# Mealworms etc



## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

I want to try my Crestie on different live foods, he/she won't eat crickets or locusts. My friend told me that if you don't mash mealworms up enough they will start eating the gecko's stomach. Does anyone know if this is true or is my friend just winding me up?


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

I don't keep cresties but I do keep many other species of gecko and have for many years. I don't think your friend is deliberately winding you up. This idea of mealworms eating their way out of a lizards stomach is a very widespread myth. And that is what it is - a myth. It won't happen.


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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

jools said:


> I don't keep cresties but I do keep many other species of gecko and have for many years. I don't think your friend is deliberately winding you up. This idea of mealworms eating their way out of a lizards stomach is a very widespread myth. And that is what it is - a myth. It won't happen.


I thought that was the case, thanks Jools.


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## vukic (Apr 9, 2010)

Have you tired it on roaches.

James

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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

vukic said:


> Have you tired it on roaches.
> 
> James
> 
> Sent from my LT18i using Tapatalk 2


No, I haven't, what kind do you think are best?


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## vukic (Apr 9, 2010)

firefly19 said:


> No, I haven't, what kind do you think are best?



dubia's are most common feeder along side turkistan roaches - blatter lateralis

dubia's are easiest, bigger, slower, but slower growth and breeding.. turkistans need slightly higher humidity for the eggs to hatch and seem faster breeders... as well as in general speed and growth... i started with 1800 nymphs and 50 adult turks and they're booming! best to start a colony to feed from... you won't have to buy live food again.. lol...


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

also when feeding locust, it might be a good idea to leave a couple in over night, some of my cresties refuse to eat when i am standing around 

just leave a little bit of fresh fruit or veg in you are scared of them nibbling at your pet


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## RhacodactyBoy (Jun 19, 2011)

i personally don't feed meal worms to my cresties and i wouldn't recommend it either. they are of no nutritional value what so ever, theres to much chitin and they absorb to much protein and is detrimental to calcium production. 

i will try and find a link to a study i read on meal worms as feeder food, it was a brilliant article and your much better off feeding crickets, locusts, dubias etc 

again if you leave some locusts or crickets in with them they will eat them. only feed like twice a week its good for a natural diet and stimulates hunting so just leave them in there 

oh and regarding the whole eating out of the body - yes its true, ive seen it first hand and heard many stories - it is mainly the larger giant mealworms that are known for it but ive always been taught if your gunna feed them then squish the heads before you feed them. ive seen autopsy's and have found exit holes where the mealies burrowed out. 

so in all i would just stay clear

hope this helps


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## Alpine (May 8, 2013)

It's true on the mealworms. My mum lost a Water dragon & Chameleon the same way  one day they both got ill and after checking them over we found small exit holes where they were burrowing their way out of them. 

I would never choose to feed any future reps mealworms unless they were stills after my experience with them.


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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

vukic said:


> dubia's are most common feeder along side turkistan roaches - blatter lateralis
> 
> dubia's are easiest, bigger, slower, but slower growth and breeding.. turkistans need slightly higher humidity for the eggs to hatch and seem faster breeders... as well as in general speed and growth... i started with 1800 nymphs and 50 adult turks and they're booming! best to start a colony to feed from... you won't have to buy live food again.. lol...


Thanks, vukic, I'll look into these.


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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

imitebmike said:


> also when feeding locust, it might be a good idea to leave a couple in over night, some of my cresties refuse to eat when i am standing around
> 
> just leave a little bit of fresh fruit or veg in you are scared of them nibbling at your pet


Sounds like a plan, I'll try that tonight.


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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

mroberts531 said:


> i personally don't feed meal worms to my cresties and i wouldn't recommend it either. they are of no nutritional value what so ever, theres to much chitin and they absorb to much protein and is detrimental to calcium production.
> 
> i will try and find a link to a study i read on meal worms as feeder food, it was a brilliant article and your much better off feeding crickets, locusts, dubias etc
> 
> ...


Hi, mroberts531, yes that helps a lot. Should I put food in the viv for the locusts/crickets? Thanks very much, I appreciate the advice. Now I'm off to apologise to my friend.


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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

Alpine said:


> It's true on the mealworms. My mum lost a Water dragon & Chameleon the same way  one day they both got ill and after checking them over we found small exit holes where they were burrowing their way out of them.
> 
> I would never choose to feed any future reps mealworms unless they were stills after my experience with them.


Hi, Alpine, thanks for the info, I think I owe my friend an apology.


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## Alpine (May 8, 2013)

No worries, I wish it wasn't true but unfortunately it is. I have had first hand experience and seen what damage they can do if they're not chewed properly.

They were both taken to the vets and it was confirmed for us that it was caused by mealworms burrowing their way out after not being chewed properly. We had no idea at the time.


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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

Alpine said:


> No worries, I wish it wasn't true but unfortunately it is. I have had first hand experience and seen what damage they can do if they're not chewed properly.
> 
> They were both taken to the vets and it was confirmed for us that it was caused by mealworms burrowing their way out after not being chewed properly. We had no idea at the time.


Urgggh, sounds horrible, thanks very much for telling me, Alpine. It would break my heart if anything happened to my little crestie.


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## RhacodactyBoy (Jun 19, 2011)

firefly19 said:


> Hi, mroberts531, yes that helps a lot. Should I put food in the viv for the locusts/crickets? Thanks very much, I appreciate the advice. Now I'm off to apologise to my friend.


No you dont lol just chuck a few in every couple of days.

Do you feed them and water them before? do you do any gut loading? 

I keep all mine in different tubs and i feed and water them i look after them just like i would my crestie lol make sure they are healthy afterall they are food my cresties so i only want the best lol I use repashy bug burger to gut load and sometimes just normal repashy cgd and i give some fruit aswell to mix it up. and then i feed them to my cresties


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

I'm sorry to spoil the party here, but first of all:

Mealworms are far from nutrition-free. They are actually quite a good feeder food. I would, however, advise a mixed diet, as it's never a good idea to just feed one food item. The chitin content of mealworm larvae is not particularly high - it is a common mistake made to quote the adult beetle chitin content, which is much higher.

Mealworms do not eat their way out of reptiles. Even if not chewed properly, the mealworm will not survive very long inside the acidic soup that will dissolve it in the stomach. What you may have seen is loose mealworms trying to eat their way in, though! That is avoidable if you put the mealworms in a bowl or dish so that they are not loose. It shouldn't happen to a healthy animal anyway, as they would move and/or eat the mealworm before any damage was done.

I'd be careful - you could find one lying alongside you, sizing you up..... :lol2:


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## vukic (Apr 9, 2010)

Jeffers3 said:


> I'm sorry to spoil the party here, but first of all:
> 
> Mealworms are far from nutrition-free. They are actually quite a good feeder food. I would, however, advise a mixed diet, as it's never a good idea to just feed one food item. The chitin content of mealworm larvae is not particularly high - it is a common mistake made to quote the adult beetle chitin content, which is much higher.
> 
> ...


These were my thoughts when you see you lizard scoffing them.back.. The stomach acid in humans can dissolve metal, and I can't imagine a lizards being too different?? 

Tiger

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## legallyblonde (May 13, 2013)

Jeffers3 said:


> I'm sorry to spoil the party here, but first of all:
> 
> Mealworms are far from nutrition-free. They are actually quite a good feeder food. I would, however, advise a mixed diet, as it's never a good idea to just feed one food item. The chitin content of mealworm larvae is not particularly high - it is a common mistake made to quote the adult beetle chitin content, which is much higher.
> 
> ...



I think a Morio worm was sizing me up last night... it looked pretty vicious.. :whistling2:

I second this; mixed diet and its ok to feed treats now and then, plus if you only feed one thing they'll be stubborn when you want to feed something else in the future.


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## legallyblonde (May 13, 2013)

Alpine said:


> No worries, I wish it wasn't true but unfortunately it is. I have had first hand experience and seen what damage they can do if they're not chewed properly.
> 
> They were both taken to the vets and it was confirmed for us that it was caused by mealworms burrowing their way out after not being chewed properly. We had no idea at the time.


I am not trying to argue with anyone but I just don't see how this is physically possible? Meal worms and maggots etc will feed on decaying animals of all types... my meal worms are currently devouring a dead locust... but thats another story after my mother dropped it in the wrong pot :whistling2:

They would simply not survive, even if swallowed whole with no chewing they'd get broken up by the acid. It would be possible burrowing in, I suppose, if there was like a gaping wound but really if its that serious the lizard isn't going to survive anyway, and if an animal is left for ages with insects well then they will feed off the decaying animal. A healthy animal isn't going to sit there and let something eat at its underbelly... even beardies aren't that lazy.


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## Grumble and Grouch (Mar 19, 2013)

firefly19 said:


> Hi, mroberts531, yes that helps a lot. Should I put food in the viv for the locusts/crickets? Thanks very much, I appreciate the advice. Now I'm off to apologise to my friend.



Crickets might have a nibble of a gecko if they're hungry and big enough to do so. Some years ago a leopard gecko of mine was certainly nibbled on before I realised the risk. I usually stick a small piece of fruit in the viv now when feeding crickets just to be on the safe side.


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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

Grumble and Grouch said:


> Crickets might have a nibble of a gecko if they're hungry and big enough to do so. Some years ago a leopard gecko of mine was certainly nibbled on before I realised the risk. I usually stick a small piece of fruit in the viv now when feeding crickets just to be on the safe side.


Good advice, I'll do that.


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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

mroberts531 said:


> No you dont lol just chuck a few in every couple of days.
> 
> Do you feed them and water them before? do you do any gut loading?
> 
> I keep all mine in different tubs and i feed and water them i look after them just like i would my crestie lol make sure they are healthy afterall they are food my cresties so i only want the best lol I use repashy bug burger to gut load and sometimes just normal repashy cgd and i give some fruit aswell to mix it up. and then i feed them to my cresties


I do feed and water them, I usually use Bug Gel in place of water. I've never heard of Repashy Bug Burger, could I get it online? I mix Repashy with water or mashed up mango. What fruit do you use?


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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

Grumble and Grouch said:


> Crickets might have a nibble of a gecko if they're hungry and big enough to do so. Some years ago a leopard gecko of mine was certainly nibbled on before I realised the risk. I usually stick a small piece of fruit in the viv now when feeding crickets just to be on the safe side.


Thanks, that sounds like a good idea, I usually feed crickets pieces of apple. Is that ok?


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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

Jeffers3 said:


> I'm sorry to spoil the party here, but first of all:
> 
> Mealworms are far from nutrition-free. They are actually quite a good feeder food. I would, however, advise a mixed diet, as it's never a good idea to just feed one food item. The chitin content of mealworm larvae is not particularly high - it is a common mistake made to quote the adult beetle chitin content, which is much higher.
> 
> ...


Thanks, Jeffers, I'll watch out for the giant ones, they would have to be big to eat me LOL


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## Grumble and Grouch (Mar 19, 2013)

firefly19 said:


> Thanks, that sounds like a good idea, I usually feed crickets pieces of apple. Is that ok?


Citrus, pineapple and banana shouldn't be used but I think apple is okay. I usually try stuff cresties might like to nibble on just in case they fancy some too!


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## legallyblonde (May 13, 2013)

Grumble and Grouch said:


> Citrus, pineapple and banana shouldn't be used but I think apple is okay. I usually try stuff cresties might like to nibble on just in case they fancy some too!


Just make sure apple is peeled and should only be a treat... my girls love papaya :2thumb:


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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

Grumble and Grouch said:


> Citrus, pineapple and banana shouldn't be used but I think apple is okay. I usually try stuff cresties might like to nibble on just in case they fancy some too!


Thanks, Grumble, crickets love cucumber too, don't know if cresties would eat that, being as it's veg and not fruit.


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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

legallyblonde said:


> Just make sure apple is peeled and should only be a treat... my girls love papaya :2thumb:


Good point, legallyblonde, my little crestie doesn't seem to like papaya. He/she likes mango better.


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## vukic (Apr 9, 2010)

firefly19 said:


> Thanks, Grumble, crickets love cucumber too, don't know if cresties would eat that, being as it's veg and not fruit.


Cucumber's are fruit... And so are tomatoes... :-D

Tiger

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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

vukic said:


> Cucumber's are fruit... And so are tomatoes... :-D
> 
> Tiger
> 
> Sent from my LT18i using Tapatalk 2


Really? I always thought tomatoes and cucumber were salad vegetables. Does this mean that cresties would or could eat them?


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## vukic (Apr 9, 2010)

Na, They are fruit.. So are pumpkins.. Lol..

I'm not sure, I would have thought so... 

Tiger

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## firefly19 (Apr 18, 2013)

vukic said:


> Na, They are fruit.. So are pumpkins.. Lol..
> 
> I'm not sure, I would have thought so...
> 
> ...


Thanks, I'll research it and let you know.


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## Andysmith06 (Feb 24, 2013)

vegetables are a seed, fruits are anything that has seeds in it  i think lol


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