Back What's new
By:
Filters
Caudata.org: Newts and Salamanders Portal

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Did you know that registered users see fewer ads? Register today!

Mealworms

M

mik

Guest
I tried mealworms with my axies some time ago but gave up. If they weren't consumed with the few seconds they spasmed as they drowned they didn't get eaten at all.

I also found the axies often spat them out. I'm guessing it was the hard shell or legs around the abdomen that irritated the lining of their mouths.

Waxworms were a better alternative. That I still use from time to time.
 
S

shaun

Guest
Waxworms are great in water. Sometime when you force them down to the bottom of the tank, they produce tiny airbubbles and float back to the top - it's pretty amazing.
 
K

kaysie

Guest
I'm not a big fan of mealworms overall. But waxies are a good treat for all my animals. They all enjoy a few waxies from time to time.
 
C

colin

Member
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
253
Reaction score
0
A few years back i inherited a soft shell turtle at about 12" long... it wasnt in the best of health when i got it and to my surprise it was passing undigested bits of mealworms for about six weeks after i got it!!!

I hadnt fed it a single mealworm and needless to say I havnt used mealworms again for reptiles or amphibians...
 
J

jeffrey

Guest
I find both my Alpestris and Marmoratus love Waxworms, the minute the Marms spot them they all but stampede to get to them, the juvenile Alpestris are almost as bad.

I have no intention of trying the mealworms when I have such a good source of waxies. Combined with the crickets, bloodworm and earthworms they get I think they have a pretty varied enough diet.
 
A

alan

Guest
Allow me to point out the benefits of lesser waxmoth larvae, Achroia grisella. Although not as easy to come by commercially, they are a much better size for most caudates than Galleria mellonella. Both are very nutritious, much more so than mealworms.
 
J

jeffrey

Guest
Hi Alan

I have both lesser waxmoth larvae, Achroia grisella and Galleria mellonella. Though at the moment my Galleria mellonella are only just establishing themselves. the Achroia grisella are well established and provide ample for all my newts at present.
 
P

pdpdpdpdpd

Guest
my baby newts just hatched about 3 weeks ago and i have three choices to feed them either frozen baby brine shrimp frozen daphnia or mealworms[chopped] how long will it take to relize there eating or how long do they live if thier not eating do chopped meal worms help please so my baby newts will stay alive.
frog.gif
 
J

jennifer

Guest
pdpdpd, you said in another thread that they were eating the frozen daphnia. Is that not the case? Mealworms are not a useful food for larvae. Try to find live blackworms or other tiny live worms.
 
A

amy

Guest
I bought some mealworms today to feed to my axy, and he was NOT impressed. I waved one in front of his mouth, he went for it, then spat it straight back out again. When i tried waving it in front of his mouth again he turned around and swam away! So now i have a tub of mealworms with no use! Is there any way i can remove the shell to make them easier for my axy to eat?
 
A

amy

Guest
I decided i'd try again because i didnt want the mealworms to go to waste. This time i cut the head off. Sam snapped it up straight away. I keep the mealworms in a chinese container in the fridge because that's how I bought them - how long will they last like this?
 
G

gord

Guest
I've started to feed my T. shanjing newly shed meal worms.They will not eat the hard shell ones.They spit them out immediately.But when they see that soft, white mealworm they go nuts. Problem is, they shed only sporadically, so I'm going to have to radically increase my meal worm cultures!

Anyway, here's a really good link to a bunch of meal worm info.

http://www.lostmymarblz.com/fl-nutrition-mealworm.htm

I typed meal worm culture into google and all sort of good info came up.

Gord
 
M

mark

Guest
I’m a big fan of mealworms and feed them to all my terrestrial animals. Once your culture is up and running you get wonderful range of sizes. Morphs wolf down hatchling worms and 2nd , 3rd and 4th instars are readily accepted by most juveniles . Their tough exo-skeletons mean that you have to match the right sized worm to the animal. If it’s spat out, try the next size down. Be careful though – I have one individual that loves them so much he now refuses all other food. Occasionally I fool him with a small earthworm but he looks well cheated and will flatly refuse a second earthworm…
 
G

gord

Guest
Mark: Funny, I always assumed mealworms were too hard for newts and salamanders to eat. I'd never considered the recently shed or smaller sized ones. But you are right, the shanjing just leap on them, and have started to turn their noses up at the dew worm bits.

I've got several mealworm cultures up and running now and hope to have a nice selection of sizes to feed my little friends.

Gord
 
J

jazz

Guest
Hi guys and gals.

I had a tiger Salamander a year ago, died in May, owned him for seven years. I fed him mealworms almost 100%. I know it wasn't the most nutricious diet, but I had little money or options of other foods. My Chinese Warty has recently been introduced to the worms and he likes them too. I agree with Mark; It's all about matching your newt to the correct size worm. Bigger ones put up more fight. My tiger sally was huge and could handle the Giant Mealworms that run 1-2 inches. My Chinese Warty is sticking with the short half-inchers or less.

I was also told that mealworms contain the Iodine needed to help newts shed their skin. I'm trying to give a varied diet to all my newts now. However, I have never had success with frozen or pellet anything. Anyway, unless solid evidence is shown against these invertebrates, I'm sticking with my mealworms.

happy.gif


While I'm here though...
Does anyone know of a particular reason T. Karelinii should not be fed mealworms?
 
J

joseph

Guest
Never heard specifically not to. You could try...but I'd go with very small ones. I don't really see a reason as they do just fine on mainly redworms for me.

Similar to mealworms...I've been using flour beetles(Tribolium) for my Cynops ensicauda. They take them quite eagerly and often steal them from in front of each other. I still feed them mainly redworms however...but for the little ones or the picky ones the movement and size of the larvae often tempts them to take a bit.
 
J

jazz

Guest
Yeah, I didn't think so. hm. I might try to start a worm culture.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • Shane douglas:
    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
     +1
    Unlike
  • Thorninmyside:
    Not necessarily but if you’re wanting to continue to grow your breeding capacity then yes. Breeding axolotls isn’t a cheap hobby nor is it a get rich quick scheme. It costs a lot of money and time and deditcation
     +1
    Unlike
  • stanleyc:
    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
     +1
    Unlike
  • Clareclare:
    Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus Japanese . I'm raising them and have abandoned the terrarium at about 5 months old and switched to the aquatic setups you describe. I'm wondering if I could do this as soon as they morph?
     +1
    Unlike
    Clareclare: Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus... +1
    Top