to my door.

it's not terrible but if I am going to be mass producing these little guys $2 per pound sounds a little high.

Although I will be selling the bran and worm castings every few weeks so i guess if i can get my money back it doesn't really matter?

For small scale experimentation i guess the price is negligible. So I will check with my local feed mill today and if they do not sell wheat bran i will just buy it online and work on finding a supplier.

I'm reading that rolled grains and human food safe pesticide free is more expensive but that seems to be what the pros do. I will likely try wtf ever i can find on the shelf at walmart as well as local sourced grains and do some testing.

The more i look into this the more it seems that i will inevitably have a small cuckshed for testing purposes no matter the size of my operation. This is fine. I can check in with results or just go fuck myself if there is no interest.

>>1145615
LOL. yes, it is.

It's strange. But I have been living in this shitty house for 5 years and a few times a year strangers beat on my door and ask if they can did worms in my back yard. I live in bumbfuck nowhere and gentle 75 year old men aren't in to trolling so I just said sure wtf ever. A buddy of mine used to live here and after about the 5th time I finally went and asked him if the same thing ever happened to him.

He nearly died. Him and his brother went fishing one day and only used about half of the nightcrawlers. Figured they would be good for the garden so they threw a half dozen or so in the garden. Not sure exactly why but the population exploded to an uncontrollable point.

He suggested I charge or start gathering and selling them.

I figured I would let the old guys have at it but move my operation to a few old refrigerators as I have seen folks do.

Between google and boredom I am become the man who would be wormKing...

>>1145619

Remember that 'Red Wigglers' are the Cadillac of worms...

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>>1145628
Yap. Will keep that in mind.

Gonna start woth mealworms as i am told they are the easiest to care for. After a few generations if things go well i will start setting up shop with others.

If i can feed them stuff that doesnt sting like hell and build aesthetic shelving i can get away with raising a lot of them at work.

Will unironicly buy a shipping container or cuckshed if therd is much profit.

>>1145642
Sruff that doesn't stink. Shove it spell check...

OP here. Big score.

The local feed store sells #50 bags of wheat bran for about $15. Not sure if its human food wuality or rolled or whatever but this is fine to start and wll under $2 a fucking pound. They order it in and don't generally keeo it in stock so if it does well i will just keep a few bags on hand. Guess its time to order the worms. :)

>>1145611
>wanted to farm mealworms as a food additive for my chickens
>plans was to raise mealworms, freeze them, feed to chickens in the winter, and use the compost in gardens
>cost of feeding the mealworms a proper diet was sky high

If my farm had more people who had more compost waste I wouldn't need to buy food for them, but that isn't the case.

Go ahead and start some small scale stuff and gather experience and information. The best advice I can give you is to brush elbows with your potential customers by getting to know their stores and so they can see your face more often prior to offering them sales. That is the hard part. Don't forget to look into any licenses you may or may not need for your area.

Just don't overwhelm yourself from the start.

>>1145642
Look into "Black Solider Flies" too. They are the fastest composters, faster than red worms, and of course mealworms. The larva can also be used as chicken feed and extras can be frozen and shipped.

>>1145667
That's an outstanding price. I can't get it for anywhere near $0.30/pound.

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>>1145669
>Black Solider Flies

Typo, but the scientific name is, "Hermetia illucens".

Oh I forgot. Mealworms can eat Styrofoam, but it retards their growth. Good to know if you were wanting to process Styrofoam using mealworms. That might be a way to slow down their life cycle for storage or shipment of live mealworms so they don't turn into beetles right away.

Pet stores buy mealworms too, for feeding herps.

>>1145670
You anywhere near southeast kansas? Im sure shipping would kill the price, but when i open my online shop im selling it too i imagine.

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>>1145673
Thanks for the info. Been researching the hormone that commercial growers use to retard their changing process and grow them unnaturally large. Placing freezers in the building would help keep it warm in the winter and i can vent it in the summer. I know electric heat is innefficient as fuck, but if i'm freezing some anyway... How come it cost so much for u to feed them? Youtube guys just say throw wheat bran in there. Or is it expensive where you are? At any rate i ordered the minimum in case they show up dead or i fuckoff and kill them.

good luck worm dude!

>>1145611
Black soldier flies are where its at if you're using them as feed.

I have two large bins that I raise them in. I Get a 55 gallon trash bin of trashed food from work every couple of days or whenever they need it and dump it on top.

These bastards grow like crazy, breed at an astonishing rate, and I haven't had a single common house fly anywhere in my yard for 5 years.

My set-up has 6 ramps for them to climb up. One drops right down into a tray in the chicken coop. The other five drop into buckets which go into the freezer and packaged up to sell at the pet store.

>>1145905
Thanks anon! Cheers

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>>1145936
Well, ive read that unless you go large scale there is little money to be made here but wtf do i care. And if i dont commit mealworm genocide bsf and red wrigglers are next.

I feel that i am in a unique position here because i prettt much have access to any heavy equipment i need here and there and my oil business friends are very happy to do anything or rent or sell anything to pay the bills. Im sad for them. And im not taking advantage but i have talked this over with a few of them and they essentially said wtf ever just dont break it and $X per hour for this and this and this. Cool.

And in looking at my buddy's front yard i see 4 ponds. 2 more out back. That mutherfucker has 6 fucking ponds.

Fishfarm confirmed.

Time to buy another dumptruck.

Fear the Beard Worms incomming gentleman.

Thank you for your input.

Bamp with sweet sweet soft wheat bran.

>>1145949
jesus christ don't buy it in the bags. Find a feed and grain distributor that sells by the truckload if you're going to do it commercially.

>>1146377
Kek. I will. I just got this bag from the feed store for now. When i go commercial i will borrow a dumptruck and haul ass. There are several feed mills near me and i know some guys that run bigrigs empty to get loaded here. I may be able to talk them into delivering for $50 or $100 per 25 ton load. I'll be mostly focusing my time on efficiency and automation. There isnt much really that machines cant do here. And if i get so bisy i cant keeo up i will hirr help anyway.

Hell, probably have free halp from buddy for a bit while we get his operation going by the fish farm.

>>1145617
Just feed them your organic kitchen waste

>>1145628
That's what i keep in my worm farm (just use it for composting but he'll they make short work of everything). They're good for fishing eh?

>>1145669
Poo is probably good worm food if you don't plan on using the compost on edibles?

>>1146462
>Poo is probably good worm food if you don't plan on using the compost on edibles?

No, that's the wrong type of worm and worm food. Red worms eat the bacteria/fungi off the rotting vegetation and the rotting vegetation itself. Not poo.

If you're wanting to do mealworms don't buy the giants. They supposedly get fed stuff that makes them grow big but practically sterilizes them. Then your best bet is to buy feed store oats or off brand rolled oats or whatever. Also make sure to bake feed store oats. If they have mites they'll wipe out your mealworms. They can also be farmed inside and easy.

>>1146468
Oh cool! I'll stop pooing there so

>>1146395
Seems like you got your shit well planned out! Keep us updated. I'd suggest you also start a 'research batch', give them different types of variables (feed, space, dirt composition etc) , quantify data, and optimize before going large scale. It's better to find as many improvements when you're still small scale, upgrading a large system will end up costing you money.

>>1145936
the worms repel flies?

>>1146523
Solid advise. I plan on it. Didn't even know about the mites after week of research.

>>1146633
Probably flies run od gayer flies

>>1146782
If any of them will runn off misquotes i will treat them near god status

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>>1146788
Good lord the last thing i need is misquotes...

>>1146523
Good call.

Wasnt aware i bought sterile worms. Guess we will see.

Im glad to see everyone online says they are easy to care for because i'm fucking retarded and would probably kill them.

They seem happy so far but i guess time will tell.

Dude, make sure you keep us updated. This is weird as fuck and I love it.
What kind of business are you doing this at?

>>1147933
Rock quarry in a filing cabinet for now.
Have a little cuckshed office for temperature control. Hoping that i can expand and buy a shop. If not then worm business is another step towards financial freedom. I hate being a wagecuck.

>>1145617
coir comes in bricks. its like 5$ for 20L
you dont need bedding material, its just to improve airation and provide a place for them to metamorphose in a less humid area but temperature is also key to metamorphosis because they can 'winter", delay metamorphosis for a few months in which time you have no beetles hence no eggs hence no production cycle.


>>1146468
no beetle larva will literally eat shit, just like flies.

>>1147980
We are talking about mealworms.

You don't feed mealworms feces.

>>1145617
Bedding can be anything really. The best thing to use is sawdust that isn't pine or ceder. It is ultra cheap normally.

You can feed them dry cat/dog food that you grind up if you need something super cheap to feed them.

A cheap 50lbs bag is like $11-$18. It is really terrible for pets when it is that cheap, but great for mealworms.

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>>1148309
Will keep that in mnd as dog/cat food is most generally fine for fish as well. Not sure wtf mass quantities of wheat brad would do to perch and catfish and bass.

At any rate still have plenty og supplies for the time being. Hungry little shits already ate a carrot or i just plain lost it.

They seemed a little doscile this morbing bit it could be for a number or reasons. I got up pretty early and abducted them. Fell asleep with the ac on and it waa pretty cool. And their carrot and therefore water source was gone. Had about 5 dead this morning but I hear this is normal. Made better airholes and got them a comfy spot ina filing cabinet. Should have no trouble tunning them stacked 2 high for 8 trays and take whatever won't fit home or hide out here.
Pic related is how they came last week. That white bag is a net and they were in wadded up newspaper. A bitch to get into a small container but seemed happy. 3 unexpected beatles tried to escape and in a rush i just tossed them outside. Kinda wish id kept them now but lesson learned.

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>>1148514
Fucks sake i can't type.

Few of the sacrificial bros. RIP.

had a nice funeral for them today. Took thrm out on a beautiful sunrise, cool breeze blowing, and tossed them on the ground because they are fucking worms.

Keks aside tho needless slaughter of anything isnt cool. I mean i will bittle feed a cow and then eat his ass, don't get me wrong. But i'll do my best not to commit darkling beetle genocide here.

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>>1148516
>East his ass...

Not littereally.

>nb4 interspecies erotica fucko.

Gave worms a new better airflowing container. Some guys run without lids but we have all seen those zombie movies. I dont want to come into work to find a tub full of darkling beetles running around. Truth be told nobody would really care. But they all think i'm odd enough without running a fucking bootleg worm farm at work i am sure.

>>1147980
Might be a good idea if i start getting overwhelmed. Depending on how they handle heat i could toss a few old refrigerators outside soon.

Im having some trouble tho. Mike row in that dirty jobs episode gently sprinkled on some pink powder and the worms rolked themselves in it and turned hot pink.

Anyone know wtf this is called? I hat to poison my worms or even worse a pond that isnt mine.

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They seem A LOT happier now after being woken up, warmer, and more air holes.

I gave them some apple to appologize for being a shitty m worm dad. At the rate they are going they may get another.

I havent really considered predators that may like to snack on my worms. I can vent the fridge doors and bolt wire on. But coons and opossums and some birds around here are mischievous little cunts.

I need to look into baking that cirn meal or even doing without. If there is a chance of mites then that shit is going in the oven.

Pic unrelated but i love it.

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Oh man... people eat these?

RIP my sides...

I guess there's no reason not too. But although i handke them they freak me out with their little legs.

I wont be eating them unkess i falk on hard times and cant find anything to kill and eat.

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I guess i can go 3 trays high per drawer for 12 1 gallon sized trays alltogether. Will need to get some velcro or me or someone that doesnt need to be in my filing cabinets jerks one open and tosses a tray. Been working here 3 years and i still don't know if they ever come check on me. Oh well. They treat me good so i try and do well.

Will go 2 high and figure something out latter. Been keeping an eye out for another filing cabinet or 2. They are on facebook for a good deal some times and if i clean up a few i can get away with packing more in at work. My shitty house has like 9 window ac units and is hot during the day and temperature varies wildly depending on humidity and rather i feel like getting up 30 times. God i can't wait to move...

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>>1148529
>Oh man... people eat these?

Insects are going to be humans main form of protein in 100 years time.
They pack as much protein in as beef, while being inherently healthier.
Farming beef is a whole lot more expensive, time consuming, space consuming, damaging to the environment. You can breed insects in a factory.

While we wont ever deal with it, its the sustenance of the future.
I wouldnt mind at all eating them if they were factory farmed and regulated like a food.

In certain instance we already eat insects as fillers or dyes in processed food.

>>1148586
Wow. I had no idea. Good shit. Maybe i have a viable company starting here if i play my cards right. Overhead os low ad although profit margins are narrow there are 400 ways to skin a cat. Even breaking even and trading as fish food for a case of beer or a $20 here and there makes this a viable side gig.

Working on screening them. Most people use a colander but i'm not hand sifting pickup loads of worms. And if i scale to 25 ton semi loads im assuming i can just biy a commercial screen or afford to put some effort in to quality parts. Torn apart used air filters from heavy machinery could prove to be an alright tromel. Thr mesh size seems to be okay but they may be a little sharp. I guess i could always find screen online to buy and try until i find one i like. There are worm seoerating tromels on youtube and i think i can pull it off.

>>1148529
They don't really have a flavor. I ate a couple from the tub I raised as pet chicken treats. Would eat in emergency no problem.

>>1148605
You can buy screen and other metal from metal suppliers, and don't neglect getting equipment from restaurant and factory liquidations which might serve you. I've seen some sweet stainless tables and restaurant fixtures go cheap.

>>1148524
>coons and opossums

Wire that shit up. Use hardware cloth on the outside then over that use 2"x4" welded wire fencing. Use rabbit cage fasteners (wire cage clips, not wires).

>>1145611
now lets get down to serious business.
I posted about farming BSF about 2 weeks ago. I have a fuckton of mature larva but they're still trying to just crawl the fuck away. im trying different photo periods and a heat mat to try to force the motherfuckers to turn into flies already. with use of the heat mat, some may have died or may be pupating finally. I cant be sure because they just stop moving while pupating. so i'm looking for ways to chemically induce metamorphosis. it seems insects respond to topically applied hormones at about a dose of 1ng. PTTH is the hormone responsible for metamorphosis and i'm looking for hormones I can access to trigger it. depletion of Juvinile hormones results in the sudden triggering of pupation which they've proved by ablating the gland that produces it. there is some research done in silk worms to delay pupation to cause more silk production with larger adults.

will let you know if i find anything.

>>1148631
Kek. Good to know bro. Admittedly they creep me out a little. I'm sure i could eat a lot worse of i was hungry but i doubt i would ever eat any willingly.

They still seem pretty lively today. They ate the shit out of that apple so i will probably feed them a lot more apples until it gets tedious or mold problems start. Having a little trouble maintaining proper temps.

Looks to be about 6 days since they shipped.

Anyone know of any digitaly controlled electric heaters that are affordable?

My office here is 2 rooms. It has a window unit electric heat/ac that is accurate enough. But at night i lock the valuables in a separate room with only a little electric floor heater. Its hard to keep temps in the happy range for the worms when i have little idea of when this little thing starts and stops.

I guess if need be i can put shelves in an old fridge in the other room and vent it. But then 2 people a week will snoop in it and give me shit. Not embarrassed by any means. People just irritate me and i dont want to explain this 400 times. And come next winter this room needs to stay above freezing for drinking water anyway.

>>1148632
Didnt even consider resturant stuff. Hell i may have access to a giant cooler or 2 for free if i haul it off. My dad's boss bough a local gas station and replaced the coolers. Wonder if he still has them. Would be great for room temp storage and another wall against containment breach. I'm not too worried about them escaping. But i couldn't live with myself if i unleashed a plague on local farms. Those guys have it hard enough as it it.

>>1148787
>rabbit cage clips.

Fugggg. Good call anon. My bro started raising rabits last uear and we built some cages. Didnt even think of the clips. Thanks man.

>>1149101
Fuck yeah. Probably going bsf or red wrigglers once i master this. My temporary goal is to develop a customer base and always have supply on hand until i cam get a secondary insulated building to raise them in and grow from there.

Ideally i would like to master each breed before moving to the next so i can detect and correct problems quickly. Having these guy pay their own bill would be an obvious plus also.

Little shit like anon saying the wheat bran coukd have mites or that they dont even really need it could be costly problems latter.

But small scale problems are nothing but pocket change and a little heartache.

Do check in with your findings tho. And good luck to you.