Mealworm Dangers?

• Apr 2, 2009

• #1

R

RocksMama77

New Member

Messages

222

Location

North Carolina

Hi, Lately I have moved from using meal worms to using giant meal worms. Not supers but giants. I have been cutting off their heads(yucky) so there is no way for them to eat out of my baby. I have read where mealworms have been known to eat out of a critter from the inside. It makes me very nervous. I know this may sound silly to some but I don't want to take any chances. My question is who feeds their babies giant or super worms and doesn't cut off their heads. How long have you been doing this and how silly am i really?

 

• Apr 2, 2009

• #2

LeapinLizards

It's a BEAUT Clark!

Messages

2,305

Location

Oregon

Honestly? You are being very silly You do not need to cut the heads off...the geckos will take care of killing the worm just fine, be it when they crush it going down, or when it hits their digestive juices. The worm eating it's way out of the gecko got started somewhere, took hold, and became this huge story that every pet chain employee was passing on to people, and it was scaring the heck out of everyone. You do NOT need to cut the heads off the worms, period. I have been feeding supers and giants as long as I've had geckos, and have NEVER had a problem in the least.

 

• Apr 2, 2009

• #3

L

lizardlove

Guest

I can't wait for the day when that myth is dead. I feed Sappho supers, and if the really loud CRUNCH doesn't kill them, her digestion does. Honestly, I don't know where she puts them... She isn't that big... But no, cutting off their heads is 100% unnecessary.

 

• Apr 2, 2009

• #4

lpcad

New Member

Messages

250

Location

Ohio

I agree there is no reason what so ever to cut the heads off of meal worms, or supers. The digestive acids in you leos stomach will take care of any worm that isn't killed by getting chomped on before getting swallowed.
drop a meal worm in a cup of water and see how long it lives.

 

• Apr 2, 2009

• #5

R

RocksMama77

New Member

Messages

222

Location

North Carolina

Whew. Thank you all so much. I knew I was being silly but thought better safe than sorry. LOL. Yay no more decapitation. It always made me feel a bit sick at my stomach. Thanks again.

 

• Apr 7, 2009

• #6

L

loulovespat

New Member

Messages

85

Location

Rochester

I bought my 5month old leopard gecko a box of mealworms the other day and found a super worm in the box of meal worms so i thought id just try him on it and he loved it but is he a bit too young to have super worms???