1st time feeding mealworms...

[Rittdk01]

I feed mainly meal worms or super worms. I used to feed mainly crickets, but I’ve switched it up. Every one of my tarantulas and spiderlings eat them.

 

[chanda]

does goes the same for mealworms too?

No, they'll pupate on you if left in the cup at room temperature. I forgot to put a cup back in the fridge after feeding off a few of the mealworms and just left it sitting on the shelf in my invert room for a few weeks - and when I opened it, it was full of small black beetles (which my tarantulas and mantises did not want to eat!)

I mostly feed crickets. I do raise dubias for the larger spiders (like my T. stirmi) and some of the more active feeders, but most of my spiders aren't really interested in roaches or mealworms. I've got a bunch of picky eaters that have a strong preference for crickets.

 

[Ztesch]

So I got a free batch of meal worms at the expo I went to Saturday. So today I fed my all my slings a meal worm. One of the smaller worms when straight into the sub as soon as I dropped him in.(and yes I did smash his head, maybe not enough though.) I tried to pluck him out but it was too late. Should I be worried about it killing my 3/4 inch pumpkin patch. I have an extra enclosure I could throw him in if need be.

 

[Ztesch]

Other then the worm burrowing I got really good feeding responses from a bunch of my slings.

 

[aphono]

So I got a free batch of meal worms at the expo I went to Saturday. So today I fed my all my slings a meal worm. One of the smaller worms when straight into the sub as soon as I dropped him in.(and yes I did smash his head, maybe not enough though.) I tried to pluck him out but it was too late. Should I be worried about it killing my 3/4 inch pumpkin patch. I have an extra enclosure I could throw him in if need be.

Yes, they have a reputation for being fairly aggressive eaters. I absolutely hate that about them, so quick to burrow and how some of the crushed heads will still burrow.. definitely a learning curve with those nasties, ha. Luckily, most of the tarantulas will readily accept cut up mealies. even the tiny 1/4" slings will munch on cut up superworms.

BTW they will also readily take the fresh mealworm pupae.. no crushing necessary BUT be sure the spider is most likely hungry and leave it in very plain view so they don't accidentally mature out in there.

 

[BC1579]

Tough call. I captured and moved my stirmi just last week while I sifted through all of her substrate. I compact her substrate pretty tightly which slows the burrowing. She pounced on the superworm but didn't strike it. Obviously it burrowed away. Prior to that feeding I was routinely crushing heads, but she ate so voraciously I stopped. No worm lasted more than a few seconds...until the day one did.

Anyway, she's a big girl and I think even a hatched beetle would likely be no problem for her. However, there's something about a predator being eaten alive by a feeder that saddens me. I wouldn't want to lose any T, but for some reason that manner of death scares me the most.

I ended up finding the worm rather quickly and isolated it in an old pill bottle. I'm going to let it do its thing and see how the life cycle works and then let the beetle go outside. I figured he was lucky enough to spared by the stirmi, why shouldn't he be allowed to grow?

Just a side note, that was the first meal she's skipped since I got her. I think she's going into premolt now, which is probably the most dangerous time for a rogue worm to be on the loose.

 

[Ztesch]

Well I guess to be on the safe side I will just rehouse it.

 

[BC1579]

For a critter that tiny I would. There are threads here about much larger Ts being killed and eaten by mealies.

 

[Ztesch]

Ya better safe then sorry.

 

[Ungoliant]

I ended up finding the worm rather quickly and isolated it in an old pill bottle. I'm going to let it do its thing and see how the life cycle works and then let the beetle go outside. I figured he was lucky enough to spared by the stirmi, why shouldn't he be allowed to grow?

Is that species native to your area? If not, please do not release it outside.

I have more mealworms than my tarantulas can eat, so some of the larvae in my mealworm container invariably mature into beetles, mate, and lay eggs. Then I have baby mealworms for my slings. (I have a tiny 1/2" Neoholothele incei that goes nuts for them.)

 

[Andrea82]

Tough call. I captured and moved my stirmi just last week while I sifted through all of her substrate. I compact her substrate pretty tightly which slows the burrowing. She pounced on the superworm but didn't strike it. Obviously it burrowed away. Prior to that feeding I was routinely crushing heads, but she ate so voraciously I stopped. No worm lasted more than a few seconds...until the day one did.

Anyway, she's a big girl and I think even a hatched beetle would likely be no problem for her. However, there's something about a predator being eaten alive by a feeder that saddens me. I wouldn't want to lose any T, but for some reason that manner of death scares me the most.

I ended up finding the worm rather quickly and isolated it in an old pill bottle. I'm going to let it do its thing and see how the life cycle works and then let the beetle go outside. I figured he was lucky enough to spared by the stirmi, why shouldn't he be allowed to grow?

Just a side note, that was the first meal she's skipped since I got her. I think she's going into premolt now, which is probably the most dangerous time for a rogue worm to be on the loose.

Please do NOT release a superworm beetle outside where you live. This species is native to central and south America, not north America. New Orleans does have a climate that can sustain this species so it could be potentially dangerous to release these in your area.

 

[BC1579]

Well, I’m not gonna squish it and I’m certainly not gonna raise it.

It’ll be 90 degrees and humid here today in October and we have no shortage of predatory insects here. I think a beetle will do just fine.

It’s one beetle. It’s not a gravid female. I think the world will be okay.

 

[Ztesch]

I got lucky and found the mealorm that burrowed on my cork bark in the morning. Damn thing doubled in size in 1 day... Anyways I got it out so no worries here.

 

[Swoop]

No, they'll pupate on you if left in the cup at room temperature. I forgot to put a cup back in the fridge after feeding off a few of the mealworms and just left it sitting on the shelf in my invert room for a few weeks - and when I opened it, it was full of small black beetles (which my tarantulas and mantises did not want to eat!)

Your mantises wouldn't eat them? That kind of surprises me, all the mantises I ever had would eat anything that wiggled. Although I can see a 3" or smaller mantis giving up on a beetle that big and crunchy.

 

[BC1579]

After the concerned posts, the grub went swimming in my neighbor’s pond. He was met by some eager koi who all asked me to thank the dissenters for helping me change my mind (and provide with them with a nom).

 

[Ungoliant]

After the concerned posts, the grub went swimming in my neighbor’s pond. He was met by some eager koi who all asked me to thank the dissenters for helping me change my mind (and provide with them with a nom).

I'm sure the koi loved it!