What are the risks in the process of ground beetle (Eupolyphaga sinensis) farming?
Ground beetle farming can be called a hot topic in recent years, with TV advertisements and online promotion in full swing. Ground beetle farming does not require special conditions, and management is relatively extensive, but it is not as simple as what is shown on TV, nor is it so easy to make big money and get rich. So what are the risks of ground beetle farming?
What are the risks of ground beetle farming?
The market risk of ground beetle farming is basically relatively small, and the chance of losing money is also very small. The market is relatively tight, but market conditions will affect the level of profit. The biggest risk still lies in whether the ground beetles can be kept alive. Although ground beetle farming relatively does not require special conditions and management is relatively extensive, if feeding and management are not done properly, it will also cause huge economic losses. Therefore, raising ground beetles requires careful management and careful observation. For some careless farmers, if slight abnormalities occur in the ground beetles, they will not notice them without careful observation, and only become anxious when obvious symptoms appear. Perhaps these slight abnormal signs are the precursors of disease. Careful farmers can notice them and carry out early care and prevention, perhaps avoiding the economic losses caused by major diseases.
Feeding requirements at different stages
1. Feeding and management of larvae: larvae begin to eat 2 days after hatching. At this time, they can be fed some wheat bran, melons and fruits, pumpkin flowers, small greens, and shredded pumpkin. During the larval period, some nutritious foods can be added, such as: soybean powder, eggs, milk. For feeding, just sprinkle the feed on the surface of the rearing pool, and keep the temperature at 25-43°C.
2. Feeding and management of medium larvae: management of medium larvae is relatively extensive, and there are no special requirements for feed, as long as they can eat their fill.
3. Feeding and management of egg-laying beetles: for egg-laying beetles, the rearing soil is required to be thickened to 12-15 cm, and the feed requires a 50% ratio of green feed and concentrated feed. If a little soybean powder or animal meat scraps can be added, it will be better to increase the nutrition of the ground beetles. As for feeding, it is enough if not much feed remains on the surface of the ground beetle pool by the next morning. The temperature in the rearing pool should be kept at around 25°C, and the humidity at 60%-70%. If the humidity is insufficient, a sprayer free of pesticide contamination can be used to add moisture, requiring small amounts each time and multiple times.
Ground beetle farming techniques
1. Hatching of egg pods: the quality of egg pods is best when the grains are plump and the color is brownish-red with no impurities. Normal egg shells contain 6-16 seeds. When hatching, mix the eggs and soil at a ratio of 1:1 (by volume), then put them into a basin with a thickness of 12-15 cm, keep the temperature at 27°C-30°C, and keep the soil humidity at about 15%. Turn them once in the morning and once in the evening each day to regulate dryness and humidity as well as the air permeability of the egg capsule. Keep indoor spatial humidity at 75-80%. They can hatch completely in about 45 days. Remember not to spray water directly into the egg pods.
2. Separate into pools in time: ground beetles grow quickly in a suitable environment. Each time they molt, their volume and weight increase by about one time. If they are not separated into pools in time, it will affect their growth. When the density is too high, the ground beetles will climb up the surrounding walls. If you tap the surface layer of the soil with your hand, it will rise and fall like waves. At this time, they should be separated into pools.
3. Pick out male beetles at the right time: male beetles mature one month earlier than female beetles, and at this time the female beetles are not yet mature and cannot mate, which will affect the normal growth of the female beetles. When male beetles that have emerged are found, they should be picked out in time. After picking them out, scald them to death with boiling water, remove the wings, then briefly boil them in light salt water, drain the water, and then put them in the refrigerator. They can be made into delicious food. This is more profitable than picking male beetles before emergence. After picking for 1 month, they can be allowed to mate on their own. One male beetle can mate with more than 10 female beetles. After mating, male beetles die within more than 20 days. Before they die, they can still be picked out and made into food. In this way, the male beetles will be put to use.
4. Screening and collecting egg pods: female beetles begin to lay eggs one week after mating. The laid eggs hang at the tail and fall off into the soil automatically after about 2 days. When collecting eggs, first use an 8 mm sieve to screen out the adults, then use a 4 mm sieve to screen out the egg pods. The suitable time for screening eggs is 15-20 days.
Finally, the editor suggests that friends who want to farm ground beetles can collect some information about ground beetle farming on websites, enter ground beetle farming exchange groups, and exchange experience and interact with friends who have actually raised ground beetles. The benefits will be much greater than searching Baidu for “Can ground beetle farming make money?”