All About Mealworm Frass
What is frass? Well… it’s a nice way to say bug poop.
More formally, here’s the definition straight from the dictionary:
frass
/fras/
noun
fine powdery refuse or fragile perforated wood produced by the activity of boring insects.
Mealworms are waxy, segmented “worm” type of insects often fed to chickens, turtles, fish, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, and more. But mealworms aren’t actually worms at all! They’re the larvae of Darkling Beetles!
We’ll get deep into information about mealworms, the insects themselves, HERE- in its own post. For the purpose of this post, we’re going to focus only on the dookie!
If you’re aware of it or not, the dirt our grass, trees, and plants grow in is teeming with life. Worms and other insects eat decaying matter in the soil, digest it, and just like everything else… the #2 has to go somewhere! The excrement, or frass, is left behind in the soil, returning valuable nutrients back to the earth to be used in the great cycle of life once again.
Just as we can use manure or traditional fertilizers in our gardens, frass can be added to restore nutrients in soil- either on their own or in tandem with other methods.
Our mealworm frass is 100% organic, and unadulterated in any way. We siphon and sift it from our mealworm farms weekly. We add nothing and do nothing else to it outside of sifting and packaging it. It’s one of the most natural and safest kinds of fertilizers you can use!
Frass requires no composting time, no treatment to render it safe, and no special handling.
It is completely dry and resembles very fine beach sand.
You can sprinkle or mix it into or on top of soil, or for larger areas, it can be used in a spreader on your lawns or gardens. It’s so versatile, it can even be used in hydroponic systems!
Frass is extremely low in odor, and even the slight scent is not offensive as compared to alternatives.
Because it’s so fine, handle with care so as not to breathe in dust unnecessarily.
Mealworm frass is a natural fertilizer and has the following benefits for plants and crops:
Supports plant growth under stress
Beneficial microbes for plant growth and production
No nitrates, heavy metals, methane, or nitrous-oxide emissions
Neutral pH
Dry powder is easy to apply
Water-soluble for use in hydroponics and fertigation
Contains chitin (a fibrous substance consisting of polysaccharides and forming the major constituent in the exoskeleton of arthropods and the cell walls of fungi)
No odor
No burn
Not a pesticide or fungicide, will not bring new insects into your garden
Application Rates (only suggestions, modify for your specific use case)
Transplanting:
Add a pinch of Frass under the roots.
Pre-Mix:
Add 1 cup of Frass per cubic foot (or 7 gallons) of planting media prior to planting. It should be less than 1% by volume. Beginning in week 2, Top Dress or Compost Tea every 2 weeks.
Hydroponics:
Add 2 cups of Frass per 30 gallons of water (strain for drip systems). Top dress any grow media (Coco, Clay Pellets, etc.) Add directly to reservoir for ebb and flow or flood to drain systems.
Top Dress:
Sprinkle over root zone and water in immediately. 1 pound per 20 sq ft, 1 tablespoon per plant, every 2 weeks.
Foliar Feed:
Add 4 teaspoons of Frass for each gallon of water (1 teaspoon per quart). Shake and let sit for 30 minutes. Strain and apply.
Compost Tea:
Add 2 cups per 15 gallons of tea (2 tablespoons per gallon) to achieve a fungal dominant tea. Apply as a root drench.
NPK: 2-3-2
A detailed and zoomed-in, up close photograph of mealworm frass
