More meal worm questions

[Vince]

I havent fed my little guy meal worms for about a week now. I went to give him one today and noticed there was a little mold on some of the oat meal. (i use oatmeal and potato tops for food)

So, i was wondering if i should throw them out and start with new, or let them eat the new food for a week or two and then use them?

Also, some of the meal worms are morphing into beetles, are these beetles good for a chameleon or is the shell to tough?

Thanks

 

[RachelRiot]

I was also wondering the same about the beetles. I did not give them to my cham because I was unsure.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I don't think they will like the beetles.
Most darkling beetles produce a defensive odor that has a very unpleasant taste.
You should be fine waiting a week or so for any mold that may have been consumed to pass through their system.

-Brad

 

[RachelRiot]

Thanks I probably never would have guessed that.

 

[Vince]

thanks for the info

 

[hallenhe]

Thaxter has eaten mealworm beetles on more than one occasion without seeming disgusted (I wouldn't say they're his very favorite item...) They don't appear to be noxious; just not necessarily very tasty (or nutritious).

 

[sandrachameleon]

Keep the beetles and let them make more mealworms for you.

 

[Vince]

how does that work? And what would i need to do this

 

[sandrachameleon]

Its worth noting that mealworms shouldnt be used as a feeder too often. I would say weekly at most, and those should be recently molted (soft, white) and gutloaded as much as possible.

But basically what you do for the mealworms will work for keeping the beetles. Oatmeal or bran or a combination for the base, with carrot, potatoe, squash, apple or such for hydration and vitamins. They do like to have something to hide under, like a piece of coconut husk or toilet paper roll. Periodically remove dead beetles.


https://www.chameleonforums.com/ease-breed-13186/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/darkling-beetle-mealworm-rearing-15019/

 

[Vince]

cool maybe ill try that, yeah i just had a thread regarding meal worms and how frequent they should be fed.

Still kind of confused, someone who i go to with a lot of questions is a zoologist, and she told me to stay away from super worms because they can cause impaction problems. Also, she has had cases where the worm eats its way out of the stomach. And everyone on here tells me that supers are good.

But she recommended meal worms

I dont know i think i will just give a meal worm every now and then and stay away from the supers.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Maybe your zoologist friend means stay away from supermealworms, which arent the same as superworms (aka kingworms).

I use kingworms frequently. Including offering baby kingworms to baby chameleons. I have had no issues. I've not heard of anyone having issues with kingworms as feeders.

however, You will find many people speak against using mealworms.

But its your chameleon, and only you will decide what you think is best for it

 

[Vince]

ah that could be what she meant she was never specific. I had no idea that there is super meal worms. I thought they only came big and small. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

cool maybe ill try that, yeah i just had a thread regarding meal worms and how frequent they should be fed.

Still kind of confused, someone who i go to with a lot of questions is a zoologist, and she told me to stay away from super worms because they can cause impaction problems. Also, she has had cases where the worm eats its way out of the stomach. And everyone on here tells me that supers are good.

But she recommended meal worms

I dont know i think i will just give a meal worm every now and then and stay away from the supers.

Meal worms are a poor choice for chameleons and will cause impaction if fed in too great of quantities.

The super meal worms or giant or king meal worms (or whatever they call them) are fed hormones to achieve their size and are not recommended.

I have had no problems with superworms (zophoba morio) and in fact have a 2 year old male veiled who will eat nothing else.

The "cases" your friend had of super worms eating their way out of the stomach, never happened, that is an old urban legend and there is no truth what-so-ever to the fable.

In conclusion (and this is my final answer):

meal worms = BAD

super worms = GOOD!

-Brad

 

[kinyonga]

I've had a colony of superworms in my three-keeled box turtle cage for over 5years now. I have a piece of rotting wood in there that they seem to chew on and the food (greens and veggies and little bit of cooked chicken) that I feed the boxies feeds the superworms.