where? You may not be local to Charlotte NC, but most towns are similar. Thanks!
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where? You may not be local to Charlotte NC, but most towns are similar. Thanks!
It depends on how many I need. If it's just for one day of fishing, I buy local. If not, I order a bunch.
buy a bunch online? have a link? Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by deathb4disco
FWIW, my local pet store (Petco) has a better bait selection than my local bait shop.
Raising mealworms is much easier,and far cheaper than raising kids !:biggrin.All kidding aside,I've been raising my own mealworms for 5 years,they all but take care of themselves,I have live bait year round,and cost next to nothing
Ok sounds awesome tell us how. .?
Several ways work,mine works for me.I use a clear lidded 10 gallon tote,but smaller or larger works also.I purchased a 50lb bag of bran from a farmers market,( will last for several years ),I add about 3" of bran to cover the bottom of the tote.I also use a medium potato sliced in half for the mealworms to consume,and for moisture.
A friend donated some refugee mealworms,in various stages to me ( DO NOT BUY,JUMBO MEALWORMS) They are basically a hybrid,having been dosed with a growth additive.Ordering a 1000 will give you a very good parent stock to begin you farm.Place the mealworms directly into your bedding mix,drill some tiny holes in the lid for air,keep some potatoes,or baby carrots in with them,and close the lid.
Mealworms beetles lay several hundred eggs in the bedding each day, ( mealworms morf into darkling beetles ,lay eggs for a week or so,then die )the eggs and baby mealworms are nearly invisible,but don't be discouraged,they will be there and in great numbers.Keep your tote in a warm location,preferably in the dark for greater procreation.
Once your farm is producing,,place a hundred or so worms in some bran in a small container with air holes and refridgerate,for a month,then place them back in the parent box,this will slow down the morphing,allowing for a continuous supply of worm year round.
I know this is only one way of raising them,go to U - tube for other ,just as successful ways.I feed mine a new potato when the old is basically gone,I refresh the bran when it becomes less grainy,( the consume it and pass it also.Good luck,it's very simple once you start ,I had less instruction than I just gave ,and I did it.
I threw meal worms in a bucket with some bran. After I ran out of bran I threw whatever I had. Old cereal, corn meal, flour, an ear of field corn etc. They aren't picky.
Yeah,they just have to have a bedding material ( food grade ) for there eggs to stick to.i chose bran because I sift my bedding every year,to rid it of some of the dead beetle hauls,bran that has been eaten,and passed will be sand like,but still saturated with eggs,and tiny baby worms.Sifting,though not regiured,allows me to keep any odor down ,and a cleaner environment,but they can be just topped off every so often and do fine.
I got 3 plastic sweater boxes and 3 plastic shoe box for my worms. One shoe box has a large hole in the bottom with 1/8" hardware cloth glued to it. I'll sit it in one of the sweater boxes and pour the bran with beetles into it. Shake it a bit to remove the bran, baby worms and eggs. The beetles go back into the sweater box with new bran added. Another shoe box has a large hole in the bottom with screen wire glued to it. When the worms get larger they are poured into it to remove the spent bran. The worms go back into the sweater box with new bran added. The spent bran is poured into the third shoe box. A little bran is added encase a few small worms or eggs went through the screen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c82fInUdLJ8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HndiMpFVM5U
I have been using this Guy's system for about 5 years now, and have had absolutely no problems whatsoever.
Hi,
The one time I tried a lid I got Grain Mites because it increased the Humidity which Grain Mites need to survive, now I never use a Lid. This might be because I live in a high Humidity area New Orleans.
2 month ago I checked the container of beetles. I could see the small pieces of bran moving. I figured I had small worms. I poured the worms into another container and added some new bran. Checking this week I find that the worms are no bigger and I have some small bugs like fruit flies in that room. Checking the container of beetles I found a few worms about the size of what I bought, light in color.
I ventilated my lid by drilling small holes in two areas of my lid,then I covered the holes with a section of screen fabric.By doing this the moisture escapes,and other bugs cannot enter.Moistue is a killer for mealworms,ventilation is important,but the worms must have a sorce of moisture,that is where the potato come in
Yeah, I had plenty of holes for ventilation and still got Grain mites, all I'm saying is that you don't need a Lid at all to raise Mealworms.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yaker
,Oh, I wasn't meaning a lid was needed,I use lids to keep birds from stealing my worms.In warmer weather,I raise them out doors under a roof,it takes about 3 minutes for the birds to find them,and not much longer for them to clean them out.
I also noticed that spiders seem to like getting into the box,I presume they are after anything that can make a meal.i have seen some folks who use the smaller plastic boxes,stacked on shelves,just another good way of raising them.
Ok, I understand now why you use lid.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yaker
Screen fabric can be found in smaller mesh. I've got some copper somewhere that was used for making primary filters. The bad thing is it will corrode and fill in the holes.
Can you freeze and carry small bags to use as daily baits??
I would get the freeze-dried if you wanted to do that:Quote:
Originally Posted by sharphook
Fisher's Choice Bait by Timbuktu - The Ideal Solution to Live Bait!
I don't think freeze-dried would work. I buy them as treats for my birds. I can get a handful and crush them.
I've caught fish on them. I prefer live, but they definitely work.Quote:
Originally Posted by canebreaker
I prefer a little wiggle in my worm...:Rofl
Understood, but live mealworms don't move much. Same goes for wax worms.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yaker
If you want to see "wiggle", get some maggots.
Yeah they slow movers but the trout I've been teasing the last couple days seem to want that movement.I hook them in the tail,that keeps them twisting till the rainbows find them.Gills don't seem to care one way or the other though.