Problems with feeding superworms.

[amberlecemu]

I've recently begun to feed my T(B.Boehmei) superworms, cos the local pet store ran out of crickets. Problem is they burrow like mad once they hit the substrate, and i think there are 3 living inside the substrate already. I've resorted to putting the worms close to my T, but sometimes she lets them go.

Will the superworms pose a problem later, like when they die and rot inside the substrate, causing a mould/mite problem? What should I do?

Another question,

What do cricket or superworm remains look like and where should u look for them? I've done some casual looking around but I can't seem to find any remains of my T's food or I just don't know what to look for. I've heard people remove them to hinder the possibility of moulds/parasites.

 

[wicked]

The leftover crickets my Ts leave behind look like little dry, light colored chunks of substrate. My A chalcodes leaves his all in a neat little pile in the back of the tank, my other Ts just seem to leave them wherever or dump them in the water dish.

I haven't tried superworms but am wondering if a very shallow dish would be the answer to the burrowing? I have also heard the rare story of superworms coming up and burrowing into a molting T. You may want to try and fish the little buggers out of there or maybe crush their heads when you put them in the tank. Hope this helps.

 

[bonesmama]

I HATE those things! I call them "TREMORS'--ever see those movies? LOL. Wicked's right-try putting them in a shallow dish, they go straight to the bottom, they are really hard to find.

 

[SavageDigital]

Will the superworms pose a problem later, like when they die and rot inside the substrate, causing a mould/mite problem? What should I do?

Within weeks, they will reemerge as beetles and I can’t see them being a problem (just remove them). Any dead and decaying matter is of course a different issue…but so far that's not been the case with any lost SuperWorms.

 

[Mina]

Just a thought, I dont' know if this is true or not, but when I was working at Petsmart, they told us we couldn't feed any of the lizards superworms because if the lizard didn't crush the head of the worm and then ate it, the worm could eat its way out of the lizard. I haven't fed any to my T's because of that. I don't know if they could injure the T's or not, but I didn't want to take any chances.

 

[MindUtopia]

Just a thought, I dont' know if this is true or not, but when I was working at Petsmart, they told us we couldn't feed any of the lizards superworms because if the lizard didn't crush the head of the worm and then ate it, the worm could eat its way out of the lizard. I haven't fed any to my T's because of that. I don't know if they could injure the T's or not, but I didn't want to take any chances.

I've never heard that, but really for a T to eat the worm, i.e. in order for it to fit down the tube, it has to be chewed. So its no where near intact when it goes down, so nothing to worry about. I personally hate superworms and I think the only way to really feed with them is to hold them with tweezers until your T attacks and kills them. I've tried the dish trick but they always crawl out. The only ones I use them for are some of my arboreals because they can be placed right in the web much easier than a hoppy jumpy cricket. If they do hatch, you'll want to get the worm skin out of there, but if the T meets the beetle along the way it will just eat it, though still I wouldn't leave them in there if you can help it.

 

[edesign]

Within weeks, they will reemerge as beetles and I can’t see them being a problem (just remove them). Any dead and decaying matter is of course a different issue…but so far that's not been the case with any lost SuperWorms.

not a problem unless the T is molting...not sure about superworm beetles, but some beetles are carnivorous scavengers and a molting T might make a nice treat. Same with crickets...never leave them in the tank during a molt.

 

[Buspirone]

The most likely situation to occur would be for a superworm to pupate in the substrate and emerge as a beetle when your tarantula is molting and injure or kill it during that delicate time. Superworms can bite hard but very, very rarely do. That is a myth about them eating their way out of a lizard's stomach. The myth may be due to a weakend/sick herp who was kept too cold died while trying to excrete a semi/un-digested superworm and it appeared to be poking out the deceased animal's vent.

When I fed superworms I would crush their heads with a large pair of tweezers. When you get good at this you will manage to have a writhing prey item that rarely burrows and if it isn't eaten right away will die shortly after but intially you may kill a few immediately. A shallow dish doesn't work well as superworms are pretty good climbers and a dish deep enough to contain them either deters the spider, poses a risk from a fall during the intitial struggle or the spider fails to sense the worms(s) altogether.

IMO, The major concern with superworms if you don't raise them yourself or aren't experienced or knowledgable enough to make a distinction is that your local pet store may be selling you a larva that isn't a superworm. Superworms are Zoophobas morio but normal mealworms and Giant Mealworms are Tenebrio molitor. You will see 3 common names used for larger sized larva in pet stores....Superworm, Kingworm and Giant Mealworm.The three common names are interchangable in many pet shops for any large sized larva although KingWorm is generally used mostly in bait shops I've seen all three names in use at various pet stores over the years in my area. The potential problem is that Giant Mealworms have been treated with a pesticide that is considered detrimental only to invertebrates. Since the majority of pet stores are selling these feeders for reptiles, fish, birds and small mammals they have no concerns over the fact that that these feeders are treated at all.

Giant MealWorms are Tenebrio molitor that have been treated with a chemical/hormone that is used primarily for pest control of flies. This treatment prevents the larva from maturing into a fly or beetle. It also inceases the number of times the larva will molt resulting in a larger than normal sized larva, hence the Giant Mealworm. These treated worms will die when they attempt to pupate and the small number that do manage to survive and turn into beetles are sterile. The last I heard no one has verified whether or not Giant Mealworms retain any trace levels of this pesticide during their truncated life cycle and if they do then does this trace amount, if it exists, pose any risk to the predatory invertebrates we maintain if they are fed these treated larva. Will it cause molting issues or will it effect the fertility of a potential breeder? You can see how this would be a concern for an invertebrate enthusiast. As a precaution I avoid feeding Giant Mealworms since I've never been able to get any definitive answers regarding the issue.

The most obvious difference between Superworms and Giant Mealworms is that Giant Mealworms will tolerate/survive being refridgerated while superworms will die.

 

[Mina]

The most likely situation to occur would be for a superworm to pupate in the substrate and emerge as a beetle when your tarantula is molting and injure or kill it during that delicate time. Superworms can bite hard but very, very rarely do. That is a myth about them eating their way out of a lizard's stomach. The myth may be due to a weakend/sick herp who was kept too cold died while trying to excrete a semi/un-digested superworm and it appeared to be poking out the deceased animal's vent.

Thanks for the facts, I wasn't sure but that is what I was told. My only adult T won't eat mealworms, but will eat waxworms. I guess it is just preference.

 

[amberlecemu]

MANx!!!

ya I tried with a deep dish, but my T doesn't seem to want to eat it, or like u said, the superworm isn't detectable. My T's been pacing around all over the terrarium ground+walls taking short breaks in between, she only does tt when she's hungry so I naturally gave her a superworm to eat, put in front of her. She wasn't at all interested, n the worm burrowed into the substrate. I've seen her eat 3 at one go when I first got the superworms.

What does this mean? It doesn't want to eat them anymore? or is it going into post moult. Do Ts pace around when they're gonna moult? I checked its abdomen, but it doesn't show signs of darkening. My T hasn't moulted since I got it too in the beginning of January.

I'm gonna dig out all those superworms tomorrow and go hunt for crickets. Meanwhile I'll try putting a superworm in the fridge for an hour and see if its really a superworm.

 

[Bigboy]

You can actually use a small dish for feeding superworms, and if your T is an agressive feeder then dropping them directly onto it should result in a quick response pounce.

 

[Buspirone]

MANx!!!

ya I tried with a deep dish, but my T doesn't seem to want to eat it, or like u said, the superworm isn't detectable. My T's been pacing around all over the terrarium ground+walls taking short breaks in between, she only does tt when she's hungry so I naturally gave her a superworm to eat, put in front of her. She wasn't at all interested, n the worm burrowed into the substrate. I've seen her eat 3 at one go when I first got the superworms.

What does this mean? It doesn't want to eat them anymore? or is it going into post moult. Do Ts pace around when they're gonna moult? I checked its abdomen, but it doesn't show signs of darkening. My T hasn't moulted since I got it too in the beginning of January.

I'm gonna dig out all those superworms tomorrow and go hunt for crickets. Meanwhile I'll try putting a superworm in the fridge for an hour and see if its really a superworm.

More than likely you are over feeding and the tarantula is gorged and isn't hungry. I'm not familiar with you and your experience/knowledge level(post count means practically nothing) but pretty much every one over feeds their Ts at first. It could also be pre-molt. Keep the water dish full and lay off feedings for a couple weeks and try again.

 

[Mattyb]

I hate super wurms. IME they burrow, then turn into those black beetles. I'll stick with crickets.


-Matty

 

[Buspirone]

I hate super wurms. IME they burrow, then turn into those black beetles. I'll stick with crickets.


-Matty

......and crickets pale in comparison to clean, odorless and quiet tropical roaches.