Super worms, can eat plastic?

[Ultum4Spiderz]

If personally never feed them it but interesting article I saw on them. Nor would I suggest doing it.

"Superworms" Can Happily Eat Polystyrene, Offering Help To Plastic Problem

Wiggly bugs typically sold in pet shops as lizard food have revealed a hidden talent.

www.iflscience.com

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Nice, if I ever keep superworms again I'm feeding them plastic lol

 

[BoyFromLA]

If you ever lose a superworm in Exo Terra Nano enclosure with a form background, you will surely witness this. I know because I did.

 

[The Snailkeeper]

A few months back I actually bought a colony of superworms and fed them on a giant hunk of styrofoam. There were no casualties whatsoever and the foam was a fine dust within a few months. While I would never recommend feeding these worms to any creature, they certainly can thrive off of plastic.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

A few months back I actually bought a colony of superworms and fed them on a giant hunk of styrofoam. There were no casualties whatsoever and the foam was a fine dust within a few months. While I would never recommend feeding these worms to any creature, they certainly can thrive off of plastic.

Do you keep them as pets? Interesting.

 

[The Snailkeeper]

Do you keep them as pets? Interesting.

I kept a colony for quite some time originally as feeders but eventually I switched to roaches and started to care for them as pets more than anything. When I gave them the plastic you could hear their gnawing from across the room!

 

[Arachnophobphile]

That would drive me insane listening to the gnawing. Almost as bad as listening to the freakin crickets chirping non-stop.

 

[The Snailkeeper]

That would drive me insane listening to the gnawing. Almost as bad as listening to the freakin crickets chirping non-stop.

I hate crickets, dirty and noisy. One time I had a mass die-off and maggots came to inhabit the pile of carcasses. Ever since then I've used dubia nymphs for feeding my inverts.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

I use crickets from time to time but I prefer roaches. Crickets are hard for me to deal with for the same reasons. I used B. lateralis and now using E. posticus.

Going to get more dubia later and looking for another large roach like posticus.

E. posticus are just too stinky. They secret an awful smell when disturbed, it's nauseating. Even had one shoot butt juice at me once.

 

[The Snailkeeper]

Have you tried madagascar hissing cockroaches as feeders? I have a few as pets but I've never attempted to breed them. I've heard that they are quite easily bred and are certainly good and plump food sources (if they aren't too big, that is).

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Hisses are more for T's 8 inches and up. Some might argue 9 and up inches.

The biggest T I have right now is a beefy 6 inch terrestrial. Hisses are too big for her. E. posticus is a big roach but not near as big as a hisser.

 

[The Snailkeeper]

Fair. I'm not the best with measurement and I've never seen posticus in person before. Good luck with your hunt for feeders!

 

[The Snark]

@HooahArmy Speaking of eating plastics, a puzzler for you. What is the plastic insulation that rats love to chew on? Right now a rat plague in coastal Queensland with entire towns vehicles wiring chewed to shreds.

 

[HooahArmy]

@HooahArmy Speaking of eating plastics, a puzzler for you. What is the plastic insulation that rats love to chew on? Right now a rat plague in coastal Queensland with entire towns vehicles wiring chewed to shreds.

Howdy Snark!
Rats primarily nibble on insulations for the pupose of gathering nesting material. They don't eat it but will use anything insulating and soft for their nests. From what I've researched online, any soft insulation (except for fiberglass and other irritating ones) are game for their little shenanigans. Rats and mice will also aim for paper, shred soft woods, or even shred plastic sheeting. These little dickens also have teeth that continuously grow (for all you readers who don't know). They need to nibble to keep the teeth short and enjoy the sensation of chewing on something soft and rubbery or hard and flaky for mouthfeels and to keep their teeth in check. Soft plastics like wires are fun to satisfy gnawing needs, while woods and harder plastics work to keep the teeth short.
I have a small gang of pet mice at my house, and when free ranging, they will gnaw anything and everything. How I keep them away from what I don't want them to touch? Peppermint oil, citrus oil, pepper oil. Anything I rub these on will not be nibbled. With the citrus, I smear a crushed citrus peel. For the pepper and peppermint oil, I buy culinary grade or an essential oil. The smell deters the critters and the hot oil in particular make the mice go BLEH! I use hot oil on the wiring in my vehicle, spraying it under my hood. Rats love to chew up my outdoor vehicles, but since I started that good old Chinese restaurant hot stuff... no bites!

 

[The Snark]

Peppermint oil, citrus oil, pepper oil.

I've been using naphthalene under the hood of the car. Seems to work. I wonder if wasabi would do the job? I did use 1% BKC but got stupid and sprayed the stuff. Sinuses are still trashed months later. If I manage to find a rat nest - other than in the vehicle, I'm going chemical warfare on them.

 

[HooahArmy]

Ooh, naptha will give a good stink! I'm glad it works! I'm not sure about wasabi, though. I know that stuff dries and might flake off. Anything oil-based lasts for nearly forever.

 

[Frogdaddy]

New diet for superworms!

Not recommend for feeders. Interesting though. https://www.plasticstoday.com/sustainability/superworms-make-meal-polystyrene

arachnoboards.com

This is old news.
I'm still looking for investors on this project. All we need is a few hundred billion superworms and we can monopolize the market on plastic waste management.