What is mylorm and what is its use?
- The larva of the dark beetle is called Melorm. Due to their high nutritional value, mealworms are a suitable diet for aquatic animals and poultry. In this part, we will introduce this cockroach, its life cycle and the uses of mylarum.
Dark beetle life cycle:
A dark beetle reaches adulthood only a few days after hatching. During a 2-3 month lifetime, a female cockroach can lay hundreds or thousands of eggs. The egg period until hatching lasts between 4 and 19 days. After the egg hatches, a small white larva comes out, which is hard to see at first. The life of the larva lasts on average 54-90 days under optimal conditions. Larvae molt sometimes up to 20 times during their development period and lose their exoskeleton during development. The last moult occurs about 3 months after hatching. After the last molting, the larvae settled somewhere; They form a white shell around themselves and enter the pupal stage. After 6-18 days, cockroaches are born from the pupae. The cockroaches will be white at first and then pale brown, but after a few days they will turn into a black and shiny dark cockroach and the cycle can continue again.
*Note: In the dark cockroach, cannibalism can be seen, and for this reason, it is possible that the eggs and pupae are eaten by the adult cockroach and larvae due to their defenselessness and immobility.
Adult cockroach (Tenebrio Molitor)
Their body size is usually between 12-20 mm with an approximate weight of 80-130 mg.
The optimal temperature and humidity for this stage are 25 ℃ and 70% humidity respectively.
This stage of life can last between 16 and 120 days.
Adult cockroaches usually lay between 250 and 1000 eggs during their lifetime.
Egg
The shape of the eggs is oval with a diameter of 5/mm.
The optimal temperature and humidity for egg hatching are 25-27℃ and 60-75% humidity respectively.
Eggs laid by the female have a 90% chance of hatching.
Mealworm
The body length of the adult larva is 20-30 mm and the diameter is 1-5.1 mm with a weight of 120-220 mg.
The life of the larva lasts on average 35-120 days under optimal conditions.
The suitable temperature and humidity for the development of the larvae is 27-25 C0 and 60-70% humidity respectively.
Egg hatching time is generally between 4-19 days is
pupa
The average body length is 15 mm in length and 5 mm in diameter with an approximate weight of 120 mg
The duration of this course is 6-20 days.
The appropriate temperature and humidity are 25-27 ℃ and 60-70% humidity respectively.
Applications of Milorum
1- Milorum as feed for birds and poultry
Birds feed on Milorum both dry and live. Most bird species like live mealworms; You can make them more juicy and attractive by soaking dried mealworms in water and attract birds for feeding. You can also mix Milorum with other bird snacks and food, as some birds like to eat creatively and have a different diet. The benefits of using Melorem for birds include the following:
Weight gain of broiler chickens
Increase in the growth rate of broiler chickens
Effect on making the meat of broiler chickens softer and more juicy
Effect on the growth of new feathers in chickens
Helping reproduction and increasing egg laying
A suitable alternative to antibiotics
Improving digestion due to the presence of fiber and abundant fatty acids
Having more balanced amino acids than Plant protein
The presence of chitin in insect meal causes the following effects in poultry:
Increasing body immunity against diseases
Improving intestinal microbiota
Increasing intestinal lactobacillus
Reducing the population of bacteria (intestinal Escherichia coli and Salmonella species) which can improve poultry health
2-Milorum as aquatic feed
Insects have a good potential to provide food for farmed aquatics. Freshwater aquatics are more adaptable in feeding on insects than saltwater aquatics. The protein obtained from dark beetle larvae is most similar to fish meal (which makes up the largest percentage of aquatic diets). Of course, it should be noted that the amount of fatty acid in insect flour is different compared to fish flour, and insects have higher proportions of omega-6 fatty acids and unsaturated fats. The use of live foods in the composition of the main rations can stimulate the appetite of fish. Dark beetle larvae are one of the live foods that are currently used in a very limited way in feeding some ornamental fish. Larvae are suitable for almost all fish whose size is more than 10 cm. Among the advantages of using Milorum in aquatic feed, the following can be mentioned:
3-Increasing reproduction
Raising the level of immunity in fish
Significant increase in the weight of edible fish such as trout
Helping to stabilize the color and resisting pH changes in ornamental fish
Better digestion of food in fish due to the presence of proteases in the stomach
Fulfilling the need for chitin for shrimp and crab for skinning
Weight gain in shrimp that is 50-100% The protein in their diet is from milorum.
*Note: vegetable proteins such as soybeans lack key amino acids needed for the diet of carnivorous fish and contain anti-nutritional factors that limit digestibility. Bodybuilding supplements are popular among athletes in this field because of the high protein content of this product.
Using mylorm as a source of chitin and chitosan
Chitin is the most abundant biopolymer after cellulose and has a great structural similarity with cellulose. Chitin and chitosan are widely used in various industries, including medicine, tissue engineering, drug delivery, genetic engineering, wound dressing and repair, stem cells, papermaking, dentistry, production of eye lenses, textiles, production and packaging of food products, photography, water and wastewater treatment, production of cosmetics and personal care products, production of hearing aids, etc. Currently, the main natural sources of chitin are crab and shrimp shells. However, their availability is highly seasonal and their continuous production is difficult. With the global chitin and chitosan market expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 15.4%, it is important to find new sources to meet this growing demand in a sustainable manner. One of the most attractive options is the use of insects and especially the use of edible worms. Extraction of chitin and chitosan from insects is more beneficial than existing sources in terms of extraction methods, chemical consumption, time and performance. The researchers found that the chitosan obtained from Milorm powder has a similar structure to the commercial chitosan and showed antimicrobial activity in several tests.
Super Chicken Farm produces the best milk cream in dry form, and this cream with the highest protein is given as a supplement and snack to the chickens of Super Chicken Farm, which has the highest quality and the best taste of local chicken.
