Mealworms aren't moving

[indianajones]

We just got our newly hatched leopard gecko about a week ago, and are going to try making his staple diet mealworms instead of crickets (still going to feed dusted crickets 2/3 times a week). The last times I've tried to buy mealworms, though, they started out as very lively but after an hour or two completely stop moving.

If I poke them, they move a little bit, but I can't seem to get my gecko to eat them. Am I doing something wrong? I made sure they weren't under the heat lamp because I figured that would kill them. I know they aren't completely dead yet, but it's only been about 3 hours now since I've gotten them and I've seen almost no motion out of them in an hour or so.

Has anyone else had this problem? I'm thinking tomorrow I'm going to try keeping them in the giant plastic bag (that's inflated with air) my pet shop gives them to me in, until it's night and I'm ready to feed him.

 

[Jaiden23]

I've never heard of mealworms being sold in the plastic bags, crickets yes but not mealworms. Mine usually come in deli cups, but they usually don't move around a whole lot, especially if you've been storing them in the refrigerator.

If you have been keeping them in the fridge, just take them out about an hour before you're going to feed your gecko.

Regardless of where you're storing them, a good way to get them moving around again is to toss in a piece of potato or carrot with them. The moisture usually gives them a boost and helps to gutload them for your leo.

 

[indianajones]

I've never heard of mealworms being sold in the plastic bags, crickets yes but not mealworms. Mine usually come in deli cups, but they usually don't move around a whole lot, especially if you've been storing them in the refrigerator.

If you have been keeping them in the fridge, just take them out about an hour before you're going to feed your gecko.

Regardless of where you're storing them, a good way to get them moving around again is to toss in a piece of potato or carrot with them. The moisture usually gives them a boost and helps to gutload them for your leo.

I thought it was weird, too, because I had also only seen them in the deli cups before. But they come in the same giant plastic bag as the crickets do. I guess that would be fine to stick in the fridge, so I'll try that tomorrow. I'll also go out and get a carrot and see if that helps. Thanks!

 

[mudskipper]

Put them in a Glad container and poke holes in the lid. I get my mealworms from Petco and Petsmart. They come in white plastic cups filled with bran. I dump the bran and put them in oatmeal and carrots.

After a day, they'll be elongated and become more active.

 

[mango+cola]

We don't feed the worms until the night before they will be fed to the geckos because we feel any veggies before that will just rot in their stomachs and we don't want our geckos eating that, so we just keep them on the bran or oats that they come in in the fridge until we gutload 24hrs before feeding.