# Mealworm warning!!!!!



## FOREST FLOOR (Nov 3, 2009)

Hate to say it but I recently made a big mistake which cost 4 spiderlings their lives!
I had 5 Lampropelma violaceps slings with approx 2cm leg span, I have had them a few months and have always gave them small crickets, however, this particular time I had run out of small crickets and so I gae them a MINI Mealworm each, I had used these for OBT slings in the past with good results so I didnt think anything of it. Well, I went to bed and left them to eat.
In the morning I always check my animals and so I looked in on the violaceps, the first one was ok, it had a fat abdomen so I assume the mealworm was a good meal, however, the other 4 tubs had 4 mealworms in them and a few spider legs spread here and there:gasp:
It appears that the mini mealworms were not eaten straight away so they must have attacked and ate the slings.
In 22 years of keeping spiders I have never had this happen, I have heard stories, but I always feed appropriate sized feeder insects and these slings were more than large enough for a Mini mealworm.
Please take this as a warning, this was my fault, one which I will never do again as the mealworms have now been fed to wild birds.
Gutted.


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

I hate meal worms i really do they always seem quite aggressive. Am sorry about your loss


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## Jozza85 (Feb 28, 2011)

So sorry to read this, really wouldnt have thought a mini mealie would attack an win over a sling


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## Amber (Jun 11, 2006)

What a hard way to learn that lesson. 

Surprised though, I'd have thought they might try it when the tarantula is molting, but not when they are lively, and not 4 in one night.


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

oh no, that's awful. Mealworms are evil little things, I always squish their heads.


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

I'm genuinely surprised that could even happen, what a shame.


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## kris74 (May 10, 2011)

GRB said:


> I'm genuinely surprised that could even happen, what a shame.


I've always been under the impression that you have to make sure the spider takes the mealworm and not leave it in there unless it does for that very reason. I was told this by Michael Mann years ago when I got my 1st spider. It's awful to actually find out that they will destroy spiders though. 

Sorry to hear that mate, total sickener to lose 4 slings that way


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## SpiderStore (May 25, 2011)

Unfortunately experienced this too, they can eat the sling while its moulting... we lost a few cambridgei this way.


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## Pookie Bear (Jun 21, 2011)

Oh my! Mealworms are detestable beasts. I tend to watch mine when I drop them in and remove them if they aren't eaten within a short time-frame, or chop them into pieces.


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## violentchopper (Jun 20, 2008)

That's sad to hear mate. I've seen my beardie throw up a morio worm head and it's still moving. Evil things


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## Lucky Eddie (Oct 7, 2009)

I am not surprised.

Mealworms eat their own pupae. That's why I have never fed them to spids without squishing the head first.


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## Dr3d (Jul 31, 2010)

I have had this happen with black crickets and they have taken a adult desert scorp and one of my lugardi.... its a dam shame but I'm pleased you have shared this as now I will be very careful feeding mealworms to my collection.... I'm heading towards the idea if they dont take the food items straight off then I wont be leaving anything in with them.... regards Noel


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## VenomX51 (Mar 8, 2010)

Sad when this happens. 
I had a G. pulchra moult the same night I got it and a meal worm finished it off. Never used mealworms since.


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## kris74 (May 10, 2011)

Dr3d said:


> I have had this happen with black crickets and they have taken a adult desert scorp and one of my lugardi.... its a dam shame but I'm pleased you have shared this as now I will be very careful feeding mealworms to my collection.... I'm heading towards the idea if they dont take the food items straight off then I wont be leaving anything in with them.... regards Noel


This is one of the reasons I've mainly fed locust to mine over the years. Locusts are the dumbest none aggressive things I've come across and they don't make my skin crawl. Sometimes the cat would get in on the act until he puked green crap all over one day, never been interested in them since ha.


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## stienbabe (Sep 21, 2008)

Mini mealworms are pure evil. I bought them once 4 years ago and I cannot get rid of them, they are everywhere. They even chewed a hole in the dewlap of my 6ft iguana. They will kill and eat just about anything.


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## perthchickie (Mar 15, 2008)

Me too, I always pinch the heads with my forceps

An after your sad story Lisa about one of your slings being eaten by a cricket, the crickets get the same:lol2:



garlicpickle said:


> oh no, that's awful. Mealworms are evil little things, I always squish their heads.


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

I had a _Tapinauchenius elenae_ sling arrive in the post that'd been eaten by a mini mealworm. I dunno if the sling had just died in the post and been eaten post-mortem (as the seller assured me) or if it was moulting and got eaten. Maybe it just got attacked by one then.

Either way: roaches ftw.


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## G18241 (Feb 28, 2009)

If i ever have to resort to mealworms for my spiders i make sure they dont have much of a head left as well 

Sorry for your loss dude, feels poo when you feel its your fault


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## shelby (Oct 11, 2005)

sorry to hear this.
if i ever use mealworms i always remove the head first.


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