Mealworm Feeding

[Silverbubble98]

Hey all

I joined this forum yesterday as we plan to get a leopard gecko in the next couple of weeks, I have done all my research and I want to feed mealworms as my Leo's staple diet, in my local petstore, you can get tubs of them that are 60g? How long will 3 of these tubs last, as they are doing an offer of 3 for £7?

Another question I have is what to gut load them? I will be purchasing a Calcium with D3 supplement to dust on them every other day when feeding (or should I do it more often or less often?) but I am still a little unsure what to gut feed them?

Roughly how many will a leo need a day? and when should I feed them to him?

What should I store them in before I feed them?

Thanks if there is something you think I really need to know, please tell me as I want to make sure my leo has the best life possible :main_yes: :main_laugh:

 

[Chessie]

From what others have told me so far, you should keep the mealworms in a plastic tub with rolled oats on the bottom in the refrigerator to make them go dormant. Otherwise they might pupate on you. About two hours before you plan to feed, take the ones you're planning to feed out of the tub and put them in a warm place with a piece of apple, carrot, or potato. I'm not sure if other fruits and veggies are okay, but those seem to be the common ones mentioned.

The heat will wake them up and they'll eat the fruits and veggies. Then dust them and toss them in with a piece of fruit or veggie so they wiggle. That stimulates your gecko's hunting instinct. I'm planning on feeding my leo in the evening since they are nocturnal, and should be "waking up" looking for breakfast. As for how much to feed, it depends on the size of the gecko. General consensus is that you should feed whatever they are actively feeding on for a 10-15 minute period. As soon as they lose interest in eating more, go ahead and stop.

That's all I've picked up on. Read through some old threads in the feeding and supplement forums. They are pretty helpful if you want to dig into details.

 

[Dinosaur!]

I personally keep my mealworms on oat (like oatmeal) and feed them a mix of fresh carrots, potatoes, and the occasional apple! you are going to need three different supplements, if you haven't got them already: calcium with d3 (I dust almost every feeding for juvies, and every other day for my adults unless gravid), calcium without d3 to keep in a small bowl in the tank 24/7, and a multivitamin to dust your worms with once a week! I have always fed mealworms with great success! as for your other questions...im afraid someone more familiar with the UK will have to answer those for you! I hope this helps regardless! good luck with the new gecko once you get it!:main_thumbsup:

 

[Chessie]

Where can you find calcium WITHOUT D3? Is there a brand that is recommended?

 

[Silverbubble98]

Thanks for all your help and Cheesie- I have seen that rep-cal is recommended but is also extremely expensive, I plan on using exo terra :main_thumbsup:

 

[Dinosaur!]

well, I found mine at the only reptile store in town that im aware of (which is weird cuz this town is famous for being crazy! off topic...) either way, would you like the name of the brand I use?

 

[Chessie]

Sure, that way if I run across it, I'll know I've got the right stuff.

 

[Silverbubble98]

If you want to order online Reptile Calcium & Vitamins is a recommended site (US based) as is Swell reptiles (UK based)

 

[Dinosaur!]

well I've ben using Rep-Cal calcium "no phosphorus, no vitamin d3" for over three years with great success! its the only brand my store carries, but im sure there are others out there. just make sure it states on the label that t has no d3.

 

[ReptileWorld]

Repcal and herpavite are good supplements to use. iv used both for many many years with great results. i use one every day alternating so each every other day. As for a gut load you can purchase many premium gut loads online or make your own. there are tons of gut load recipes online and on the forums. I breed my own meal worms have them on a bedding of organic wheat bran and rolled oats that i grind into a fine powder. occasionally i will top it off whole but that's rare. You can feed them a carrot or potato hours before feeding.

 

[stager]

Also take worms out of fridge once a week to warm so they can eat.