morio worms as food items

[vincent winyard]

hi all i just want to know if anyone feeds morio worms to there tarantulas. i've just read a care sheet on them and there also known as super worms only the problem is the care sheet says there ok for reptiles amphibians and so on but might not be to cleaver for arachnids . so i was just wondering if anyone uses these as a food item and if so how do you get on with them.

[Peter Roach]

They are OK as food but as most things in life . . . everything in moderation.
Morio worms have been know to eat tarantulas during a moult so I would hold the worms in tweezers until the T grabs them and once the eating process has started you can leave the T alone to eat in peace.

[vincent winyard]

cheers pete. i'll give it a go and see how they react to them. don't sound to cleaver if they can have a munch on a tarantula though .

[Peter Roach]

Crickets will definitely munch on moulting T's so why not something with much stronger jaws ?
I use the smaller mealworms as a clean up crew in my roach bins as they will eat any dead roaches and so keep the Phorid flies away.

[vincent winyard]

this is true. i did try a smithi and cobalt blue the smithi showed no interest what so ever the cobalt killed it but didn't finish it. i'll try again and see what happens with some of the others thanks for the info pete maybe i'll have better luck tonight.

[Jamie Cooper]

I use the smaller mealworms as a clean up crew in my roach bins as they will eat any dead roaches and so keep the Phorid flies away.

Sorry for going slightly off topic here. Where can I get some of these Pete? Are these the ones that come free in cricket tubs?

Jamie

[Peter Roach]

Sorry for going slightly off topic here. Where can I get some of these Pete? Are these the ones that come free in cricket tubs?

Jamie

Free in crickets tubs ? No, they are dermestid beetle larvae

The dermestid larvae are great as a clean up crew in roach bins but the normal mealworms do the same job and are easier to get in bulk.

[Stephen jordan]

Crickets will definitely munch on moulting T's so why not something with much stronger jaws ?
I use the smaller mealworms as a clean up crew in my roach bins as they will eat any dead roaches and so keep the Phorid flies away.

Superb advice Peter, I knew those mealworms would come in handy for something! Damn phorid flies!

[Peter Roach]

Superb advice Peter, I knew those mealworms would come in handy for something! Damn phorid flies!

I had a real problem with them bloody phorid flies but after tipping in 1/2 a box of mealworms the fly number reduced after about a week and after a few weeks they were all gone. This was several months ago and havent seen any since in either of the 2 roach bins.
I use powdered cat crunchies as food for the roaches and the mealworms eat that as well as any dead roaches, fly eggs, larvae and pupae.
A job well done by the mealworms sez I and as they are breeding in the bins, I also have a small amount of various sized mealworms if i need them in an emergency.

[Jamie Cooper]

Free in crickets tubs ? No, they are dermestid beetle larvae

The dermestid larvae are great as a clean up crew in roach bins but the normal mealworms do the same job and are easier to get in bulk.

Ahh right, thanks mate. Would something like this be suitable...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STANDARD-MEALWORMS-60g-Tub-Live-Reptile-Food-Livefood-/130839361086?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Reptiles_Spiders_Insects&hash=item1e76a2363e

Do they not eventually turn into beetles?

Jamie

[Peter Roach]

Ahh right, thanks mate. Would something like this be suitable...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STANDARD-MEALWORMS-60g-Tub-Live-Reptile-Food-Livefood-/130839361086?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Reptiles_Spiders_Insects&hash=item1e76a2363e

Do they not eventually turn into beetles?

Jamie

Exactly like them but cheaper The P&P doesnt look exactly cheap does it ?

Of course they turn into beetles, how else will you get little mealworms ?

Obviously it will depend on how many roaches you have in the roach bins to how many mealworms you use.