Mealworm help

zak.payne

New Member
Messages
26
Location
Minnesota
Do you leave your mealworms out so they don't go into a dormant stage? For example, if I buy 100ct of mealworms from ++++++++ can I just leave them out, put a carrot or two in there for food and some lettuce for moisture until they've eaten that, then put them in the fridge again so they don't become beetles? I'm just trying to get the most out of the mealworms while properly gut loading them and making them worthwhile for my gecko.
 

indyana

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,336
Location
Massachusetts, United States
I keep mealworms in the fridge so they don't turn as fast, but I also take them out to feed once a week AND before feeding them off.
- Each weekend, I take them out for a day and put them in a container at room temperature with some veggies and insect chow. I let them eat for a day, then completely remove the food before putting them back in the little tub in the refrigerator. You don't want to keep moist food with them in the fridge or it can mold.
- At least one day before I'm going to feed off the worms, I take out the amount I want and gutload them with veggies. Usually, I just separate out enough for the week when I do the weekly feeding and keep those ones out at room temp to gutload.

This method has worked for me. I know some people don't bother with the once a week feeding, but I worry that the mealworms are losing nutrition the longer they sit in the fridge...
 

zak.payne

New Member
Messages
26
Location
Minnesota
I appreciate the help! I've done cricket and mealworms diet in the past and it worked well, however with more and more research it looks like I could get away with a stable mealworm and superworm (when old enough) diet and be just fine. I still haven't made a final decision, I know crickets are way easier to gut load because you can just put in some Flucker's Cricket food and away we go!
 

DrCarrotTail

Moderator
Messages
3,590
Location
Ridgewood, NJ
I don't feed crickets at all. I feed 90% mealworms and supers with a meal of dubia every 2-4 weeks. Mealworms are just as easy to gutload. I just take mine out of the fridge, separate them from their bedding and put them on fruits and veggies for a few hours before feeding. I don't like using artificial diets like Flukers with any of my animals or feeders since I don't know exactly what's in them and like to use things that are as natural as possible.

I buy medium mealworms online and find they stay worms for up to two months if I keep them on the door of my fridge. Supers stay worms as long as you don't isolate them and force them to pupate. The supers will cannabalize each other if they don't have a steady source of moisture and food though.
 

Visit our friends

Top