Feeding super worms

[Jkepes]

My veiled chameleons are around 3 months old, I offer super worms in a dish but they don’t eat them. Once one of them ate 2 when hand offered but not since. How do you provide varied bugs? And will they eventually eat the super worms?

 

[Syreptyon]

What type of enclosure do you have? I just put my superworms on the screen, which they can readily hang on to. Definitely gets a faster response from my chams when they're free ranged like that

 

[ERKleRose]

Superworms should only be given as treats or occasional variety. People feed free range, in cups and jug/PVC pipe feeders. It’s all preference and what works best for you and your cham. Some great feeders are multiple types of roaches (orange-headed, ivory-headed, red runner, dubia, green banana, etc.), hornworms, silkworms, butterworms, crickets, multiple types of flies (blue bottle flies and spikes, black soldier flies and larvae, etc.), painted lady butterflies, mantids, stick insects, snails, etc. For smaller chams, isopods and bean beetles are great, along with fly spikes/larvae and other appropriately sized foods.

 

[NickTide]

You may need need smaller worms? If they are larges, they are too big for a 3 month old. Even smalls may make them nervous.

I use dubias and black soldier flies for a large chunk of my feeders. In addition I use stick bugs, blue bottle flies, super worms, mantids, green banana roaches and I am sure I am missing something. Super worms are my number 3 feeder but far behind my other 2. They make up maybe 10 - 15% of their diet.

 

[Jkepes]

You may need need smaller worms? If they are larges, they are too big for a 3 month old. Even smalls may make them nervous.

I use dubias and black soldier flies for a large chunk of my feeders. In addition I use stick bugs, blue bottle flies, super worms, mantids, green banana roaches and I am sure I am missing something. Super worms are my number 3 feeder but far behind my other 2. They make up maybe 10 - 15% of their diet.

So interesting, one of other replies said no super worms. I get so much contradicting info. Especially about handling them.

 

[Jkepes]

Superworms should only be given as treats or occasional variety. People feed free range, in cups and jug/PVC pipe feeders. It’s all preference and what works best for you and your cham. Some great feeders are multiple types of roaches (orange-headed, ivory-headed, red runner, dubia, green banana, etc.), hornworms, silkworms, butterworms, crickets, multiple types of flies (blue bottle flies and spikes, black soldier flies and larvae, etc.), painted lady butterflies, mantids, stick insects, snails, etc. For smaller chams, isopods and bean beetles are great, along with fly spikes/larvae and other appropriately sized foods.

I was told no mealy worms, as too high in fat. But super worms were really good. Do you get most bugs mailed to you? My local stores only have a very few choices

 

[ERKleRose]

So interesting, one of other replies said no super worms. I get so much contradicting info. Especially about handling them.

Superworms as treats or occasional variety, no mealworms whatsoever unless they’re still babies. Try not to handle them unless they want to

 

[ERKleRose]

I was told no mealy worms, as too high in fat. But super worms were really good. Do you get most bugs mailed to you? My local stores only have a very few choices

Rainbowmealworms.net has competitive prices and lots of variety, you can even create your own combo pack!

 

[Jkepes]

Superworms should only be given as treats or occasional variety. People feed free range, in cups and jug/PVC pipe feeders. It’s all preference and what works best for you and your cham. Some great feeders are multiple types of roaches (orange-headed, ivory-headed, red runner, dubia, green banana, etc.), hornworms, silkworms, butterworms, crickets, multiple types of flies (blue bottle flies and spikes, black soldier flies and larvae, etc.), painted lady butterflies, mantids, stick insects, snails, etc. For smaller chams, isopods and bean beetles are great, along with fly spikes/larvae and other appropriately sized foods.

Where do you get all that variety from?

 

[ERKleRose]

A lot of the site sponsors have great variety of feeder insects, if you want roaches or stick bugs, go to Full Throttle Feeders, pick up a feeder cup while tou’re there

 

[Jkepes]

At 3 months are they big enough for all those kinds of bugs?

 

[ERKleRose]

Where do you get all that variety from?

Educational Science, Full Throttle Feeders, dubiaroaches.com (all site sponsors), rainbowmealworms.net, tcinsects.com, etc.

 

[ERKleRose]

At 3 months are they big enough for all those kinds of bugs?

No. They’ll need appropriately sized variety. Nothing thicker than what is wider than their head. Use common sense

 

[ERKleRose]

Educational Science, Full Throttle Feeders, dubiaroaches.com (all site sponsors), rainbowmealworms.net, tcinsects.com, etc.

Edit: Educational Science is Gulfcoast Silkworms

 

[NickTide]

So interesting, one of other replies said no super worms. I get so much contradicting info. Especially about handling them.

I used to have veildes 20 years ago. Do to lack of choice... Their diet was maybe 1/4 - 1/3 super worms and the rest were crickets. no UVB except when outside, no auto mister. I successfully bred them like this. Superworms are fine. 1/3 is too much but that was all we had for variety back then.