Mealworms raised for bait

[Superior]

Are they ok to feed my my leo?

 

[Crasher_Insane]

If you're talking about mealworms from a bait shop where they're meant for fish, probably not. Seeing as they're for animals that people don't necessarily care if they live or die they might not be kept in the most sanitary of conditions.

 

[snakegirl]

meal worm Bait tends to be giant meal worms.

 

[whkrazyk]

they may not be properly cared for and fed to provide a proper diet for your leo

 

[Superior]

Im only asking because I went to a pet store and the container the worms came in said they were raised in a mealworm farm meant for bait. They are actually pretty small mealworms, about the same size as the normal ones I get. This will be only a one time thing, because I just needed some extra worms to leave in the dish for my leo while im gone for vacation.

 

[Digby Rigby]

Better to wait than use bait

insects raised as bait can have pesticides and other things in them that arent good for feeders. THey are not used as food because when used as bait the fish dont get a chance to eat them. As such they are not as clean nor are they raised with longevity in mind. In fact places that raise both feeders and bait use different husbandy for feeders giving them better care and no harmful chemicals. bait is raised as cheaply as possible.

Digby Rigby [email protected]

 

[Gregg M]

insects raised as bait can have pesticides and other things in them that arent good for feeders. THey are not used as food because when used as bait the fish dont get a chance to eat them. As such they are not as clean nor are they raised with longevity in mind. In fact places that raise both feeders and bait use different husbandy for feeders giving them better care and no harmful chemicals. bait is raised as cheaply as possible.

Digby Rigby [email protected]

Do you have any proof of this??? The farmers who supply meal worms for the pet trade are the same ones who supply for bait shops... The farmers sell to suppliers and the suppliers box them... There is no difference in the care or how they are farmed...
I swear, people just pull info out of the air or other places sometimes...:main_thumbsdown: Seriously, why would anyone use pesticides on insects??? That would be counter productive if you are running an insect buisiness... That would be like a weed farmer spraying his crop down with weed killer...

 

[hybrid]

I really dont seethe difference either. I mean i see how bait mealies are raised for MASS numbers but arent they all like that? Mealie farmers also do them as cheap as possible for the $ gain. I have a good mealie farm right now and Ive used nothing but veggies and oats. I dont see diff really. Just my .02

 

[Superior]

So would it be OK to use just once? As I said earlier, this is a one time thing and I need to know if I need to go out and get more before I leave tommorow

 

[Superior]

Can I get a yes or a no, cause I gotta have them ready to be feed(or not) by tonight?

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

No.

 

[elnott]

i know this person no longer needs the answer to this question but it made me curious. why not. they got the worms at a pet store. not a bait shop. so more than likely everyone else in the area is feeding these to their critters. i honestly believe the only reason they cost more at the pet store is because they know we(pet owners) will pay more for them than someone using them for bait will. and sometimes they are in nicer containers. this is like saying chickens that get put into dog food are not the same as the chickens people consume.

 

[Superior]

I did not end up using the bait worms, I just had to spend 30 minutes trying to dig every last mealworm from the rest of my worm supply...which was only about 10 I just got back, and everything seems ok, he didnt even finish all of his worms either. Right now the closest pet store near me switched suppliers (thats where I got the bait worms from), so I have to find away to get mealworms without driving for 45 minutes to a pet store and back every sunday.

 

[herpencounter]

I don’t know if any one has mentioned this yet but the “giant mealworms” are raised with a growth hormone. These are the ones they use for bait as they are 2-3 X fatter then normal and make it easier to bait your hook.

I don’t know if they use normal mealies for bait.

Some people say it is ok to feed the ones with the hormones others say don’t… I have no experience with this.

Hope this helped!

 

[elnott]

there are a couple different types of mealies that naturaly vary in size, and mealworms do grow before going into the pupa stage so just because they are larger does not mean they have been altered. around here we call the altered ones super worms and i have yet to see them sold as bait. actually the only place i can locally get super worms is at the reptile shows.

 

[herpencounter]

there are a couple different types of mealies that naturaly vary in size, and mealworms do grow before going into the pupa stage so just because they are larger does not mean they have been altered. around here we call the altered ones super worms and i have yet to see them sold as bait. actually the only place i can locally get super worms is at the reptile shows.

Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) grow to be about 1 inch in length.
Giant mealworms are Tenebrio molitor but have been altered. They grow to about 1 1/2 inches and where originally made for bait.
Superworms (Zophobus morio) are a 2 inch long larva and naturally grow to thoughts lengths.

Look up thoughts scientific names and see if we are talking about the same thing =).

 

[Superior]

These dont appear to be giant mealworms (The ones used for bait worms), so either they are normal mealworms or just young giant ones.

 

[T-AL]

I would only feed mealworms to my leos that came from the pet store. Bait worms are intended for just that. They aren't raised in the same way. If you don't want to drive a lot just order meal worms and crickets online....cheaper and get them in bulk.

 

[elnott]

i was wrong. but to my defense the pet store i am loyal to only carries the large and mediums and not the giants. and the bait store i go to does not carry mealworms.

 

[Untide]

It's a personal decision. Some say yes, some will say no.