Hong Kong caterpillars or known as mealworms are the larvae of a beetle called Tenebrio molitor. Hong Kong caterpillars are now very busy being farmed and many are looking for them in the market.

Hong Kong caterpillar is EF which is one of the best prima donna, this is because Hong Kong caterpillar is high in protein in addition to the price which is also quite cheap.

Even Hong Kong caterpillars are not only popular with bird song lovers, but can also be used as food for fish, hedgehogs and reptiles.

Not unlike growing silkworms without mud, Hong Kong silkworm farming is not so difficult that it requires no special skills or abilities. Even for the cost and capital issue, it is not too much, and it is not uncommon for Hong Kong caterpillar farmers to start this business with minimal capital. The land needed for cultivation does not only have to be a large piece of land, you can even do this cultivation at home or in the backyard.

Because this caterpillar fungus cultivation can be done in containers or wooden boxes that can be stacked so that they do not take up much space. The type of caterpillar from Hong Kong that is bubbling up in the crop is the larvae of the Tenebrio molitor beetle, where this beetle undergoes a complete metamorphosis from eggs to larvae, pupae to become adult beetles. The time it takes to change from this phase varies greatly depending on the availability of food and the environmental conditions of the caterpillar. Usually it takes from 14 days to 2 months.

How to Grow Hong Kong Caterpillars

Before growing Hong Kong caterpillars or mealworms, there are several steps and stages of cultivation that you need to go through, here we have summarized these stages:

1. Preparation

Of course, there are some preparations you can make before you start growing. What needs to be considered is the problem of the means and materials used. Normally the materials used for cultivation are plastic containers, wooden boxes or jars. As for the culture media, polar wheat is usually used, only this medium is sometimes not available in all regions, so it can be substituted with oats, chicken voer or fine bran.

2. Seeds and place

To start breeding, you need to choose a potential parent, try to keep the parent less than 2kg, to get a large cocoon that on average is 4mm wide and 15mm long. While the size of an adult caterpillar is 15mm with a diameter of 3mm, this caterpillar will hatch into a cocoon in about a week to 10 days. As for the place, you can opt for containers, wooden boxes or jars.

3. Preparation for maintenance

As with silkworm culture in canvas ponds, these are the recommended preparation steps for Hong Kong silkworm culture:

• Grow Equipment: Dry oats or oatmeal, a source of moisture that is not too easy to mold or rot like carrots, some fruits, or other vegetables like apples, potatoes, and celery. A plastic jar with a hole in it, some boxes of chicken eggs and caterpillars from Hong Kong.
• Put or pour the oatmeal into the jar until it reaches a height of 2.5 cm from the bottom of the floor of the jar. This is the base layer and is a layer as food for the Hong Kong caterpillar to achieve its growth.
• Put some pieces of vegetables in the jar or container of the hongkong caterpillar. Just use a few pieces of vegetables like lettuce, apples, celery, and potatoes or carrots. Carrots are highly recommended because they will take longer to rot and turn to fungus than others. You can use anything, but check the freshness of the natural food, replace it if it’s moldy.
• Put the mother Hong Kong caterpillar in a jar that you have prepared beforehand, even some breeders also use pieces of dry cereal or pieces of bread in the jar.
• Since mealworms or Hong Kong caterpillars are very fond of the dark or can thrive in dark areas, add a few egg cartons.
• Close the jar and store it in a warm, dark place. The caterpillar will more easily cocoon or pupate when it is in a dark, warm area.
• Some breeders will routinely check their Hong Kong caterpillars every day, but others will only check them once a week. Get rid of nuisance junk, such as moldy or rotten vegetables or fruits, dead bugs, or other nuisances.
• Watch for the growth of the pupa or cocoon in the caterpillar’s jar. Typically, pupa growth will occur between 7 days and 2 months, the change in pupa is based on the presence of age and ambient temperature.
• The mature caterpillar will turn darker in color.
• At the beginning of its formation, the pupa will be pale white in color and its shape is very similar to that of a coiled beetle.
• Since the formation of a cocoon or pupa will occur gradually, you should be more observant and separate the pupae when one forms later.
• The jar that will contain the pupa can be added with more vegetables, so that the humidity is maintained, but it must be replaced regularly because the pupa will not move at all and will not eat it.
• If the pupa has developed into an adult beetle, separate it and place it in another container or jar.
• Separate the beetles into another container or another jar with small holes in the top so air can still get in even though the jar is closed so the beetles don’t escape and go everywhere.
• Label each container or jar so you don’t confuse them later as containers for larvae, pupae, and adults. Of course, this will make your job easier when making observations.
• Adult beetles will lay eggs and the more populations of beetles the more eggs or possible larvae there will be, usually the eggs will hatch in 4-20 days, it all depends on the temperature or temperature in the container.
• When the caterpillar larvae are more numerous, you can once again separate the adult beetles from the larvae.

4. Feeding method

Feeding is very important even in the breeding of laying ducks. To feed the Hong Kong caterpillar itself, it splits into 2, namely:

• For parent caterpillars: In addition to vegetables or fruits that will hold moisture, you can feed them bran, tofu feces, mashed potatoes or bone meal, give at intervals or intervals of 4 times a day.
• As for the beetles, you only need to provide food as above with a distance or time interval of 3 times a day.
• For the larvae or small caterpillars: it is only necessary to give them food such as the vegetables described above.

5. Harvest

Harvesting will occur when the eggs hatch into larvae called Hong Kong caterpillars. You can provide food according to what has been previously determined. The harvest period will take place for approximately 50 days. The harvesting method is also very simple, i.e. separating the caterpillars from the bran with a fine sieve.

6. Tips

• In order not to experience discomfort, it is strongly recommended that you regularly clean and replace rotten feed, entertain the old with new and fresh feed.
• If the number of caterpillars you have is still small, then you can use a smaller container.
• If you prefer to harvest beetles like EF, store caterpillar larvae in the refrigerator, because in cold temperatures caterpillar growth will slow.
• However, if you want to speed up the growth of the caterpillars and harvest them, store the culture container in a place that is at room temperature. Because the Hong Kong caterpillar is a kind of tropical insect.
• Try to reduce the density of the number of caterpillars so that they can easily turn into cocoons or pulp.

7. Hong Kong caterpillar facts

• Hong Kong caterpillars are generally sold live, dried, or in flour. It is usually found in pet stores and bird feed stores.
• The Hong Kong EF caterpillar has been known to the Indonesian people for a long time.
• Hong Kong caterpillars cannot thrive in damp places, so try to grow a dry, moist, warm place.
• Hong Kong caterpillars are more popular than Kroto and crickets in some countries because they are cheaper and more affordable.
• Skilled breeders will usually first kill the Hong Kong caterpillar by cutting it into pieces before feeding it to you.
• The existence of the Hongkong caterpillar, which is still white, is considered more special because it is more difficult to obtain and breeders prefer this color.
• In addition to being rich in protein content, Hong Kong caterpillars are also believed to be rich in fat content, which is why songbird breeders do not really recommend giving EF to Hong Kong caterpillars in large amounts.
• The Hong Kong white caterpillar is a caterpillar that has just changed its skin so that its body parts are softer.
• The Hong Kong caterpillar’s skin layer is called chitin, this layer is actually very hard, that’s why breeders prefer the Hong Kong white caterpillar or when she sheds.
• In fact, Hong Kong caterpillars will experience growth inhibition in cold areas, but storing them in cool, moist areas and with minimal water content will help Hong Kong caterpillars to grow.

In addition to the above information, here is a video in the form of an explanation about what the Hong Kong caterpillar business opportunity is like for your reference.

Those are some brief explanations about the stages and ways of farming Hong Kong caterpillars, such as the stages of how to grow carp in an earthen pond, you still need to be patient and execute it diligently and painstakingly. Because Hong Kong caterpillar farming also brings promising benefits, it just takes a little longer to grow. This is why you need to be more patient and careful in the care and handling of the Hong Kong caterpillar. However, some impatient farmers will be overwhelmed in handling and waiting for the Hong Kong caterpillar harvest, although the opportunity is quite good and has potential.