Mealworm issue

[majahawt]

I always leave a dish with mealworms in the tank for my geckos. However, there's one thing about this that's really bugging me. When I put them in, they'll wriggle around, climb out and such (which is fine, they'll be eaten at some point) but after a little while, they seem to just give up on life and lay there. This of course makes them really unappetising for the geckos. I return the worms to their tub every day and pick out new ones but the same always happens.

I've tried moving them around the tank to different temperatures, not dusting them, spraying them, and so on but it's no use. Does anyone know why this happens and/or if there's some neat trick to keep if from happening?

 

[mecoat]

Hi

Mealworms are only really active when they're excited, so perhaps you might like to add some food in the bowl with them (oats and a small piece of carrot or apple). That should keep them active for longer.

Be careful the piece of fruit/veg is too big for your leo to try to eat, I've seen stories of peoples leos eating a piece by accident and it getting stuck part way down. Not sure where I've seen them, so I can't remember how trustworthy the source is, but better safe than sorry.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Somewhere someone is marketing "escape-proof" mealworm dishes.

 

[Conched]

You could try placing the mealworms in the enclosure the same time every day and removing the uneaten ones after about 10 minutes or so. My leos appear to be conditioned to perk up and investigate their food bowl every time I open the enclosure doors, but I also open the doors and drop in food the same time every day, which is generally around 6:30 - 7:00 PM which is about the time they become active anyway.

 

[majahawt]

Somewhere someone is marketing "escape-proof" mealworm dishes.

I actually have one of those, but it's pretty useless. I've just taken the top part off because it's way too difficult for him to see them or even get to them. It's not really a problem when they do get out though, even if he's already had dinner, he'll always go for a wriggly, escaped one crawling around :3

 

[hmarie186]

I put mine in a slope sided bowl I got for a buck at Pier 1. It's in the shape of a flower.. and it's Edgars favorite of the many bowls he has. Typically I don't leave mealies in the bowl unless I am going to work several hours before he wants breakfast, but he feeds himselflf and leaves what he doesn't want so I just toss them back in the bin when I get home. If they go more than a day without food they lose nutrition and I can't put their food in the dish- Edgar may consume a piece or 10 and have intestinal issues. If you know when they are hungry I would just put the bowl in for 20 mins or so and put back what they don't eat.

 

[majahawt]

We're probably going to slowly start just leaving one or two in, because he's getting to the age where he really only eats every other day and we get him out for handling/exercise every other day so we might just well feed him when he's out