Affects of bad mealworms part 1

[Okee Reps]

What do you feel the long term affects will be on our leos? Now that it has been concluded that there were in fact poisons in the grains used to raise the mealies do you think that ingesting all those bad mealies for whatever length of time it actually was before we were informed of the truth will have harmful long lasting affects.

I've heard some people say that their fertility rate has picked back up since switching feeders. Has it gone back to normal? Some people have lost geckos. Will these poisons claim more lives over time? How about deformities, will these go back down next season or are the breeders permanently damaged?

There are a million questions but are there any real answers?

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

This coming season will surely tell. I doubt we will EVER know what the long-term, or permanent, effects our animals may suffer as a result of this tragic situation. We can only try to be optimistic and hope for it to be resolved.

 

[yellermelon]

Thats some good questions..I think a few of my females deffinatly are still feeling the effects even after being off "public" mealworms. I have a female that laid 4 eggs this year...2 about 4 months ago..inferts..and 2 yesterday..inferts..She has lost alot of weight ...more than a normal gravid female would...
I have been wondering about the super worms...was they poisened also? I am weary of using anything but will not use crickets so Ive been using supers and roaches...hoping the supers were not tainted....but they were probably bedded int he same stuff....

 

[lytlesnake]

I apparently missed something here. Where is the information about the chemical contamination of grains? Someone said there was an article in Reptiles magazine a while back, but I couldn't find it in there. Would someone please PM me with a link or something. Thanks!

I've got one gecko who may be suffering the ill effects of this. Her body is thin, tail still looks good. Does not want to eat. Started her on slurry (yuck) the other day. Hoping for the best.

 

[nats]

I apparently missed something here. Where is the information about the chemical contamination of grains? Someone said there was an article in Reptiles magazine a while back, but I couldn't find it in there. Would someone please PM me with a link or something. Thanks!

I've got one gecko who may be suffering the ill effects of this. Her body is thin, tail still looks good. Does not want to eat. Started her on slurry (yuck) the other day. Hoping for the best.

Has the real cause of the "mealworm shortage" ever been determined?

Is the idea of chemical contamination speculation, or proven fact?
If chemical contamination of the grain was the problem, why didnt the mealworms die?
Also, supers are put on the same grain, why werent they effected?

 

[Okee Reps]

http://www.geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=26620

 

[lytlesnake]

Thanks, I missed that thread.

 

[nats]

http://www.geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=26620

Yes, that's all very interesting, but no hard evidence, all just anecdotal.
I was a chemist for 25 years working w/ pesticide residues in food.
I have never seen, or heard of a pesticide that would prevent a larvae from pupating without killing it. And then have enough chemical in their bodies to transfer to another living organism much later after exposer.
I'm not saying it's impossible, just unprecedented.

 

[Okee Reps]

I'm not trying to convince you of anything all I'm asking is are the strange things we have seen this year going to carry forth into the future? You could PM me your thoughts and we could discuss your ideas but I don't want to change the topic of this thread. Thanks.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Yes, that's all very interesting, but no hard evidence, all just anecdotal.
I was a chemist for 25 years working w/ pesticide residues in food.
I have never seen, or heard of a pesticide that would prevent a larvae from pupating without killing it. And then have enough chemical in their bodies to transfer to another living organism much later after exposer.
I'm not saying it's impossible, just unprecedented.

You are right... there is no factual evidence that pesticide poisoning is the culprit for all the low fertility, egg failures, and deformities many of us who fed primarily mealworms have experienced this season. Most of the information however, is too consistent to be a coincidence.

I too, have my MS Chem E from UC Berkeley, and spent 26 years as a chemist... but it has been many years since I was in the 'industry', so who knows what scientists have come up with! LOL! As far as feeder worms go, it is a well know fact that by using synthetic hormones they can prevent larvae from pupating at a normal rate so they grow bigger to create the "Giant Superworms". This hormone renders the beetles sterile.

About 8 years ago, I lost 17 out of 24 sick breeder geckos to aflatoxic poisoning that came from cricket feeders that were cultured on moldy chicken mash. The 7 geckos I was able to rehabilitate after discovering what the problem was were unable to reproduce ever again.

Personally, I became disabled 7 years ago with a rare autoimmune/neuroimmune disease and 2 rounds of cancer which was caused by over exposure to harmful chemicals (which are now outlawed).

I guess my point is, that even though we really don't know all the details in regard to the mealworm situation, there is a very strong chance that our breeding issues this season are directly related. This poll suggests this may be the case:

http://www.geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=24077