Concerning the different life cycles of your worms I have the additional theory that the polystyrene (PS) foam is much more calorically dense than a potato or an apple or oats. PS is pure carbohydrate, added chemicals are a coating. Fruit and veg contain many more nutrients mealworms can digest but can't get much energy from. They seem to thrive best with grains = carbohydrate rich food. It's odd tough for us to think of a man made material being calorically valuable to an animal. Cool experiment! Thanks for sharing!

With the styrofoam mealworms turning to pupae faster it’s because there’s no moisture but you will have a higher fatality rate this was also done in another study with different feed and moisture and no moisture.But great vid bro keep it up

Wow, that's amazing! Thanks for sharing, seems like a great way to reduce landfill waste 🙌🏼

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing the experiment 👍

Fed my worms Cornmeal and protein powder , my lizards didn’t complain and were HUGE

That was really neat. Thanks

They might eat the styrofoam but they are converting it into microplastics which when eaten by your chicken will eventually land up in your diet

@yureituesday

Жыл бұрын

I was about to comment the same thing.

@chrisrynn1

Жыл бұрын

Recent scientific research has found that bacteria in their gut process polystyrene, and found no evidence of microplastics persisting after digestion.

@onemuslim9313

Жыл бұрын

@@chrisrynn1 duely noted will look into the research paper

@noway9081

Жыл бұрын

That might not be true. The mealworms could be converting styrofoam into microplastics, but that doesn't mean that they don't just poop out the microplastics in their waste. You'd have to do an analysis of the worm's waste and bodies to determine if any undigested plastic components go into the waste or stay in the worms.

Interesting experiment.

Would be interesting to see what safe uses the waste can be used for or if chemicals could be processed out. Love your videos btw very inspiring

@chrisrynn1

Жыл бұрын

Scientists recently found that the chemicals used as fire retardant in styrofoam packing are also processed safely by mealworms.

This blew my mind also, a way to compost styrofoam!!!!!

Curious where you are in just consuming what you grow, catch, and forage? I would love more videos on your fishing, crabbing, harvesting, and cooking.

Would be interesting to compare the beetles from the study group to the beetles without any Styrofoam ingestion since they pupated with it in their tract. You combined them again after a week, correct? I'm a (very small) mealworm farmer and this is very exciting. Thanks for sharing!

A student at WSU, Brenden Campbell won a contest for replicating the study and going on to show that by adding in a chicken feed it helped the worms digest more of the plastic. He also showed that the worms themselves ought to be edible by using an infrared assay. I am still trying to figure out if the frass is salvageable and how he tested the worms.

That's an amazing experiment. Now we need to make Styrofoam without that chemical or use a different one, maybe?

Question about the styrofoam packing peanuts. Is it the old school kind or the new ones that are corn based? (Fun party trick to eat them, freaks people out) I know there has been an industry shift in utilization of the new kind. I'll be curious to see the block of styrofoam next!

Interesting! I wonder if black soldier fly larvae would eat these, too?

If the frass is not good for compost for plants that you consume, what about using it for building materials or plants that won't be consumed?

Mealworms will eat styrofoam if they are starved without anything else to eat. Put a piece of fruit in the same bin with the styrofoam and see what gets devoured first.

My mealworms and superworms drink from test tubs with a cotton and water, same way ants drink water 🫠

Cool

My chickens, as well as others I've seen, are obsessed with Styrofoam (can't leave any Styrofoam coolers laying around😄) Seems odd as they usually ignore non food bits. I wonder what in it seems to attract both mealworms and chickens?

@Madiannereid

Жыл бұрын

Respectfully, That wouldn’t be good for chickens. It’s plastic. It would sit in their gut and if it got to be too much they’d die.

@kng3785

Жыл бұрын

@@Madiannereid I agree, that's why I have to hide all things Styrofoam 😄(not that I ever have much around). I'm curious as to what the attraction is? 🤔

Does the toxins of plastic bioaccumulate or not?

Did their droppings become lighter?

@LovinofftheLand

Жыл бұрын

Good question. I didn't notice anything but I can't say I was paying attention

@noway9081

Жыл бұрын

@@LovinofftheLand Thanks for replying! I rewatched your video and you mentioned that you saw what may have been tiny bits of styrofoam in their waste. Thank you so much for posting this! If it isn't too much to ask (or too late) could you keep some of their waste in case there might be a chance to do a chemical analysis of it in the future?

Why the huge obnoxious subtitles?

If the mealworms eat the Styrofoam, can the chickens safely eat the mealworms

My mealworms like to eat live animals😨😅

Yeah I saw that video hope people don't continue doing this can't possibly be good for the ecosystem how about idk we don't use styrofoam just a thought

@chrisrynn1

Жыл бұрын

Right, so how do we get rid of all the existing styrofoam, which would otherwise sit in landfill for hundreds of years?

That's not a mealworm. THIS, is a mealworm. i.imgur.com/oNyhC1G.jpg

@krazykiwi4470

Жыл бұрын

It’s a mealworm bro

@Mo_Taser

Жыл бұрын

@@krazykiwi4470 No way. Really?