Mother Clucker's Mealworms

06/15/2024

I got the chance to give Larry, Moe, and Curly some scratches this morning while delivering mealworms to the Santa Fe Zoo. This is usually a paid experience and is worth every penny. Did you know that the Santa Fe Zoo is the ONLY accredited teaching zoo in the world?

04/04/2024

I can't wait to get the new building finished so that I can expand my superworm production! We'll be working on the metal roof, trim, and wiring this weekend, and then all that's left is insulation, drywall, and painting the inside... and then moving everything, of course. Still a lot to do, but the end is in sight!

03/31/2024

New worm house almost finished! It should be ready for move in by the end of April, and not a moment too soon. I have a baby worm explosion happening. www.mothercluckersmealworms.com

02/26/2024

Day number... no idea, I've lost track...of construction. Framing is almost finished. Next up: roof decking. This building could never have been possible without the brains and brawn of the best son-in-law on the planet. Top shelf husband, world's best brother-in-law, and the most amazing grandson ever have also worked their tails off to make this happen. My part of the physical construction is over for at least 5-6 weeks, as yesterday ended with the greatest daughter since the beginning of time taking me to the ER for a broken left arm. Worm care is going to be a team effort for a while.

01/28/2024

Day 2 of construction (forgot to take a pic yesterday) on the superworm shed. Plus a shot of my really cute 8 year old grandson who is learning a lot and is a great helper.

12/02/2023

Realized that it's been a hot minute since I've posted an update. Teaching full time + raising worms = not a lot of extra time!

A little over a year ago, a regular customer convinced me to add superworms to my farm. Supers take a lot more time and effort to breed, but so far I've been pretty successful with it. So successful that we are in the planning stages of expanding to a second building! I'm hoping to move the whole farm into the new building by January, and we will then start renovating the original shed to make it more energy-efficient. Then the mealworms will return to the shed to leave more space for supers. I'm pretty excited for this, because the new building will alleviate the crowding that's currently happening and hopefully reduce heating and cooling costs.

If you're interested in buying superworms, like and comment so that I can add you to my list! That customer who sparked this is getting the majority of what I raise right now, but I expect to outgrow their demand once the new building is done.

09/01/2023

Well, we survived Hurricane Idalia! We lost some big trees on the property, but thankfully none caused damage. Thanks to prior planning (bought a second generator) and our very handy son-in-law (who wired it in), all the worms stayed cool and happy throughout 34 hours without power. Very thankful that we avoided the worst of the storm, but so sad to see the devastation in Cedar Key, Steinhatchee, Horseshoe Beach, and other Big Bend communities.

07/14/2023

The demand for mealworms this spring was incredible. Almost too incredible... my supply was unable to keep up! I'll at least be doubling up for next spring. In the meantime, I'm working on replenishing my reserves to be able to offer online ordering again soon.

I've been asked so many times to also offer superworms that I decided to give them a shot! Watch for them to be added to the website for online ordering soon.

10/08/2022

The new website is up and running, and I feel the need to celebrate! All mealworms are 10% off for the rest of October with the discount code MotherClucker!

Our mealworms are raised exclusively on organic wheat bran and organic vegetables. Reptiles love them, amphibians crave them, chickens and other birds beg for them!

10/03/2022

Aaaand... the website is LIVE!
www.mothercluckersmealworms.com

10/02/2022

Mealworms are the stars of the show in this photo shoot! Getting the website ready for launch. Each jar holds a specific number of mealworms. I wanted to have a visual to show what each number of mealworms looks like. These are 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, and 5000 worms. No, I don't count them by hand. There's a minimum of 200 worms in one ounce. I weigh them for an estimated count.

09/13/2022

Live mealworms are now available! They are great treats for your reptiles, chickens, and other birds, or take them fishing! Website is coming soon, but until then message me your orders.

08/01/2022

Why farm mealworms? Well, there are several good reasons, but here's the one that sealed the deal. One day, hopefully not really soon, I will have to quit teaching. Progressive neurological disorders tend to, well, progress. There will come a day when I'll need to be more available for my other half, and when that day comes I'm hoping that mealworms will make that transition easier. I'm lucky enough to have connected with Laura, the original Wonder Worm Woman, who taught me how to raise and sell these little guys. Wonder Worm Woman built it and now Mother Clucker will continue it. We thank you for your business!

07/30/2022

My very first delivery of Mother Clucker's mealworms is scheduled for tomorrow! This is two pounds of food/treats for some of Gainesville's beautiful birds. Are there birds hanging around your place that would enjoy a few of these? Bluebirds are the most popular birds to eat them, but wrens, thrushes, and kinglets are a few more.

07/24/2022

Now accepting Venmo payments! Small amounts of mealworms will be available soon. Message, call, or email us to reserve your mealworms for future orders!

https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3589615655060997162

Venmo is a digital wallet that lets you make and share payments with friends. You can easily split the bill, cab fare, or much more. Download the iOS or Android app or sign up on Venmo.com today.

07/18/2022

Whew! What a weekend! The farm is all moved and mostly organized. Now to start sifting, sorting, and pretty soon selling.

Chickens and other birds aren't the only animals that eat mealworms. Many reptiles, amphibians, rodents, and fish also love a tasty mealworm treat.

07/14/2022

Most of the beetles are on their shelves! Not quite completely organized yet, but Rome wasn't built in a day.

There are four stages in the life cycle of the yellow mealworm: egg, worm/larva, pupa, and beetle/adult. These beetles will lay thousands of eggs over their lifetime, at least the females will. After three months, their production goes down. Then they will become chicken treats. My chickens lose their tiny little minds over beetles and mealworms. 🐓🐔😁

07/14/2022

07/14/2022

All packed up and ready to roll!

There's one very important thing that I've learned about mealworms, which are the larval form of a species of darkling beetle called Tenebrio molitor. They don't like heat! The beetles especially prefer temperatures somewhere in the mid to upper 70s. The AC is cranking and they will be moved quickly into their shed when we arrive.

07/14/2022

07/13/2022

Tomorrow is moving day for the farm! I will be transporting beetles, mealworm babies, and their assorted paraphernalia from the current farm in Citra to their new location in High Springs. They will have about double the space here to be fruitful and multiply. I've been learning all about raising and taking care of them for a few months, and now I'm ready to take over. Stay tuned for more on what I've learned and why I'm raising mealworms! (I know you're all wondering 😂)