Moldy Mealworm Problem

[Whal]

I used eco earth for a mealworm habitat, which ended in a large mold growth on one side. I was able to salvage some of the mealworms from the moldy habitat and now they live in a much drier and ventilated habitat (a jar with dry oatmeal for now). Do you know if being near mold has any effect on whether or not the mealworms are safe to feed to the gecko?

 

[PoppyDear]

Hello!

Eco Earth is not a nutritious substrate that will gutload your mealworms. Especially because it can be very moist and putting food in it will contribute to the growth of mold.

I once had mealworms touch some sand on my sand mat (I got rid of it) and I didn't want to waste the worms so I carefully rinsed each one in purified water and set them on paper towels. The paper towel soaked up much of the water and additionally I let them dry an hour more in their habitat before feeding. I don't think mold has that much of an effect. Just keep them in a more appropriate, dry bedding and change the food often. You could do a quick rinse and dry but I doubt it is a big issue.

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