Mealworms and Superworms

[Momto3boys]

OK I know you're not supposed to feed mealworms at all and I know you can only feed supers after the dragon is 16" in length...

BUT I've been doing some research on supers and mealworms and from what Ive read mealworms and superworms are the exact same worm except mealies are smaller....

So why is it OK to feed supers but NOT mealies, I know mealies can cause impaction but if this is the case, why can't supers??

 

[Claudiusx]

Mealworms are not superworms, they look alike but are different.

-Brandon

 

[Momto3boys]

Why have I found like 10 different sites stating they are the same worm just different sizes?

 

[Claudiusx]

Because that is the internet for you, you will find what you want and what you don't want. How many sites have you found saying they are not, have you even tried looking for sites telling you they are not?

-Brandon

 

[Twobeardieguy]

A mealworm is a Tenebrio molitor and a superworn is a Zophobas morio so they are a very different species!! They are both species of the darkling beetle! Hope this helps!!! Good luck...

 

[Embee]

I found this awhile back when I was doing some research of my own. I appreciated this "breakdown definition" of each. Perhaps it will be helpful here:

Mealworms: Mealworms are the larvae of a type of Darkling Beetle called the mealworm beetle. The scientific name is Tenebrio molitor. Mealworms have a hard outer chitin, which makes them hard for some reptiles to digest.

King Mealworms: King Mealies are just a larger version of the regular mealworm. Many people believed that they are genetically altered to be larger. King mealies have the hardest chitin, and are not recommended for feeding because of this.

Superworms: Superworms are also the larvae of a type of Darkling beetle. However, though they are in the same family, they are not the same species. The scientific name for Superworms and Zophobas Beetles is Zophobas Morio. Though they also have an outer chitin, it isn't as hard as the mealworm or king mealworm, and therefore makes it superior. However, because they are usually large, it is not recommended to feed them to smaller lizards such as anoles or small geckos.

Additionally, the meat to chitin ratio is higher in supers which above all, makes them a more nutritious feeder. Simply put, they have more substance.

I seem to recall seeing "mini-supers" around somewhere, but for the life of me, I can't recall where. If you were to find them, I would definitely make sure of the species to make sure someone isn't passing mealies off as supers... it happens. :dontknow:

Hope this helps!

Em

 

[Momto3boys]

Lance and Em....

THANK YOU, that's the answer I was looking for!!! I was ALMOST considering mealies since on a CDN board they are basically telling me I am a complete ***** for NOT feeding mealies and almsot had me convinced I was doing everything wrong....

Thanks again, don' t worry Im not going to be feeding Moose any mealies.

 

[herps4ever]

Superworms are mealworms given something to grow larger. So they are the same thing exept supers dont turn into beetles. I breed mealworms i know what i am talking about. I may be a teenager but that dont mean anything.

 

[Claudiusx]

Supers do turn into beetles...

As stated above..... mealworms are a totally different species than superworms.

-Brandon

 

[Ihaggerty1313]

I was ALMOST considering mealies since on a CDN board they are basically telling me I am a complete ***** for NOT feeding mealies and almsot had me convinced I was doing everything wrong.....

This is a prime example of a certain "type" in the reptile hobby AND you have to know when you are dealing w/ these kind of people. At about 3 years or so into keeping reptiles you go thru this phase where you know everything there is to know about anything. Mind you NOT everyone, just these select few that obviously should have went into rocket science instead of the reptile hobby, since they are FAR above us. There's one right way and it's their way. So just smile and take their cockiness w/ a grain of salt.

Meal worms have been a staple diet since long before I started into the hobby in the mid 80's. We had 2 choices to feed our animals. Crickets or Meal Worms. I had a WC Senegal Chameleon and I used to go outside and catch insects for it to eat as a matter of fact! He lived to a ripe old age of 4 or so, which was TOTALLY unheard of back then. To this day I have no clue what I did to make him live that long. I wouldn't encourage feeding insects caught outside, and like today they were spraying for Mosquito's and Gypsy Moths daily back then and me and my unknowledgeable keister used to run around flippin rocks, lifting shingles ect. to find food for my lizards. PROBABLY not the best idea but it never killed them.

Today we have a bazillion feeders at our finger tips. Do I feed Meal Worms? Nope. I use roaches as my staple feeder. Are meal worms a bad feeder? Nope. They aren't the greatest compared to some of the other options available on the market today, but... they are still a popular feeder and you can feed them w/ confidence to your animals.

I guess what stirred me up was these people on the other board (and sometimes this one for that matter) that decide to insult someone for asking a question. After all that's why we're all here in the first place. I try to only answer a post if I have somewhat of a clue as to what I'm talking about. It's hard enough starting out in this hobby than having to sift through a bunch of bad information from someone who basically just wants to hear their own voice. Bottom line... If someone is putting you down to come off as a know it all, then they probably don't know 1/2 of what they think they know. If they are going to insult you for asking a question? Then they probably shouldn't be giving advice how to change a dam light bulb let alone be giving any on reptiles.

Ok that's enough of my rant. I wasn't pointing fingers at anyone other than those jokers who made you feel inferior on the CDN board. My Jerry Springer moment is over. Hi-jaking done.

-Ian
http://www.theroachranch.com

 

[Claudiusx]

My Jerry Springer moment is over. Hi-jaking done.

-Ian
http://www.theroachranch.com

LOL

-Brandon

 

[Momto3boys]

hahaha Ian, I actually laughed out loud reading your Jerry Springer moment...ya know in High School (well mine anyways) nominate the graduates for different silly things in the yearbooks....

I was nominated and voted to most likely appear on the Jerry Springer show :lol:

It wasnt even me that started the thread over there, it was someone else and I got jumped on because I said Mealworms should NOT be fed as a staple since Ive read it here over and over and over again that mealies should never be fed as the chitin is too hard and it causes too much of a risk for impaction...

blah people drive me insane!!

 

[Germ]

I was ALMOST considering mealies since on a CDN board they are basically telling me I am a complete ***** for NOT feeding mealies and almsot had me convinced I was doing everything wrong.....

This is a prime example of a certain "type" in the reptile hobby AND you have to know when you are dealing w/ these kind of people. At about 3 years or so into keeping reptiles you go thru this phase where you know everything there is to know about anything. Mind you NOT everyone, just these select few that obviously should have went into rocket science instead of the reptile hobby, since they are FAR above us. There's one right way and it's their way. So just smile and take their cockiness w/ a grain of salt.

Meal worms have been a staple diet since long before I started into the hobby in the mid 80's. We had 2 choices to feed our animals. Crickets or Meal Worms. I had a WC Senegal Chameleon and I used to go outside and catch insects for it to eat as a matter of fact! He lived to a ripe old age of 4 or so, which was TOTALLY unheard of back then. To this day I have no clue what I did to make him live that long. I wouldn't encourage feeding insects caught outside, and like today they were spraying for Mosquito's and Gypsy Moths daily back then and me and my unknowledgeable keister used to run around flippin rocks, lifting shingles ect. to find food for my lizards. PROBABLY not the best idea but it never killed them.

Today we have a bazillion feeders at our finger tips. Do I feed Meal Worms? Nope. I use roaches as my staple feeder. Are meal worms a bad feeder? Nope. They aren't the greatest compared to some of the other options available on the market today, but... they are still a popular feeder and you can feed them w/ confidence to your animals.
I guess what stirred me up was these people on the other board (and sometimes this one for that matter) that decide to insult someone for asking a question. After all that's why we're all here in the first place. I try to only answer a post if I have somewhat of a clue as to what I'm talking about. It's hard enough starting out in this hobby than having to sift through a bunch of bad information from someone who basically just wants to hear their own voice. Bottom line... If someone is putting you down to come off as a know it all, then they probably don't know 1/2 of what they think they know. If they are going to insult you for asking a question? Then they probably shouldn't be giving advice how to change a dam light bulb let alone be giving any on reptiles.

Ok that's enough of my rant. I wasn't pointing fingers at anyone other than those jokers who made you feel inferior on the CDN board. My Jerry Springer moment is over. Hi-jaking done.

-Ian
http://www.theroachranch.com

I am one of those people on that CDN forum. The above quote confirms exactly what we were trying to get across to the above poster.

It was not until she started telling us we were 'Funny' and that our info was all wrong because HUNDREDS of people on this forum told her that feeding mealworms can & will cause impaction, and that well known & trusted BD Manuals were all wrong because of her extensive research & someone told her different along with contradicting herself every second post that it started to get hectic.

It was never said that mealworms were good to be used as a staple food. Simply that they were a viable food as a change up or variety. I agreed that they do have a tough chitin.

If there is someone out there that give me some Vet or Expert proof through the herp community, that mealworms cause impaction in BDs and not stories about impaction that are simply blamed on mealworms because they happened to have been fed around the time that it occured without verifying it, when there could so many other reasons. I will gladly learn from it. Just getting tired of half truths unstable info being passed on by uninformed people refuting good and solid info as the quoted poster gave.

I would also like someone to enlighten me or point me in the right direction as to where there is any truth to the statement that supers should never be fed to BDs less than 16".

Heck, if the truth be known, I have never fed mealworms to my BDs, for no particular reason, just haven't. Roaches are also my staple. Just tired of uninformed people making statements without any reliable resources to back them up.

Now my rant is done, and I did like the Springer comment also.

Germain

 

[Momto3boys]

Use the search button Germ, and you will find all the answers to everything you're looking for!

And there isnt a book out there on Bearded Dragons that has 100% correct info, I have NOT read a book on beardies that doesnt contradict itself.....

 

[ajkry2]

I'm no expert, but from what I've read and learned, the 16" rule applies because when a beardie is smaller than that, there's a kink in the digestive tract...