Mealworms Unhealthy?

Georges Simp Pierre

Arachnopeon
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Aug 2, 2020
Messages
43
I was recently told on a tarantula facebook group that mealworms are like junk food for Ts and should only be fed occasionally, I've also heard this from various other sources as well. Mealworms form the staple diet of all my inverts as they keep so easily in the fridge and as the expertise level is probably highest here, are mealworms the equivalent of cheeseburgers to tarantulas?
 

Vanessa

Grammostola Groupie
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Mar 12, 2016
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Mealworms and superworms are very nutritionally sound. They are more 'dense' than crickets, and have less indigestible parts, so you probably need to feed less of them. Feeding too much of ANY food, and making your tarantula obese, is not a good idea. Whoever is saying that is absolutely ridiculous and you should request that they cite their source. I will guarantee you that they won't be able to.


Screenshot 2020-10-28 095616.jpg
 

Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
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Nov 7, 2018
Messages
498
People on FB groups will basically say anything. I have one T who will ONLY eat mealworms (she refuses anything else) and she's perfectly fine.
 

Vanessa

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Firstly, in order to make a statement regarding their nutritional needs, you have to know exactly what their nutritional needs are. And, unless I have missed something, nobody has determined that yet. Otherwise, they are just guessing what those needs are based upon other animals.
Secondly, overfeeding is a huge issue in this hobby, but overfeeding can be accomplished using every insect as a feeder. If your spider is too chubby, just stop feeding them. Or, at least, slow down feeding them.
I would give anything for mine to eat superworms exclusively. Unfortunately, I was only ever able to get about 25% of mine to eat them with consistency.
 
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Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
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498
Firstly, in order to make a statement regarding their nutritional needs, you have to know exactly what their nutritional needs are. And, unless I have missed something, nobody has determined that yet. Otherwise, they are just guessing what those needs are based upon other animals.
Secondly, overfeeding is a huge issue in this hobby, but overfeeding can be accomplished using every insect as a feeder. If your spider is too chubby, just stop feeding them. Or, at least, slow down feeding them.
I would give anything for mine to eat superworms exclusively. Unfortunately, I was only ever able to get about 25% of mine to eat them with consistency.
I'm confused at your wording. I never said that my spider was overweight, nor that I knew her exact nutritional needs. I was simply saying that people on FB invert groups hardly know what they're saying.
 

Almadabes

Arachnoknight
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Sep 20, 2020
Messages
163
Personally, I think a variety of feeders is probably the healthiest thing you can do.
Yes, we don't know anything about their required nutritional needs. When that data comes out, I am 100% willing to feed them the "right thing".
For me atleast in the meantime, I prefer to change it up each feeding if I can, but I don't go out of my way. Some of my T's have only had mealworms so far because of the size and ease of feeding, I'm not worried about it.
 

Vanessa

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I'm confused at your wording. I never said that my spider was overweight, nor that I knew her exact nutritional needs. I was simply saying that people on FB invert groups hardly know what they're saying.
I was just commenting in general. It wasn't directed at you personally.
 

XxSpiderQueenxX

Arachnobaron
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Feb 14, 2019
Messages
321
Mealworms and superworms are very nutritionally sound. They are more 'dense' than crickets, and have less indigestible parts, so you probably need to feed less of them. Feeding too much of ANY food, and making your tarantula obese, is not a good idea. Whoever is saying that is absolutely ridiculous and you should request that they cite their source. I will guarantee you that they won't be able to.
I agree with this. For reptiles, mealworms are not the best as a staple because they cause impaction, but for ts and most inverts, they are completely fine! :)
 

Jesse607

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
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Dec 29, 2002
Messages
715
For whatever reason (or ignorance) people think what applies to reptiles and amphibians and other animals, applies to tarantulas/invertebrates as well. It may be something they heard from a reptile/amphibian hobbyist and assumed it applied to everything. I have never kept reptiles or amphibians so I can't even vouch if it is true for them even.
 

CommanderBacon

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 21, 2018
Messages
498
Meal worms are great. I love to toss 'em an old manky carrot from the bottom of the crisper and have them stay alive for 10,000 years.

I've fed almost all of my Ts off of a colony of mealworms I accidentally made by forgetting about a container of free mealworms I got from the Reptile Super Show in January 2019. It has been almost two years since I got those bad boys. We're on either the third of fourth generation of them, at this point.

Sure, I mix it up with a batch of crickets or dubias from time to time, but mealworms are so easy to care for and 100% less gross.
 

cold blood

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Firstly, in order to make a statement regarding their nutritional needs, you have to know exactly what their nutritional needs are. And, unless I have missed something, nobody has determined that yet
Exactly, this is what I always tell people when they speak of a ts nutritional needs.

There has never been any evidence that any one food source is unhealthy with regards to the common hobby feeders (fruit flies excluded). When you hear nutritional aspects regarding feeders, these values are all about reptiles needs usually.

Meal worms are fine and ts eating them are perfectly healthy and have been for over 50 years....back in the day, they were the main feeder for all ts.
 

Almadabes

Arachnoknight
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Messages
163
There has never been any evidence that any one food source is unhealthy with regards to the common hobby feeders (fruit flies excluded).
So whats the deal with fruit flies?

I've long debated getting some to see my tiny shy slings do a take-down.
But I've never gotten them cause I hear they're annoying to deal with and don't carry any nutrition. I've stuck with mealworm / roach chunks.
Is it true they're just empty calories or is there something bad about feeding them specifically?
 

CommanderBacon

Arachnobaron
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May 21, 2018
Messages
498
So whats the deal with fruit flies?

I've long debated getting some to see my tiny shy slings do a take-down.
But I've never gotten them cause I hear they're annoying to deal with and don't carry any nutrition. I've stuck with mealworm / roach chunks.
Is it true they're just empty calories or is there something bad about feeding them specifically?
If they don't carry any nutrition, I'd think that my hunstman babies would not have grown at all, and let me tell you, those leggy bois got FAT off of some Drosophila hydei and are now big enough to take down all sorts of crazy stuff.

They were fine for my tiny tarantula slings, as well.
 
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