Dead/Live Superworms in container

[felix27]

Hi,

I go into our local Petco every Tuesday because the manager clears out any superworms and reptiworms over a week old and gives me 75% off. I went in yesterday and got a few 75-count medium superworms. When I got home, the smell was awful and there were quite a few dead black ones. There are still live ones too, and I separated them out, put them in new bedding and gave them fruits and veggies to rehydrate with, but I haven't fed any to my boys yet...I'm nervous about them having been in with the dead ones. Would it be safe to feed them? I've never encountered this before...usually they are fine, just really dehydrated when I get them home. My order of dubias and reptiworms get here tomorrow.

Thanks!

 

[nursejones813]

I had the same thing happen to me from petco too! I got small ones though. I threw them all away. Didn't want to chance it.

 

[felix27]

Yeah, I decided not to feed any and I'm glad I did...I was trying to figure out what to do with the ones that were still alive (I feel bad just throwing them away...I know they're "only bugs" but in my mind, they feel pain and get scared!) I went to give them some fresh apples tonight and they were all dead. So whatever killed the other ones must have been something in the substrate or with the batch because even with new bedding, food and moisture, they all still died. I've never had this problem with Petco before, and these were relatively "fresh" bugs...I've seen some on the shelf for a month and they were still fine...albeit completely out of food and very hungry by the time I got them home, but not one of them had died. These came in a week ago and were already decomposing, so must be a problem with the supplier.