How Many Superworms?

[jings55]

Stryker just turned 1 yr old. He's 17 1/8 inches long and about 456 grams. He has been on crickets (which he sometimes refuses to eat) and mealies all his life. I know, :roll: they're not good for him, but that's the only way we could aford to feed him this year. He is now up to 50 mealies a day. And of course, greens every day.

I was thinking of trying some superworms. How many would he get a day? Would he get them every day? And the mealies, too? :?

Do you have to cut the heads off the supers?

Please advise. Would anyone suggest another type of worm that can be easily ordered and stored? Circumstances are changing and I may be able to mail order some. I won't do Dubias. The thought of them creeps me out. No pun intended.

Thanks!

 

[TerratheBeardie]

First of all,if you can try to ween him off Mealworms, the chances of impaction are greatly lessened. In fact, you could probably replace them with Supers at his length. And no, you don't have to cut the heads off.

As for other suggestions, I personally am close to starting a Dubia colony myself(got everything but the Dubias ATM.). While I probably can't change your mind, Dubias are apparently far cleaner and healthier than crickets. With that said, alternate worm options are Phoenix/Reptiworms and I think Hornworms, but I have no experience with Horns, so...yeah. :x

EDIT: I forgot the original subject, but I would start with at least 1 or 2 then work up from there.

 

[carlisv]

Both our boys (Richard, 2 1/2 years, 21", 700g; and Dubs, 2 1/2 years, 19", 580g), have been eating supers since they were big enough. We started each of them with 1, then added 1 every couple of days until they could eat their fill - usually about a dozen. We don't cut the worms' heads off either. We feed them one worm at a time, make sure it's all chewed up and swallowed, then give them another one. Supers aren't that expensive online if you shop around. They last several months if fed and cared for properly.

We also keep a supply of Phoenix worms, which only Dubs eats, and butter worms, which they both adore. Butters are very easy to care for - just put the container in the fridge. You don't feed them, they don't smell, and they last for months, about 20 per beardie per meal. I think I pay $60ish for 400, including shipping. I've offered wax worms twice but neither one was interested. Haven't tried horn worms, but I probably will this summer. Haven't tried dubias either, but I'm allergic to cockroach proteins so I'm hesitant to attempt it.

We kept crickets, 1000 at a time, for two years. We had great success with them, but I became allergic so we went exclusively to worms and I have to admit it's much easier! Sometimes for variety I let some of the supers turn into beetles, then I put them in Richard's viv. He absolutely loves them!

Since our boys are both adults they only get critters three times a week, so the worms last a long time. I probably spend $100 including shipping every 3 months for all of their worms put together - Phoenix, butters and supers.