superworms?

[bambichik39]

I searched the thread and couldnt find anything so hopefully this isn't asked often. Can Leos be fed superworms? The petco by me sells a 50ct of supers that look medium in size, smaller than their larger 100 ct supers i buy for my beardie. I think my leos would like them, but wanted to make sure they could handle the size before I offered them. Also, I know the have like giant mealworms or whatever, but they are labeled on there as superworms, so hopefully they are truly supers and not mealies. Anyone ever fed these? are they safe to feed? Does anyone know the equivalent to crickets so I don't over feed? Thanks!

 

[Mardy]

Superworms are great feeders and yes they are safe to feed. The "Giant Mealworms" are something completely different, and it's best to avoid those as they are mealworms treated with hormones to stop their pupating.

Some of the pro's to using Superworms are:

-You can keep them at room temperature, don't need to refrigerate them like mealworms.
-They won't pupate as long as you keep them with other superworms.
-They stay alive for a long time, and they are easy to feed. Use oats/wheat bran as their bedding/food. Toss in slices of carrots every other day for moisture & food, and you can keep them for months and months.
-They are also meatier than mealworms, so instead of feeding 10 mealworms a serving to your gecko, you would only need 1 or 2 superworms.

It's obviously cheaper to buy them bulk online, but before doing that I would suggest buying a smaller cup from your local petstore. First make sure your leopard gecko will take them on, because not all geckos like them. I have a couple picky eaters that won't take a bite at the superworms.

As for how much to feed, chances are your gecko will eat just 1 or 2 per serving. If you buy the medium sized ones, then you may need to feed 2-3. Your gecko will tell you how much they want to eat.

 

[M&S-328]

First off, Im not sure, but I think their might be some confusion between superworms and giant mealworms.

As petco sells them (I go there about once a week for my mealworms) the small mealworms, mealworms ("regular" size), and giant mealworms are all sold out of their mini fridge and are tenebrio molitor (actual mealworms). The giant mealworms are just regular mealworms nearing the end of their "mealworm stage" and closer to pupating, thus the biggest they will get.
The superworms are sold off the shelf and are never refrigerated. These are zophobas morio. They will stay in their worm-like form for a much longer time then mealworms IF there are a lot of other superworms for them to "rub" around on. However, if you forget one in there, it will create a HUGE pupae and will eventually emerge into a MASSIVE beetle (ive seen them and i think they are really scaary! lol). One other pretty disturbing thing ive seen them do is eat through plastic. Im very serious. They will eat through the lid of the containers they are sold in (the tubs you buy from petco) and can escape if they want to enough. So keep a sharp eye on expanding holes in the lid.

Superworms are believed to be a heathier choice, but just make sure your gecko can swallow it. Sometimes they are just a bit too big to go down easily.

Good luck in your choices!!

 

[acpart]

Most of my adults eat superworms as their main feeder. The adults eat anywhere from 1 to 8 or more at a sitting. I have fed superworms to babies as small as 11 grams. Superworms are really great for geckos and babies that have trouble figuring out the mealworm dish and being fast enough to catch crickets.

Aliza

 

[Lenewen]

Thank you M&S, that was extremely informative. I am going to try superworms with my geckos now, as mealies arent that great, and crickets are the worsttt ever to keep around the house all the time.

 

[M&S-328]

No problem!
Thats what this place is for after all! =] information and bettering the health and happiness of geckos and their owners!

Good luck with the new feeders!

 

[Mardy]

The giant mealworms are just regular mealworms nearing the end of their "mealworm stage" and closer to pupating, thus the biggest they will get.

That part is inaccurate, as mealworms do not get that large naturally. They are mealworms treated with a growth hormone that stops their pupating. That's why they grow so large. These giant mealworms are best utilized for fishing, as they are not recommended to be used to feed your leopard geckos due to the growth hormones used.

Normal mealworms only get to about 1 - 1.5 inches before they pupate into beetles. Anyways, bottom line is, if you need larger feeders, go with super worms, not giant mealworms.

 

[bambichik39]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I LOVE superworms for my beardie, and so does he, and for some reason never thought the leo's could eat them. I ran into the "medium supers" container and thought I'd ask before I just gave it a go. Thanks again! Next time I'm at Petco I'll be picking up some new feeders!

 

[mrleostar92]

my geckos love them but they normally have a week or two when they wil go mad on them and eat them all of the time then usually go off them of a while so i only get them every few weeks but good variance to the diet i think