# feeding meal worm beetles to T's?



## sezra (Jan 9, 2016)

despite having kept T's for 6 years or so now, ive not really come across anyone asking this question. 

Ive recently started breeding my own meal worms as i was sick of paying money for half dead worms and crickets from local pet stores. I truly believe my animals deserve the best food possible, whether that be my dogs, my fish, my plants (i keep carnivorous plants, kind of sad i class them as pets lol), or my T's.

Not only that, its cruel to keep the prey items in such a manner, and i refuse to support it any longer.

Anyway, i am over run with meal worm beetles which are laying a whole ton of eggs. Until the eggs hatch, and the worms get bigger, is there any reason to not feed my T's the beetles? will they even take them?

Im guessing there may be a very small risk of the T injuring its fangs on the beetles exoskeleton, how likely is this?


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## beaker41 (Jan 9, 2016)

I doubt a t would injure themselves on a beetle, they seem to have a pretty good idea of where the weak spots are. if you've ever fed something just slightly too big you'll see them going for the head or neck first, and ultimately if they dont think they can take it they wont try to attack in the first place. T's are top level predators, they know what they're doing.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## BobBarley (Jan 9, 2016)

sezra said:


> despite having kept T's for 6 years or so now, ive not really come across anyone asking this question.
> 
> Ive recently started breeding my own meal worms as i was sick of paying money for half dead worms and crickets from local pet stores. I truly believe my animals deserve the best food possible, whether that be my dogs, my fish, my plants (i keep carnivorous plants, kind of sad i class them as pets lol), or my T's.
> 
> ...


My understanding is that t's don't prefer beetles.  There shouldn't be any risk that the t could injure itself, though I have no idea.  My guess is that the t may lunge at the beetle and then possibly drop it, once the t realizes it's a beetle?  Their exoskeletons are pretty hard.


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## Ellenantula (Jan 9, 2016)

I know someone who feeds the darkling beetles to ts known for having 'a great feeding response" without issue.  I have always heard the beetles put off a smell Ts dislike.  Anyway, answer:  as far as I know, yes -- it is safe to feed darkling beetles; and yes, some Ts will eat them.

This is all anecdotal, I have never fed a darkling beetle to a T.

(edited due to a lot of cross responses:  yes -- the same rules would apply as for mealworms and crix -- meaning if beetle is not eaten -- remove -- it could be a risk to moulting T.)

Reactions: Informative 1


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## sezra (Jan 9, 2016)

cool, so the general consensus is that there is no risk to the T?

In that case i'll try them each on a few beetles and see how it goes. I'll report my findings and let you all know what the outcome is.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Ellenantula (Jan 9, 2016)

Um, remember -- beetles CAN burrow.  So while yes, no noted dangers to a T eating them (just that many will refuse them) you are at same risk of a burrowing beetle as say, a mealworm or a dubia.  JFYI.  Good luck!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Rogerpoco (Jan 9, 2016)

Crunchy on the outside,chewy on the inside,haha.
Good Luck! Hissers prolly not quite as hard an exo as beetles,but I use them for feeders regularly with no problems.
Plants as pets... Especially carnivorous ones... Not sad. Kick-a$$.

Reactions: Like 1


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## sezra (Jan 9, 2016)

Ellenantula said:


> Um, remember -- beetles CAN burrow.  So while yes, no noted dangers to a T eating them (just that many will refuse them) you are at same risk of a burrowing beetle as say, a mealworm or a dubia.  JFYI.  Good luck!


i'll monitor them and make sure any uneaten prey items are removed. standard practice.



Rogerpoco said:


> Crunchy on the outside,chewy on the inside,haha.
> Good Luck! Hissers prolly not quite as hard an exo as beetles,but I use them for feeders regularly with no problems.
> Plants as pets... Especially carnivorous ones... Not sad. Kick-a$$.


im glad you dont think its sad, i have a lot of them haha... they seem to do amazingly well in my house so im over run with carnivorous plants and cant bear to get rid of healthy specimens.

Reactions: Like 1 | Cookie 1


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## cold blood (Jan 9, 2016)

On occasion I have beetles show up.  I have always just fed them, never had any issue with any species taking them.   If they put off a smell or something, it must not be too effective against tarantulas.

Reactions: Informative 2


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## edgeofthefreak (Jan 10, 2016)

My B. albopilosum will take a pre-killed superworm, not with gusto, but after about 20 minutes or so. When I gave her a beetle, she seemed interested for about 2 seconds, then it started to slink away into the sub. I kept putting it in front of her, she'd even touch it with a leg, but never attempted to grab it.

Seemed like she had no idea it could be food. I'll try a few more times, as I have the beetles to spare, lol.

Oh, and they can bite pretty hard. Zoophobas morio beetles have jaws you can easily see, and they can grab a decent amount of skin. Not that I... uhh, hang out with beetles, or uhhh, anything.....

Reactions: Funny 2


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## BobBarley (Jan 10, 2016)

edgeofthefreak said:


> Not that I... uhh, hang out with beetles, or uhhh, anything.....

Reactions: Lollipop 1


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## Leonardo the Mage (Jan 10, 2016)

You can probably feed your Ts those beetles the same way you feed them crickets. Considering that beetles are one of the most common insects on the planet, most species of T probably use them as their main food source in the wild. They also have to dig through hard pact soil to make their burrows, using little but their fangs.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bugmom (Jan 10, 2016)

My salamander has acquired a beetle as a roommate. Likely from a superworm that burrowed. He won't eat the beetle, and he tries to eat everything that comes within a foot of his tank, so that's saying something.


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## ratluvr76 (Jan 10, 2016)

I feed the mealworm beetles to my T's all the time. I just make sure the head is crushed before offering it. This way, the beetle can't burrow, if the T doesn't accept it and winds up hidden in some foliage or something then even if my T goes into molt, the beetle can't nom on it. No mouthparts = no risk of T becoming beetle food.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## sezra (Jan 18, 2016)

ok, so after a few weeks, it seems almost all my T's reject meal worm beetles. the only one that actually feeds on them is my G.rosea. however she shows no preference to what prey item i offer her. she will take meal worms, meal worm beetles, crickets and locusts etc.

All my other T's outright rejected the beetle except my OBT which attacked it as if to feed, but immediately left it alone. it then took a cricket so it was hungry, indicating that it didnt like the beetle.

in conclusion, most T's (mine at least) dont see beetles as a prey item


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## Abby79 (Jan 18, 2016)

Darkling beetles are good feeders for juvie T's. but not all will like them. My Acanthogonatus on the other hand go nuts for them, over Roaches and crickets! go figure.


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