Superworm Cannibalism

[Sapphire]

Why do superworms eat each other? I got 500 large ones and I'm feeding them carrots, which is what I've always fed superworms, but today I sat down and picked out probably 10-15 dead ones and an additional 10-15 half-cannibalized worms. I put in half a potato instead of carrots, maybe that will keep them from eating each other? It's really gross to be sifting through the bedding and come up with a half-eaten worm. Yuck.
Anyway I imagine they would eat each other cuz they're not getting enough food otherwise, but I'm feeding them... there's food in there... So why would they eat each other?

Any ideas?

 

[Jess]

For some reason, I have a lot less cannibalism if I don't feed them anything, and just put them in ground oats or bran with a piece of eggcarton. They last for months like this, and I have next to no deaths. They ate eachother more often if I fed them anything... Maybe they think that their fellow wormies taste like the carrot you've been feeding them? LOL

 

[Sapphire]

That's strange. The only other time I've had cannibalism is when I had the bright idea to separate some worms into 7 small containers, one for every day of the week. By the time I got to the last two or three days' supply of worms, there was one less worm than I'd put in them to start with....... But I never had them eat each other when they were in the big container with 500-1000 worms and enough food to go around. I wonder if it's something to do with the age or size of the worms I have currently? These ones are way bigger than any worms I've had before.

 

[Jess]

Hmmmm, IDK. I guess you could try experimenting with them a little. Put 50 worms in a container with carrot, 50 in a container with potatoe, and 50 in a container with no food and see which has the most left after a week or something.

I don't think the reptiles store I buy my worms from feeds them anything either, and they don't keep them in any bedding. *shrug*

 

[Sapphire]

Strange. I don't know... I'm gonna check on them in a couple days to see if i have to pick out tons of dead ones again. If not I'll assume it had something to do with the carrots and I'll keep giving them potato...