Mealworms Eating Eachother

[Spots]

So today I was watching the mealworms in the bowl and noticed one was "attached" to another one. I thought they were mating or something (do they mate?). Anyways, as I watched, a noticed that they were not mating, but rather the one was eating the other one! It ate a hole into the one and was eating out the guts. I couldn't believe it so I watched for quite some time, maybe 10-15 mins, and then took out the mealworms, and infact, it was eating the guts. The now dead one had a hole and half of the guts left. I squeezed it to see how hollow it was lol

It was gross but I thought I would share

 

[tlbowling]

yea...you have to feed them too If they are hungry or thirsty, they'll do that (and no they cant breed, the worms are the larval stage of the beetle, the beetles breed, not the worms)

 

[RAlbrecht]

With Mealworms and the Darkling Beetles they are cannibals. If you don't separate them out they will eat whatever they can. I've seen some beetles eating the pupae and the worms. If you decide to start your own colony make sure you separate Beetles from worms, or you won't produce as much.

 

[Dog Shrink]

Ya know what's odd was I was told that I shouldn't keep my mealies in the same keeper as mysupers because the supers would likely eat them. Well to my surprise they haven't eaten the mealies and it actually looks like I have more mealies than what I started out with... how odd is that? Guess I'm giving them enough food to keep everyone happy

 

[Jordan]

haha and to add to that weirdness Kel... i saw mealies eating a super. It was weird, they had actually hollowed him out. and no he hadnt shed his exoskeleton, they HAD actually hollowed him out and i know because i saw it at the point where they were only halfway through. so theyd like eaten half of the inside of him. made him into a hide lmao.

 

[UnicornSpirit]

haha and to add to that weirdness Kel... i saw mealies eating a super. It was weird, they had actually hollowed him out. and no he hadnt shed his exoskeleton, they HAD actually hollowed him out and i know because i saw it at the point where they were only halfway through. so theyd like eaten half of the inside of him. made him into a hide lmao.

Just imagining that makes my skin crawl.

Bug wars! lol.

My mom was wondering this the other day- if superworms could bite human skin. I told her I wasn't sure but it looks like they COULD and I didn't care to find out

 

[tastyworms]

Just imagining that makes my skin crawl.

Bug wars! lol.

My mom was wondering this the other day- if superworms could bite human skin. I told her I wasn't sure but it looks like they COULD and I didn't care to find out

Hehe, they can't pierce human skin, but they can pinch it. Not just speaking from personal experience, but imagine what those contestants on Fear Factor would look like after 20 minutes in shorts and a t-shirt in the bin with half a million superworms if they could! Not a pretty sight

 

[RAlbrecht]

I would love to go on Fear Factor and have to lay in a huge bin of superworms... I'd fill up my pockets and take them home for my geckos

 

[Spots]

I would love to go on Fear Factor and have to lay in a huge bin of superworms... I'd fill up my pockets and take them home for my geckos

LOL
sacraficing yourself for your geckos ...:main_thumbsup:
(unless you don't actually mind laying in a bin of superworms because then it wouldn'y really be a sacrafice I guess lol)

 

[Spots]

Well, usually I go out and buy new mealworms every few days (I'm too scared to start a coloney lol) and leave them out with gut loading stuff and then the ones that have already been out for a few days eating, now go into the food dish for the geckos. It was in the dish that I noticed this and I didn't think they ate eachother so it really freaked me out lol At least I now know that it's normal sometimes. Except now I might be afraid of them eating me in my sleep...eek.

 

[Dog Shrink]

I would love to go on Fear Factor and have to lay in a huge bin of superworms... I'd fill up my pockets and take them home for my geckos

Lol you would but I'm sure you've been thru worse.

 

[Yoh4n]

No wonder half of the body from the meal worm was gone creepy! If i saw them eating each other I would throw the whole batch out i would be too terrified to grab them. Lol!