Slowly, slowly...

It has been a slow few weeks since I last posted. I have had to try a number of different things to try and work out how to get the mealworms to mature faster including putting in more food, keeping them in darker and warmer climes.

The mealworm life-cycle can be anything from 3 months to 6 months. However, I think that I may have too many in too small a place - they swarm any fruit/veg that I put in but I'm worried that they don't have enough space. I am breaking some smaller groups out to try and encourage growth.

Hundreds/thousands of mealworms swarm any fruit put in with them

Gallingly, I have seen some in my recycling bin (transferred there in vessels of old fruit that needed to be removed I think) that are even more mature than the ones that I am rearing directly and it goes to show that the environment and space might be key.

Lots of people ask me regularly about them - there is definitely public interest; more than I thought there might be. I think it is indicative of the fact that Bristol is especially fertile ground for new ideas and more sustainable ways of doing things.

As soon as I get some large worms I plan to develop some great-tasting food to share with everyone that has asked me about them and help turn people onto the idea of insects as a viable alternative to other protein sources.

Another great insect-focused caught my eye recently too - check it out. Entomophagy is the future: Insects Are Food.