Questions about mealworms

[wccs2001]

so this is going to sound really strange. really really strange.

i plan on ordering a bulk order of mealies this week since it just seems crazy to pay pet store prices even when i'm only feeding two leos. in my calculations, it's about $70 difference.

anyway. i was just sitting, thinking about what in the world i'm going to do with 1000 mealworms. i'm pretty sure they would 'go beetle' before my leos could finish them up. i don't really want to start a colony at the moment.

then i got to thinking about human consumption. we gutload our mealies to be nutritious for our reptiles. can we do that to make them nutritious for humans to eat?

i'm curious. if i feed a mealworm a certain type of food, will the mealworm take on the characteristics (taste and nutrition) of that food? like, feeding them carrots, will the mealworm be a good source of beta carotene? what about feeding them coffee grounds? would they become caffeinated?

 

[Dog Shrink]

I can't speak to the gut load theory you put out there but to prevent your mealies from turning to beetles just keep them in the refrigerator, they will hibernate, just take them out , the amount you intend to feed, 24-48 hrs previous to feeding to your leo for them to wake up and eat the gut load.

 

[wccs2001]

I can't speak to the gut load theory you put out there but to prevent your mealies from turning to beetles just keep them in the refrigerator, they will hibernate, just take them out , the amount you intend to feed, 24-48 hrs previous to feeding to your leo for them to wake up and eat the gut load.

thanks. do i need to pull them out every couple weeks to keep them from dying? let them warm up for 24 hours, eat and put them back in? i think i read that somewhere.

 

[Dog Shrink]

I can't answer that one as I don't keep mealies. Search the threads... I also think I saw that one recently on the boards.

 

[UnicornSpirit]

Yes, take them out of the fridge every 2 weeks to let them eat/drink from carrots, potatoes or whichever you choose to gutload them with. After 24 hours of feeding take any leftover food out and pop them back into the fridge. Remember to not let the bedding get too much moisture as it can easily grow fungus/molds which the mealworms can quickly die from. Be sure to change the mealworm's bedding as needed... I do that maybe once every 2 months. You just sift the mealworms out using a colander (I bought my colander at DollarTree for $1, so they are very affordable).

I like to order all of my mealworm bedding and gelled water here
http://timberlinefisheries.com/mw%20accessories.htm

Also, although some places like Grubco might have cheaper live worms I found that Timberline's were packaged better and overall seemed healthier.

Hope this helps!

 

[fuzzylogix]

or you can saute' them in some garlic, butter, and red chili flakes then sprinkle with salt and lime juice and nom away. they make a really nutritious snack.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

or you can saute' them in some garlic, butter, and red chili flakes then sprinkle with salt and lime juice and nom away. they make a really nutritious snack.

They might be good in a cheese sauce

 

[Dog Shrink]

Surely you're kidding about the snack right?

 

[Khrysty]

Mealworms are already processed and packaged for human consumption. There would be no difference if you decided to eat the ones you have or if you bought pre-packaged ones. Toasted, they're supposed to be like croutons on salad, or eaten as a snack like chips. They're a good source of protein and there's nothing but good stuff in them

However, I think eating bugs is creepy and I'd never do it lol. Theoretically, gutloading them with carrots, would make their beta carotene content slightly higher. Just like broccoli would up their iron content, etc. But i don't know about caffeine. You'd have to make sure they could handle whatever food source you give them and that it wouldn't kill them prematurely.

Good luck, and bon appetite!

 

[fl_orchidslave]

LMAOOoooooo!!!!!

 

[Dog Shrink]

Yeah... I'll pass... ya know beef jerkey has a ton of protein too and a lot less EWWW factor

 

[wccs2001]

i read an article today about a lady whose chickens had been having seizures and passing out, or something. she took them to the vet. he found that they'd been eating caffeine. she was feeding them mealies from a compost pile where she'd thrown coffee grounds. so i guess it's true they can be caffeinated!

i /so/ know what i'm getting (making) all my friends/family for christmas this year.

 

[tastyworms]

I might suggest soaking them in coffee and covering them in milk or dark chocolate. Not that I'm condoning eating worms not bred for human consumption!

 

[Khrysty]

I might suggest soaking them in coffee and covering them in milk or dark chocolate. Not that I'm condoning eating worms not bred for human consumption!

Mealworms don't need to be specially bred for any particular animals' consumption--that includes humans. They're perfectly nutritionally sound in any case, unless you have them feeding on toxic waste or some other potentially harmful substance lol

 

[wccs2001]

Mealworms don't need to be specially bred for any particular animals' consumption--that includes humans. They're perfectly nutritionally sound in any case, unless you have them feeding on toxic waste or some other potentially harmful substance lol

that's what i'm thinking. feed them a couple extra days on something i /know/ is good to get anything i /don't/ know about out.

 

[NWA_JTV]

/begin sarcasm

Just be sure to cook thoroughly or they may eat their way through your stomach...

:main_no::main_rolleyes:

/end sarcasm

 

[wccs2001]

/begin sarcasm

Just be sure to cook thoroughly or they may eat their way through your stomach...

:main_no::main_rolleyes:

/end sarcasm

ahahahaha. i was just going to pinch their heads a little. :main_laugh:

 

[ZooKeeperKarin]

If I'm not mistaken, Asian countries are big into mealworms. I remember seeing a show where they sold them at the market. At least you know exactly what goes into them!
I'll stick with steak, thanks.

 

[wccs2001]

I'll stick with steak, thanks.

lol. where's your sense of adventure?

 

[Dog Shrink]

My sense of adventure lays where risk is taken in physical aspects such as base jumping, rock climbing, surfing, etc. NOT with what I put in my body...