Keeping Superworms as Feeders

[joossa]

Hey folks,
I bought a batch of 50 superworms for my tarantulas and since this is the first time I am keeping them, I want to get some advice. I feel like such a nerd and newbie getting all excited about keeping superworms.

I did some research and still have a few questions. I don't want to breed them, just keep them well and make them nutritious for my Ts.

1] How often should I replace the rolled oats I put them in? Should I be concerned about the oats getting stale?

2] How often should I put in wet food? So, far I placed 2 small slices of apple and the are gobbling it all up.

3] Is it true they will tend to pupate readily once there are very few left in their container (i.e. when they have more space and are not being readily disturbed by other worms)? Should I plan on adding more once I have a few left to avoid pupation?

4] Should I worry about grain mites? How can I avoid them? Have you gotten any when keeping superworms?

5] Have any of you developed any type of sensitivity to their frass? I'd be interested in hearing about that.

 

[egyptiancrow]

superworms are annoying to keep, you dont really need to do anything different if you just are feeding them off. feed them some repashy bug burger or other bug food mixes to gutload them. they like squash and zuchinni, and various other semi hard veggies and fruits.

place in a food item like this every 4-5 days. replace it if it doesnt get eaten. i give my old veggies to my springtails.

the oats dont get stale easily, cover the container with a lid and have some cross vent, and that is generally good.
grain mites yeah they will indeed infect an entire colony. its terrible. i keep mine sitting on a light dusting of Diatomaceous earth. dangerous game, dont let it touch any of your bugs or ts. if it doesnt though, its fine. ive kept all my cultures grain mite free all year with this method.

for sure the frass makes me sneeze, but its not too big a deal. its more common to get allergic to crickets or roaches.

 

[JonnyTorch]

I don't even bother feeding the superworms or worry about them. You can buy them for a couple dollars for 50 of them.. and they can live like 6 months in their containers you buy them in - they have a long "shelf life."
By the time they would start to pupate or die.. they will have been long fed off to my tarantulas.

 

[JacquelynBiggs]

Grain mites do not happen unless there is enough moisture for them. To prevent them, do not over feed your superworms. Only give them what they can eat in a day or two if you have the time to check on them every other day or so. Overfeeding keeps moisture in the oats for too long. The moisture makes grain mites hatch. You can also bake or freeze the oats first if you want to help prevent them. I freeze all of my items i put in enclosures now just in case.

I have had grain mites before when being an early keeper/breeder of mealworms and they are incredibly attracted to moisture. In the event you do somehow get them, you can place small containers of water near or inside an enclosure. They will swarm it and drown themselves. They will look like a thin layer of yellow dust but if you stare at it long enough, you will see them move. They move incredibly slowly.

You can also buy hypoaspis mites to eat them for a quick way to be rid of them.

In general, as long as the oats you use are kept very dry and you feed your worms only what they need at a time, the mites can not survive. They require moisture.

As far sensitivities. I found after nearly a year of trying to build colonies, i am highly highly allergic to mealworms and superworms. I was fine when i first got them. A small amount doesnt seem to bother me. As i began to get my colonies in the thousands however, i was so sick any time i sifted sizes or cleaned the bins. I would be unable to function properly for days afterword. It took me a bit to realize why i was so sick all the time since i already have a slew of dibilitating medical problems. I had already a major shellfish allergy and after a lot of research it is likely if you are allergic to shellfish, you will probably also be allergic to mealworms and superworms. I am not sure if i was allergic to frass per say or the exoskeletons from shed because those would break up almost into a powder and mix among my bran and their frass.

 

[joossa]

Thanks, all, for the info. Appreciate it!

My small batch of 50 has been doing well so far.