Feeding Feeder Insects Spinach

[Goomba]

Hello everyone,

I purchased a dozen superworms on Sunday. I fed two off to my little female A. geniculata and put the rest away in my closet with a couple of leaves of spinach.
I took a look at them today, and lo and behold, the remaining 10 were dead.
Is the spinach simply too high in iron? I'll obviously be sure to never feed any of my feeders spinach again. Is there something I was unaware of?

Thanks!

 

[Cirith Ungol]

You could actually try it out with a new batch, take three, separate them and feed them spinach again. Hard to know probably before you do. If they die again, try a different brand of spinach, see if it's the same result (however, with the food production as it is today it's probably the exact same spinach even though it's a different brand, unless you try ecological or local variety.)

It would seem a likely assumption however that the intake of iron in nature would be more balanced than with an all spinach diet. (I can't help but ask, do you just not want to eat it yourself? )

To mimic a more natural diet you could put some soft wood in there (I'm not sure what type), and maybe some more normal type veggies.

 

[Motorkar]

I have mealworms and superworms(seperated ofcourse) in a plastric container filled with only flour and tallings. I change it once a month or every two months.

 

[Hobo]

Depending on where you got the spinich from, it may have still had some pesticides on it or something.

 

[BlackCat]

Depending on where you got the spinich from, it may have still had some pesticides on it or something.

That's what I was thinking too.

Unless it is organic, you're very likely to run into pesticides.

Oat meal is great for mealworms and superworms btw. Microwave the oatmeal first to prevent mites. For crickets, cat food works.

 

[Moltar]

One very good piece of advice I was once given about feeding feeders: Feed fruits/vegetable with the least possible amount of surface area because that's where pesticides contact the plant and accumulate.

So, following this rule of thumb: Apples, bananas, squash, etc are good. Broccoli, grapes, cauliflower and leafy items like spinach, cabbage or lettuce are bad.


That could be why your mealies are dying, or maybe it's just the iron...

 

[Roski]

Did you used to have mothballs in your closet? Strange that they all died. Did you wash the spinach? Basic question I know, but I'd lean toward pesticides if not.

I've never heard of iron being used as an insect repellent/insecticide. I assume that the iron would simply pass through the supers if it is undigested/useless. In any case, it might be time to switch to dry oatmeal as a feeder from now on. I keep my mealies and supers on them, and it's a lot easier to manage (no deaths, no smells, no mold).

 

[Crysta]

for my mealie food, i had oatmeal, along with shaved nuts and cereal corn flakes..... mmm ofc the vegies as well.

Although, I experimented with adding fishfood to the mixture..
it was stinky... lol

 

[zonbonzovi]

Too moist, perhaps? They seem to live forever with almost no moisture and I believe they originate in arid regions. Anyhoo, just speculation...

 

[Goomba]

Thanks guys.

I usually use oatmeal, oranges and chicken food. I'm pretty sure the spinach was organic, but I'll be sure to keep that in mind.

 

[cacoseraph]

make sure it is certified organic AND pesticide free. i believe there are natural pesticides or repellants that could be used on organic food. i sorta recall researching it and deciding the stuff i bought needed to be certed both


and for sure, i only feed high surface area to volume produce to my bugs when it is certified up. and i peel all foods not certifed. it's annoying cuz i think some interesting nutrition probably happens in the peels and rinds and it limits what foods i can safely feed. i have a buttload of frozen blueberries that i can't use for my bugs, for instance

 

[Crysta]

must also be careful what the oraganic foods are stored beside, or if it has contact with another pesticide crate.

 

[Kirsten]

With all else said, spinach does contain high amounts of calcium as well as iron. Some like to keep the calcium levels low for feeders given to T's. Just sayin'.

 

[Goomba]

Well, I grow my own spinach, and sometimes I get Nick Nolte drunk and pee in my garden. Could that have caused the demise of the worms? Is urine rich in iron? Pesticides?

 

[Scoolman]

Raw spinach is toxic for tortises.