Meal worms or cricket

[camay123]

What is best, nutrition wise, cricket or meal worms ?

 

[GeckoMandi]

I'm not sure of nutrition facts, I'm sure someone here has a link for that though.

I was feeding my leo's nothing but crickets and I got tired of them dying and smelling up the place, also getting loose in my house!

I have switched to gut loaded mealworms, and sometimes I thrown in a wax worm or silkworm, I wouldn't feed alot of waxes though I hear the leo's will get addicted plus I think they are super high in fat.

 

[gaparicio]

I think it depends on choice more than nutrition. I know there is a website that shows all of the nutritional value between all types of worms and crix. If I remember it, i'll post again. At the same time, it also depends on gutloading before feeding to your lizards. Mealworms or crix won't be very nutritious if they are fed to your animals on an empty stomach.

Some people prefer mealies because they're easier to care for and they don't CHIRP. They also have less of a smell (at least I think).

 

[Nastynotch]

if i recall crickets are best.

but i give my white-spotted-gecko the random mix between crickets, mealworms, and waxworms.

 

[GeckoMandi]

I found this website in my favs folder, hope it helps.

http://grubco.com/Nutritional_Information.cfm

 

[eyelids]

What's most important is that your feeders are gutloaded whether cricket or mealworm. I only feed crickets once a week and superworms/mealworms the rest of the time.

 

[rob.r]

id say crickets

 

[kristi]

What's most important is that your feeders are gutloaded whether cricket or mealworm. I only feed crickets once a week and superworms/mealworms the rest of the time.

what are you gutloading mealies with?

 

[brandy101010]

I give my geckos a very good variety. They get crickets, mealworms,supperworms,pheonix worms, and I recently added dubia roaches to the mix. They also get waxworms as a treat once in awhile. Yeah I have alot of bugs in my house....but at least my geckos are happy! lol

 

[boutiquegecko]

I agree with 420 gecko-I don't think it's really what you feed (with the exception of the occasional snack waxie), it's what the feeders are gutloaded with. If you feed them crap, you're not giving your leos the best nurtition. I bulk my feeders with progutload from progeckos, and give it to both my crickets and mealies. My leos are so nice and fat and healthy, so are the darn feeders. As far as crickets vs mealies/supers-I think it depends on your leos. I switched to worms only to find 1 of my leos would eat them, so had to go back to crickets. They're a pain, but I do what's best for them, not what's easier for me. As long as you keep crickets in a large enough enclosure, and clean them out, you shouldn't have an issue with smell. Search this forum, I posted about crickets and I got some good responses back on housing them. Oh and grubco is awsome. Sherita is so nice. She has the best prices so far that I found for me on quality, quantity and shipping.

 

[camay123]

Thanks all.

What is best to feed to meal worms ? I heard slice of apple are good.

?

 

[GeckoMandi]

I use carrots, I have them in a plastic tub I take out everyday with armstrongs cricket feed they live in. I'm going to try the progutload next.

 

[kristi]

I keep crickets for my beardie so I also feed those along with mealies to the geckos. I have a great gutload for my crix but I was wondering if there was something good for the mealies besides the wheat germ they are packaged in.

 

[Perefalcon]

see I won't use crickets anymore, they'd die on me too quick if left for more than 3 days...with my mealie colony, I give them 4 apple slices 2 times a week and the tub is full of bran meal. I also throw sweet potato into the mix as well as a few other fruits that happen to be laying around. oh I also mix in a little dry dog food that's been crushed in my coffee grinder...I also do that for my roaches. (don't worry I bought it for that purpose, I hate coffee).
I also use Lobster Roaches, which are the staple for my adults, but they also get supers on occasion as well and the breeding females get pinkies. I'm working on a super colony so I can give them more variety cause unless I order a bunch, supers are expensive! I do prefer mealies over crickets though, easier to catch for the hatchlings...not to mention me!

 

[eyelids]

what are you gutloading mealies with?

Cody's Pro Gutload. You can find it here.

 

[pawsfoot]

Mealie gutloading

So when you gutload mealworms do you store them in a tub in your fridge in this pro gutload stuff? I've heard on different sites you take them out and let them sit on a counter once a week in the gutload and the rest of the time you can store them in the fridge. Is that how it works? Or do you do something different? I feed mealies but I normally just use some bran and let them sit in the fridge until it's time to feed. How does everyone find the Pheonix worms go over? I want to start feeding my geckos some of them but I dont want to buy bulk and then not use them if the geckos wont eat them.

 

[eyelids]

I just keep them in the gutload all the time. I change it when the color starts to turn from yellowish to grayish.

 

[pawsfoot]

Ok. Do you keep them in the fridge the whole time or take them out for a day and let them warm up or something? Will they eat while they are kinda dormant?