Mealworms vs. Superworms etc...

[whopoopwrasse]

I posted this in the JSD thread but thought it would get a bit more exposure in a new thread so.....

Today the stinkers got a new nummy on their menu, bought them last
night but figured they would have them for breakfast.... anyway..........


LIVE Mealworms!!!! EWWWWWWWWWW!!! so gross! but they went bonkers for them.
I really didn't think they would go for them but I figured spring is coming,
I may as well wild them up a tiny bit more and they didn't even hesitate,
they just grabbed the little suckers and started munching away
like it was always part of their diet... go figure!

So,

1) should I always put them in a separate bowl? Or in with their regular food?

2) How many should I give them EACH everyday, or should it be every 2 days or less?

3) Do I have to worry about these little critters escaping and breeding somewhere out of site? ewww!

4) what about those superworms? would they like those better? since they are so much bigger?

[Jackie in Tampa]

I am not the worm expert...but!,,,
I feed mine superworms about two -three times a week when I can afford to, and I feed 2-3 worms each..
I used to use a fork, but soo many were getting away, ugh, so now I just handle them with a look of distaste on my face! very gross...

I have cleaned cages a week later and still found them happy and very much alive! the worms that is!
I hand feed the worms to my sqs...they love them sooo much!
but for the flyers, I use a deep slick straight sided bowl and they are all gone by morning...they eat 2-3 each too!
Sarah did pig out once and vomited worm...but she never was sick...just ate too many ...being the glutton that she is!
I found a guy just recently on Craig's list that will sell me 500 for ten dollars...but haven't hooked up with him yet...
at the pet store that I hate, I pay $1.25 for 10 plus sales tax...
I always spend 25 bucks...it's killing me!
on worms no less!
...caviar...

[Nancy in New York]

I posted this in the JSD thread but thought it would get a bit more exposure in a new thread so.....

Today the stinkers got a new nummy on their menu, bought them last
night but figured they would have them for breakfast.... anyway..........


LIVE Mealworms!!!! EWWWWWWWWWW!!! so gross! but they went bonkers for them.
I really didn't think they would go for them but I figured spring is coming,
I may as well wild them up a tiny bit more and they didn't even hesitate,
they just grabbed the little suckers and started munching away
like it was always part of their diet... go figure!

So,

1) should I always put them in a separate bowl? Or in with their regular food?

2) How many should I give them EACH everyday, or should it be every 2 days or less?

3) Do I have to worry about these little critters escaping and breeding somewhere out of site? ewww!

4) what about those superworms? would they like those better? since they are so much bigger?

Yes...I would put them in a seperate bowl. I would guess they could have approximately 10 a day. Just watch that they totally eat them sometimes that little worm tries to come back up and it makes the little one gag...oh the fun.
They won't breed out of sight, but what will happen is they can turn into a puba, and then into a beetle...Yuck to all of those...But I always have mealworms here too...Still Yuck though...
Oh those superworms are fast fast fast...and do not get the giant mealworms...they are nasty looking. Since they enjoy these, stay with what you have...and if you think those are gross you should see the giant.....

[whopoopwrasse]

ya, kinda sick eh? having to PAY for bugs!! Here's it's $4.00 for a dozen supers or 4 dozen regular! what a rip off!!

[lizharrell1]

At what age do you start them on mealworms? This is something I haven't tried yet....yuck...but since everyone says they love them SO MUCH....anything for the squirrels right? Where do I find them?

[whopoopwrasse]

Yes...I would put them in a seperate bowl. I would guess they could have approximately 10 a day. Just watch that they totally eat them sometimes that little worm tries to come back up and it makes the little one gag...oh the fun.
They won't breed out of sight, but what will happen is they can turn into a puba, and then into a beetle...Yuck to all of those...But I always have mealworms here too...Still Yuck though...
Oh those superworms are fast fast fast...and do not get the giant mealworms...they are nasty looking. Since they enjoy these, stay with what you have...and if you think those are gross you should see the giant.....

ya, I have a hard time looking at the small ones so I guess the big ones can stay at the pet store


Thanks to both of you for all the info on the fasinating world of gross bugs ewww, (shivers all over) what we won't do for these little stinkers eh?

[whopoopwrasse]

At what age do you start them on mealworms? This is something I haven't tried yet....yuck...but since everyone says they love them SO MUCH....anything for the squirrels right? Where do I find them?

any pet store has them, you get them in a little plastic container and keep them in the fridge.... BLAH!!!!

[Nancy in New York]

At what age do you start them on mealworms? This is something I haven't tried yet....yuck...but since everyone says they love them SO MUCH....anything for the squirrels right? Where do I find them?

You could probably start feeding them to your little ones around the age of maybe 8-10 weeks, but I would hand feed them one at a time...with a tweezers. Don't feed a young squirrel too many...only because they do sometimes have a problem killing the worm and you really don't want these young ones to choke on them...Whops squirrels are older bigger teeth!!!! You can also get freeze dried ones, but my squirrels have always preferred the live ones, but if you are worried about choking, start off with the freeze dried one....

[mugzeezma]

Sheesh NUT UP ladies! LOL

Giant Mealworms give you the best bang for your buck,


GM's look like regular mealworms only a bit larger.
SUPERWORMS are pale in color and are big fat and juicy...grub like
Wax worms are hard to keep and delicate...high in fat though.

I have fed the finicky Mugzi all of these and had the best luck with the GM's

I feed them late afternoon after his lunch. I hand feed them any where from 3-10. I stop giving him them when he just bites the heads off and tosses the rest (hehehehehehe I know I know DOUBLE ICKY!!!)
Feed them head first so they are quickly dispatched, yes they will pupate and turn into a half inch long black beetle that will get into your staples.

I breed them in a plastic storage tub with air holes filled with oatmeal and bran. Place a slice of potato, yam, apple in the tub for hydration.
Change this often as mold will kill these bugs.
They turn around in 2-3 weeks.

Raising Superworms requires separate containers for each grub to pupate.
I'm NOT going to that trouble!
So there you have it

Also squirrely boy loved earwigs in season as well as moths

[prncsbabs1]

Ewww.... I have to say Thank god Oscar's bump on his head made him not like worms anymore....seriously. I tried...meal and wax worms....all he did was stand on them....while he ate his seeds...lol I am sooo glad....I wanted to gag each time I had to get them out of the container...lol

[mugzeezma]

Ewww.... I have to say Thank god Oscar's bump on his head made him not like worms anymore....seriously. I tried...meal and wax worms....all he did was stand on them....while he ate his seeds...lol I am sooo glad....I wanted to gag each time I had to get them out of the container...lol

Use tweezers! Isn't Oscar a sparrow though? How'd you get away with that?

[whopoopwrasse]

Ewww.... I have to say Thank god Oscar's bump on his head made him not like worms anymore....seriously. I tried...meal and wax worms....all he did was stand on them....while he ate his seeds...lol I am sooo glad....I wanted to gag each time I had to get them out of the container...lol

who know, now that he's feeling better he might enjoy them, come on!! you know you wanna!!

[mugzeezma]

Ewww.... I have to say Thank god Oscar's bump on his head made him not like worms anymore....seriously. I tried...meal and wax worms....all he did was stand on them....while he ate his seeds...lol I am sooo glad....I wanted to gag each time I had to get them out of the container...lol

Use tweezers! Isn't Oscar a sparrow? How'd you get away with that?

BTW
good save on that baby he is gorgeous and so lucky !!!

[whopoopwrasse]

Sheesh NUT UP ladies! LOL

Giant Mealworms give you the best bang for your buck,


GM's look like regular mealworms only a bit larger.
SUPERWORMS are pale in color and are big fat and juicy...grub like
Wax worms are hard to keep and delicate...high in fat though.

I have fed the finicky Mugzi all of these and had the best luck with the GM's

I feed them late afternoon after his lunch. I hand feed them any where from 3-10. I stop giving him them when he just bites the heads off and tosses the rest (hehehehehehe I know I know DOUBLE ICKY!!!)
Feed them head first so they are quickly dispatched, yes they will pupate and turn into a half inch long black beetle that will get into your staples.

I breed them in a plastic storage tub with air holes filled with oatmeal and bran. Place a slice of potato, yam, apple in the tub for hydration.
Change this often as mold will kill these bugs.
They turn around in 2-3 weeks.

Raising Superworms requires separate containers for each grub to pupate.
I'm NOT going to that trouble!
So there you have it

Also squirrely boy loved earwigs in season as well as moths

I dunno that I'd go as far as raising them, we'll see...

[Nancy in New York]

The wax worm is like the grub and off white yuck...
And even though this giant meal worm doesn't look that much bigger they are!!! OMG
And the superworm looks like the mealworm but is fast!!!
You are going to release soon, and you don't want to raise them...it takes forever and mostly only get the beetle...

The first photo is of superworms, then wax and then mealworms...







I order from Timberline usually 10,000 at a time...only because my outdoor birds love them...

[whopoopwrasse]

man this thread is gross!! I have the ones at the bottom, 3/4 - 1"

[prncsbabs1]

Oh Nancy...thanks for the visual...YUCK...lol

Mugzeezma: Yes he is a sparrow, I don't know why but he just doesn't go for them....he has some neuro issues maybe that has something to do with it.

whopoopwrasse: Yes, I will try again.....eewww.....gross...yuck!

[lizharrell1]

So, will my babies be considered "underpriveleged" if I don't offer worms to them? Maybe they would like a nice chunk of avocado instead?

[whopoopwrasse]

So, will my babies be considered "underpriveleged" if I don't offer worms to them? Maybe they would like a nice chunk of avocado instead?

it's just not the same, avocado doesn't squirm on the way down, it seems it's an aquired taste

[Jackie in Tampa]

heads up, the guy on Craig's list said to NOT refridgerate the superworms...
so that was why their Christmas presents died!
wish I would have known, I got scared and thought they were poisoned or something and threw them away...yeah, $25...talk about ticked off...and I hated my pet store even more after that...
he should have told me not to refridgerate...sigh!
He was the guy that told me TO refridgerate when I first started buying worms...who knew?!!!!
My best worms were from Shanon/Legomom...she grows good worms!
ok I am done with worm 101...
yes Liz, our kids are under privledged!