Mealworms or Maggots WTB

[pauli]

Hi, I am chasing a private breeder(hobbiest) who breeds mealworms or maggots(clean). I am only wanting to buy small volume for my finches. I would be chasing a chinese container approx once a week or fortnight. If you are able to spare this amount please email me the details of what you have, suburb and $$ asking. Prefer Brisbane/ipswich/logan area. The closer to Goodna the better for convience. Thankyou Pauline

[jusdeb]

Check with your local pet shops , most cater for birds , reptiles and heaven forbid spiders these days .

[pauli]

Thankyou. I have done so in the past, but with shop overheads, it works out expensive to keep them up to the birds. Was hoping to find private breeder not asking so much like shops.

[jusdeb]

Okies Pauli I get ya ....if you dont have any luck Im sure the folks in here will walk you through setting up your own mealworm > maggot farm ...if you like.

[Diane]

I have bought maggots/gents from the local bait/fishing tackle shop cost was $3.50 for approx 350
I changed the bedding/bran they were in and added some insect supplement. Have fed to Red and blue faced parrot finches, also in the main aviary where there are Orange breasted waxbills, emblemas and ruddies. Quails also like them.

I also get mealworms from the aquarium fish shop $8.50 a tub it is a bit expensive but they do last for quite a while in the fridge. I double wrap them in plastic bags to make sure I dont have any that escape.

[E Orix]

Pauli
We have a breeder of Mealworms here and to send a KG to you would be $50
It seems alot for your small requirement but if looked after them they will last along while
The pet shops here sell 100gm(take away container) for $10 = $100 per KG ex shop.
From memory there are around 8000 worms to the KG.I think!!!!!!

[triplea]

Diane

The bait shop and aquarium shop you have visited are they quite close together?
If they are the ones I'm thinking off I might give them a try myself.

Anthony

[Jayburd]

I double wrap them in plastic bags to make sure I dont have any that escape.

They can chew through thin plastic (like in plastic bags), fabric netting, etc. I once had a mealworm escape, and found about 50 ina double - wrapped bag of nesting moss I collected once.

[Jayburd]

and lots of tiny holes in both bags, too

[Diane]

I hope they cant chew through the chinese takeaway type carton I buy them in. I double wrap that.