Super worms bedding

[moviemanmania]

I've read that it isn't best to use regular oats (oatmeal) as your superworm bedding because it can cause the calcium absorption to be blocked in your chameleon. What's the alternative? Wheat germ?

 

[susieqff]

I've never heard that but I use wheat germ and as much variety to the worms as I can. I've thought about mixing some cricket gutload dry food into the mix for them too but haven't gotten around to it.

 

[jdog1027]

A forum member with a very good reputation in the field of nutrition has stated in a PM to me in the past that using oatmeal in a gutload can add too much phosphorus, especially when offering this gutload to crickets which naturally have a poor calcium/phosphorus ratio. It made sense to me to try and find something other than oatmeal as a bedding for both mealworms and superworms. I use wheat germ and spirulina at a ratio of about 80/20%. It's a little bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. It is best to order spirulina in bulk, but it is a pricey investment, but well worth the cost. It can go a long way when blended with the wheat germ, which is relatively cheaper. A good place to order both items is www.bulkfoods.com

 

[susieqff]

thank you...i will do that.

 

[pssh]

I use my gutload cut with whole wheat flour or just wheat germ. Works well for me and they grow incredibly fast with it.

 

[kinyonga]

I was told by an entomologist at the zoo that it was not good to use oatmeal.
Although I have not raised superworms for my chameleon, I have had a colony of them living/breeding in my box turtle cage for several years. They eat the same greens and veggies that I list in my chameleon gutload and a bit of fruit too. I provide them with some rotting wood (someone told me this was a good thing to do for them) and there are areas of the turtle "table" substrate that are wet and others where they are dry so they have a choice of moisture levels to select to live in.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I've read that it isn't best to use regular oats (oatmeal) as your superworm bedding because it can cause the calcium absorption to be blocked in your chameleon. What's the alternative? Wheat germ?

True, oatmeal should form only a minor part of the substrate. This is what I use:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/443-superworm-substrate-gutload-one.html