# do I need to cut the head off morio worms????



## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

I went to the petshop today to get some livefoods for the toad and the frog.
I picked up the regular locust, mealworm and some waxworms.
Then I saw some giant morio worms, they haven't had them before.
I took them to the counter and the girl behind the counter, a young kid, told me that I had to cut the heads off them to feed them to the animals as they would eat them from the inside. At first I thought she was extracting the urine but she told me I should do the same with the mealworm and waxworm.
I've been feeding mealworm to my toad since I got him and never been told to do this.
The kid, about 18 or so, was adamant that she had been told to advise people this way. I didn't buy any morios.


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

it is concidered an urban myth, but IMO better safe than sorry. 

I belive truly that one of my waterdragons died because of a morio, but it may have been somthing else, and the morio just ate her. 

But as said better safe...


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## Art_Gecko101 (May 6, 2006)

Morios have pretty big jaws, so yes i would remove them, but to be on the safe side, but not because i think that it'd burrow out from inside the frog. Stories like that float around the internet because mealies (and theyre bigger relative morios) feed on decaying flesh, so if the animal dies, or chokes when they are in the viv, they will start to eat the animal. However, as frogs do swallow whole, these are the most likely kind of animals to be subject to these stories, so just incase there was any truth in it, i'd remove. Better to be safe than sorry. Also, they od have horrible mouth parts so could bite the frog

If its worth anything, i wouldnt bother with morios/mealies, theyre full of chitin and hard to digest, Waxies are MUCH better!!


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks,

I've never had waxworms before. Now I have a regular order with Lowenna I can get them from her. I was feeding mealworm to my toad 'cos she's a lazy get and won't chase the cricks and locust. I have to chill them before she will eat them. In that case I'll stick to waxworm then. I do give them a varied diet but they so love the wormy things.
My baby bullfrog just ate about 5 waxworms, 4 medium locust and about 10 mealworm. He's such a pig. He's only about 1.5 inch long.
The toad is about 5 inch and only ate three locust, 'cos I chilled them so they stood still for her, and 2 waxworms.
Do they eat them when you cut off the head I wold think they'd not want them 'cos they're dead. Mine won't eat anything that doesn't move.


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## Smudger (May 13, 2007)

Sounds cruel but...

Just give the head a good squish between your thumb and forefinger between feeding makes them wriggle like hell and more as a result become more of an attractive prey to yoour pet...


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## sam316 (Mar 21, 2007)

ive fed all my guys from toads to water dragons to turtles, and they all have waxies, mealies and morio with no problems. out in their natural environment they wouldnt have there heads cut off so why do it in captivity??


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

because in the wild, they will eat very few grubs, given that they spend alot of time hidden. 


For instance, if 1 in a million (for arguments sake) ate its way out, then in the wild, this will take decades (on average) to happen, and then one animal will die. (of a certain species).

In captivity, with the amount of LF's bred, they chances are much higher, due to increased sample size...


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

YUK!!!!

I can't imagine me squishing a bugs head in my fingers.
I use tongs to put them in the tanks.
For some reason I don't mind handling cricks and locusts but wormy things make my skin crawl.
I think my two will have to do with the cricks and locust.
Am I ok to feed waxy's without 'squishing' them?


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## Art_Gecko101 (May 6, 2006)

Waxies aint too bad no, although mine LOVE it when i do take the head off! they lick all the goo out!


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Mez (Feb 19, 2007)

You really dont need to de-head waxworms, or mealworms, or morio worms..
If you're worried about the worms eating their way out, buy dead ones or find an alternate food source..
Waxies dont have jaws, so all you're doing there is removing nutriens, and im sure that unless you are hand feeding the waxies the 'juice' would make substrate stick to it..


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

My frog and toad won't eat dead!!!!!
I've not been deheading them and I don't think I will.
I think I'll stick to cricks, locust and waxy's.


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