Gut Loading Mealworms

[Tbrock91]

I am wanting to gut load my mealworms so that way my Veiled Chameleon gets all the nutrition that he needs. I know refrigerating mealworms slows down their growth. so my question is should I not refrigerate them if I want them to have a high metabolism and eat the food I put in their cage. Keep in mind I have a 3 month old Veiled and trying to keep the mealworms small for him.

Thanks a head of time for the help!

 

[xcrystalx]

hi there


how often are you going to give mealworms?
alot of cham keepers wont use mealworms because they have been known to cause digestive problems and impaction but not for everyone.they have a much higher chitin-to-meat ratio than other insects.
there also relatively high in fat.

personally i think they should only be given occassionaly.a few a week is ok to add a variety to there diet.
look for the whitish ones that have recently molted.there soft and there chitin has not hardened yet.

reguarding gutloading.as a substrate you could add a dry gutload or wheat bran maybe.also gutloading with Rocket, dandelion leaves, carrot, kiwi, watermellon, apple

the mealworms won't eat when they are refrigerated. if you are going to keep them chilled, make sure to take them out of the fridge a few days before you feed them to your cham so that they can start eating that gutload you have prepared for them.

 

[Tbrock91]

Ok well what kind of worm would you suggest. And I am planning on to keep him on a staple diet of gutloaded crickets.

 

[fluxlizard]

No single insect provides optimal nutrition for your chameleon's needs.
You can feed mealworms any dry food you can feed other insects for gutloading- they don't have to be fed bran. Any fruits or veggies can be offered for water and additional nutritional benefit, but have to be added in moderation- too much invites mites to your mealworm bin.

I feed a complete meal of mealworms about 1x per week.

Crickets or roaches are best if you are looking for an insect that can make up the "bulk" of the diet, but you should always offer other insects for variety.

Veileds have the benefit of being willing to accept a variety of vegetables as well as insects. you can do some gutloading of the lizard directly and gain additional dietary variety...

 

[Tbrock91]

Veileds have the benefit of being willing to accept a variety of vegetables as well as insects. you can do some gutloading of the lizard directly and gain additional dietary variety...

I currently have lettuce, apple, and carrots with calcium powder in the food dish he is staying at the top last time I checked (but I am at work and last time I saw him was at 7:45 AM and it is not 9:30) But we shall see. Thanks again fluxlizard!

 

[xcrystalx]

sure you dont HAVE to gutload with a bran it was just a suggestion which is why i put you COULD.


quote"
Good Wet Gutloading Ingredients: dandelion leaves, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, escarole lettuce, butternut squash, carrots, mango, alfalfa sprouts, oranges, blueberries, raspberries, sweet potato, strawberries, hibiscus leaves and flowers, papaya

Good Dry Gutload Ingredients: bee pollen, alfalfa powder, kelp powder, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, raw uncooked sunflower seeds, raw uncooked pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, small amounts of whole grain cereals, spirulina algae, tortoise pellets

Foods to AVOID: Broccoli, spinach, beets, and parsley, have large amounts of oxalic acids which bind calcium absorption. Lettuces and cabbage do not have any significant nutritional value. Also, avoid things like dog food, cat food, and fish flakes which are high in animal proteins which can cause kidney damage. Feeding such things like pinky-mice, fuzzies, and feeder anoles that are extremely high in fat and protein content is harmful to your chameleon's health, bones and organs that can lead to serious illnesses like gout, edema, organ failure and fatality.


below is a great site that has nutritional info on many available fruits and veg
http://www.greenigsociety.org/foodchart.htm
Sandrachameleon has more blog entries on gut loading also

 

[fluxlizard]

I'm sorry crystal I wasn't being critical of what you were saying.

I made the comment because many people think you must feed bran to mealworms. Bran is not very nutritious and is pretty poor for enhancing the nutritional content of an insect. Yet most people still raise their worms in bran. They will thrive when fed the same highly dry nutritious foodstuffs as other feeder insects, and be more nutritious as a result.

That's why I put that in there- wasn't a comment on your suggestion at all. Sorry it came across that way.

 

[xcrystalx]

I'm sorry crystal I wasn't being critical of what you were saying.

I made the comment because many people think you must feed bran to mealworms. Bran is not very nutritious and is pretty poor for enhancing the nutritional content of an insect. Yet most people still raise their worms in bran. They will thrive when fed the same highly nutritious foodstuffs as other feeder insects, and be more nutritious as a result.

That's why I put that in there- wasn't a comment on your suggestion at all. Sorry it came across that way.

thats ok hun i just didnt want anyone to think i ment that they had to use bran thats all xx
i personally dont use it but as many people use bran i didnt want to say dont use it and upset them who do use it x

 

[symphonica]

I think the OP's question was whether the worms should be refrigerated or not, and not what they should be gut loaded with.

I would not refrigerate. They go into "hibernation sleep mode" when they're refrigerated, so they won't eat. Obviously, if you keep them warm, it boosts their metabolism, which will shorten their lifespan. I would take out a few, put them in a separate cup with your gut load ingredients, and put the rest back in the fridge. Leave them in the cup for at least 24-hours, or until they eat what you supply them with. You'll see whether they've eaten or not because you'll see bite marks.

 

[xcrystalx]

I think the OP's question was whether the worms should be refrigerated or not, and not what they should be gut loaded with.

I would not refrigerate. They go into "hibernation sleep mode" when they're refrigerated, so they won't eat. Obviously, if you keep them warm, it boosts their metabolism, which will shorten their lifespan. I would take out a few, put them in a separate cup with your gut load ingredients, and put the rest back in the fridge. Leave them in the cup for at least 24-hours, or until they eat what you supply them with. You'll see whether they've eaten or not because you'll see bite marks.

well they got 2 lots of info in 1 lol every little helps i suppose.
i did give my advise on the refrigerating question also

the mealworms won't eat when they are refrigerated. if you are going to keep them chilled, make sure to take them out of the fridge a few days before you feed them to your cham so that they can start eating that gutload you have prepared for them.

 

[Tbrock91]

I think the OP's question was whether the worms should be refrigerated or not, and not what they should be gut loaded with.QUOTE]

I will take all the info I can get so thank you to everyone for your input. I have only been able to scan through all of your comments because I am at work. But from I see I have a lot of great tips and opinions!

 

[symphonica]

well they got 2 lots of info in 1 lol every little helps i suppose.
i did give my advise on the refrigerating question also

I know you did (advice, btw, is the noun; advise is a verb), but we weren't fully discussing the OP's primary question of refrigeration and the discussion had evolved to gut loading ingredients.

If you just want to know what to gut load with, there have been quite a few discussions about that on this forum, and the threads should come up if you run a search for it. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html

 

[xcrystalx]

I know you did (advice, btw, is the noun; advise is a verb), but we weren't fully discussing the OP's primary question of refrigeration and the discussion had evolved to gut loading ingredients.

it was a mistype.it happens sometimes,but thanks for the advice on that tho.the op now has the advise he needs with added info on gutloading and from there response they are greatful for the advice given from everyone.the op is happy so our job is done.

 

[Muddyfeet]

not sure why to even bother to refrigerate the buggers unless mid summer and really hot.. in new England I been trying to breed them.. not for just my cham but a nice treat for my chickens.. weeks and only a few out of a hundred cup even have pupated.. let alone one lone beetle so much for them NOT lasting if not refrigerated...

If you are in a northern area, cool home not hot.. keep them out and feed them.. and use them in moderation.. IMOP..

I am curious.. is the issue not with "mealworms" vs supers.. but feeding a dormant, dehydrated not feeding animal where the chitin comes in?? do mealworms really have more shell than say a similar sized super?? looking at the package from timberline.. protein is higher, and fat lower.. but the fiber is higher than supers.. so yeh may be a issue.. but a well fed fat healthy active mealworm compared to a similar sized super.. I wonder,, I have noticed as I WANT my meals to breed.. not refrigerating them.. feeding them they are far fatter overall, let alone more active then when kept in the fridge..

 

[paulkaranik]

I keep my mealworms in crushed up plain cheerios and feed them carrots potato peels and some cricket diet. Everything seems to work great as a gutload. However i don't feed more than a few a week. I like the idea of taking them out of the fridge for a day before feeding. I'll have to make sure to start doing it that way!