Mealworms. Gut loading and vita bugs.

[anaa]

So I have a couple of questions about meal worms .

How long does it usually take for them to turn into beetles if I leave them out at room temperature ?

I understand gut loading and that meal worms don't usually eat while refrigerated.

How do you suggest I gut load them ?
What should I gut load them with ?
I read some where that they would eat cricket food .

But I already read that they eat wheat ?

I bought a 100 count of mealworms by timberline vita bugs I wanna know what that is that the meal worms come in ? Is that wheat or wood shavings ? Hard to tell . Haven't seen either in a while .




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[indyana]

How long does it usually take for them to turn into beetles if I leave them out at room temperature ?

Depends how old the mealworms are. In general, I get full-size mealworms, and they start to pupate within a couple days in my warm house. Beetles take a week or two to appear.

How do you suggest I gut load them ?
What should I gut load them with ?

Gut loading ideally should be done with nutritious fresh vegetables and greens, as it provides natural nutrients and moisture to your gecko. You can also use a commercial gut load mix, but be sure to provide at least one piece of vegetable for moisture. Here's a good link about things to gut load with:
Much Ado About Chameleons: The Anatomy of Gut-Loading | Ingredients & Nutritional Info

In order to gut load mealworms, you need to take out how ever many you want to feed your gecko at least one day in advance. Put them in a small container at room temperature with the food you want them to eat (make sure it has air holes).

Also, if you're keeping yours in the refrigerator, I recommend taking out the entire container every 1-2 weeks and giving them a carrot, hard squash, or similar vegetable to eat for a day. Then, remove any vegetable pieces left and put them back in the fridge.

Not sure what Timberline packs worms in. I could probably tell you if you have a picture?

 

[anaa]

my gecko is still very small so i get the small meal worms. i suppose that means that they will last a few weeks longer than the full size before turning into beetles?


my thing is . i dont really do well with bugs. and beetles will just freak me out. lol.

i do want to leave them out gut load them and then feed them to the crickets. but i dont want any mealworms turning into beetles in the process.

how long do you think i should let the mealworms eat before putting them back in the fridge ?


i will post a picture later today when im home and show you what they come packed in.

 

[indyana]

If you take the mealworm tub out of the fridge and feed them for one day before putting them back, that should be sufficient. Do a feeding day every 1-2 weeks.

And yes, small ones will last longer because they have to grow up a bit before they pupate.

If you really do not want beetles, watch for worms that turn into pupae. Pupae do not move except for twitching a bit, so they are pretty easy to find. You can pick the pupae out and pop them in the freezer overnight to make sure they are dead before discarding.
Scroll down on this page, and you can see pictures of the different stages:
Raising mealworms

 

[anaa]

I said feed them to the crickets I really meant gecko . Lol.

Thanks for the info ! You've been so much help .


Also here's the picture of what the mealworms come in .

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[anaa]

Also I'm thinking of ordering I bulk from rainbow mealworms has anyone used them before ?

Any thoughts on them ?


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[indyana]

That's wheat bran in the cup, not wood.

And yes, I order from Rainbow Mealworms when I need a batch of mealworms. Be aware that they often ship in bags, so you'll have to have a container to house a bulk order in.

 

[anaa]

That's wheat bran in the cup, not wood.

And yes, I order from Rainbow Mealworms when I need a batch of mealworms. Be aware that they often ship in bags, so you'll have to have a container to house a bulk order in.

its wheat bran?! great. so i can sit them out and they will feed on that.
i did put a piece of tomato in there yesterday and they did feed on that as well.


and yes thanks for the suggestion on rainbow mealworms i was looking at unboxing videos and reviews yesterday on youtube.

i heard and some some really good things!!

i will probably order from them today. how fast did your request for delivery and how fast did it actually get there? ive heard they ship pretty quickly.

 

[indyana]

Definitely give them something for moisture. The cheapest thing you can get is carrots, which are also good because they aren't too juicy. A little moisture is good, but too much can cause the bedding to mold.

You can use this chart too for gutloading foods (anything not safe for reptiles will be marked "Never" for feeding):
http://bluetongueskinks.net/foodchart.html

Yep, they ship quickly. Take a look at their FAQ and shipping schedule. Mail time will vary a bit by location.