# mealworms for crested gecko



## brickdagecko (May 12, 2011)

wondering how do u guys feed your cresties meal worms, should i hand feed them or put them in the food bowl and will my crestie take them from the bowl, also how many shall i feed my crestie:2thumb:


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## Chris18 (Mar 22, 2009)

brickdagecko said:


> wondering how do u guys feed your cresties meal worms, should i hand feed them or put them in the food bowl and will my crestie take them from the bowl, also how many shall i feed my crestie:2thumb:


If you have a Magnatural feeding ledge I put mine in the little bowls and they just pick them out, if not just put a cricket tub on the bottom of the viv and i'm sure they'll leap in and get 'em!
My juvi tends to take around 3-4 a night :2thumb:


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## brickdagecko (May 12, 2011)

are mealworms more of a treat for them
or can they be used one week instead of crickets alternaiting the 2


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## Chris18 (Mar 22, 2009)

brickdagecko said:


> are mealworms more of a treat for them
> or can they be used one week instead of crickets alternaiting the 2


I always use crickets over mealies because of exercise and enrichement reasons but there is no reason why mealies can't be a staple :2thumb:


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## mondogenerator (May 6, 2009)

too muchy chitin in mealworms for me.... i prefer the taste of crickets. and brown ones tend to get the movement going more than black crickets, wouldnt even touch a mealworm waxworm or hopper. Mine doesnt seem to notice them at all since they move so slow.....always wanted to try dubia roach nymphs, since they have a high meat content. plus mealworms have some jaws on them i dont like.


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## Chris18 (Mar 22, 2009)

mondogenerator said:


> too muchy chitin in mealworms for me.... i prefer the taste of crickets. and brown ones tend to get the movement going more than black crickets, wouldnt even touch a mealworm waxworm or hopper. Mine doesnt seem to notice them at all since they move so slow.....always wanted to try dubia roach nymphs, since they have a high meat content. plus mealworms have some jaws on them i dont like.


well done on reciting a load of myths, the beetles have high chitin not the worms! mine eat them fine but not every gecko will, just like mine love locust others dont


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## DANNY11 (Apr 21, 2011)

ive never been abel to get mine to eat mealworms. but they do love the crickets


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## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

mondogenerator said:


> too muchy chitin in mealworms for me.... i prefer the taste of crickets. and brown ones tend to get the movement going more than black crickets, wouldnt even touch a mealworm waxworm or hopper. Mine doesnt seem to notice them at all since they move so slow.....always wanted to try dubia roach nymphs, since they have a high meat content. plus mealworms have some jaws on them i dont like.


 
Yes, cresties have jaws on them that mealies dont like, apparently, lol!
Only my female will eat livefood, unfortunately and she will eat locust, mealies, other worms and will only eat roaches if i make it easy for her...by hand! She only gets live a couple of times a week and seems happy with this (well, she hasnt said anything during the last three years or so) favouring CGD the rest of the time.

Dave


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## mondogenerator (May 6, 2009)

Chris18 said:


> well done on reciting a load of myths, the beetles have high chitin not the worms! mine eat them fine but not every gecko will, just like mine love locust others dont


Ok perhaps what ive quoted is written 'knowledge' and perhaps incorrect, although it came from respected quarters i gave it credence. 

but rudeness is not required. Either way crix/hoppers/mealies ALL have chitin. 

I _could _say a its perhaps a little like the myth that halloween harleys are a morph of their own........But i wont 



sam gamgee said:


> Yes, cresties have jaws on them that mealies dont like, apparently, lol!
> Only my female will eat livefood, unfortunately and she will eat locust, mealies, other worms and will only eat roaches if i make it easy for her...by hand! She only gets live a couple of times a week and seems happy with this (well, she hasnt said anything during the last three years or so) favouring CGD the rest of the time.
> 
> Dave


hahaha yeah, my male wont touch hoppers/waxworms, and defo loves the quicker brown crickets to the black, although i prefer the black if/when they escape! Normally he eats nothing but CGD, and crickets as a treat/brain stimulation/for my my personal entertainment


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## Mavis25 (Jul 4, 2012)

Just gave my crestie mealworms for the first time. I wasn't sure how many to put in. After some research I put 5 small worms is a shallow dish with some calcium power. I didn't know what to expect but I was thinking she would only take what she needed. my god she was out from her leaves and on them like a tramp on hot chips. Is 5 to many or will it be ok as a treat twice a week?? She is still only a juvi


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

probly best to introduce them slowly - once or twice a week perhaps?


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## UKCrestie (Sep 9, 2011)

Tramp on Hot Chips :lol2:
My adults wont take them unless I wriggle them around on tweezers right in front of their nose.
But I think thats mostly because they just dont see them if I put them in a dish - although I may try Chris' idea and put them in the Magnatural ledge next to their CGD.

On the other hand, all of the juveniles ive had have wolfed down mealworms on a regular basis - again likely because they can find them easily and some have even sat in the food bowl waiting for them if Im late home from work oo:

I would recommend roaches though, they are easily my favourite feeder and are super easy to keep healthy. Plus they eat anything which makes them great for gut-loading.
If you have the room for a little plastic faunarium, you could very easily breed you own for a constant supply of roaches :2thumb:


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## Mavis25 (Jul 4, 2012)

Ive read that mealworms can cause impaction. This this a danger? As crickets have escaped from my viv and the other half has requested ( in her own way) that I don't use them again until our gecko Charlie is bigger so the larger crickets can be used.


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## UKCrestie (Sep 9, 2011)

Mavis25 said:


> Ive read that mealworms can cause impaction. This this a danger? As crickets have escaped from my viv and the other half has requested ( in her own way) that I don't use them again until our gecko Charlie is bigger so the larger crickets can be used.


If they are the correct size for you gecko they shouldn't cause impaction.
Not all geckos will readily eat them but if you wanted something different than crickets you could definitely try them.
Alternatively roaches or Locusts may be an option too : victory:


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

if youre worried why not use the white freshly moulted ones?


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## Mavis25 (Jul 4, 2012)

Thanks for the advice. Did look at small locusts but even they seemed a bit big. But then again I find it hard to visualise the gap between Charlie's eyes when comparing it to live food. She never seems to stay still long enough. Ha


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## sam12345 (Dec 28, 2007)

Someday the same old impaction/chitin myth will be forgotten.

We feed 90% of our reptile species on a staple of mealworms.
This includes Crested Geckos, Bearded Dragons, Leopard Geckos, Tokay Geckos, Moorish Geckos, Stenos, American Geckos the list goes on....
The only thing we don't use mealworms for, is the very small species such as tropiocolotes.


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