Superworms Biting?

[PicosParent]

Hello everyone! I was in the pet store tonight buying things for Pico including his favorite super worms and the gal counting them out asked me if I cut their heads off so they did not bite him. She said two women had been in the store buying them for their hedgehogs and they said the worms will tear up their animals throats with their biting if you don't. I had never heard of this, has anyone else? Does anyone else cut their heads off???? It seems like the dragons would not like them if they were dead and not moving. How can a chewed up worm bite back???

 

[JaySoSaySo]

BUMP!

I am also interested in this! I got bit by one of these dang things when I first started feeding them to mine (Beardzilla). I use to pluck them from the container with my fingers, but have since switched to using some regular tweezers. He usually gobbles them down pretty quick, so i'm not real sure if they would even have the chance to hurt him? Does anyone have any comments here?

 

[PicosParent]

JaySoSaySo,
I noticed that sometimes after Pico has a couple of them, he won't eat anything else and I notice him"gulping". He gets a bath every other day (that is when he does his poo) so I know he is hydrated (plus he has fresh water available whenever he may want it) and I wipe the bulk of saw dusty stuff they come in off before I give them to him so....could this gulping (I don't recall ever seeing him do it before I started buying the worms) be caused by throat bites?????? I finally got bit by one last night and it wasn't too painful but it certainly wasn't something I want to have happen again so I too am now using tweezers. I see many people have read this but no one is saying much Please folks share your thoughts and experiences with us!!!! Inquiring minds want and need to know I know if I was a worm getting eaten, I would certainly try to bite to save myself!

 

[Gail]

You don't have to worry about a superworm biting a dragons throat or chewing on its stomach. I suppose its possible for one to bit the inside of the mouth if the dragon doesn't chomp it fast enough but I've never heard of it happening and isn't something I'd worry about. Never heard of a worm hurting a hedgehog either.
I've been bit by supers on more then one occasion, it pinches and never breaks skin.

 

[PicosParent]

Thank you Gail!!!! It seemed strange but hey, you never know.....

 

[AtlasStrike]

What conditions does the pet store keep their supers in? If they are half starved and dehydrated, I have no doubt that they would and could cause a bit of damage in that state. If properly housed, fed and hydrated, I have been bitten, but other than being surprising, and annoying, it had never broken the skin or caused any serious damage. Crickets are much the same way. Dehydrated, hungry crickets can and will eat anything and everything, but if they have enough food, they generally don't cause any harm.

 

[PicosParent]

Very good points AtlasStrike and that made me decide to put a few of Pico's dragon bites in their container to nibble on as they all seem to like those when I put them in his feeding dish with them. Rather have them full on food and more docile!!!

 

[Paradon]

Somebody posted on the turtleforum that some mealworm bit their baby box turtle and made a wound... This was recently posted over there.

 

[PicosParent]

Yikes! That is scary!!!

 

[Paradon]

They can bite and the wound may become infected if it comes into contact with fecal matter... That's why you should disinfect your cage when you clean it...not just washing it with soap and hot water. Soap doesn't kill germs; it only traps them and small particles. A very dilute bleach solution should do the trick and is harmless if you wash the cage thoroughly, or you can use Novalsan (sp). The vets use Novalsan to clean amphibians' wounds. It is harmless to amphibians, but deadly to germs. Your bearded won't be harmed by this stuff.

 

[AtlasStrike]

Also, I definitely have to say, if you buy your supers at a pet store and they come in sawdust, get them out of it ASAP. Put them in raw oatmeal or wheat bran and give them water crystals or a fruit or veggie water source. You definitely don't want to feed your beardie dehydrated bugs.

 

[TASTIGER]

Also, I definitely have to say, if you buy your supers at a pet store and they come in sawdust, get them out of it ASAP. Put them in raw oatmeal or wheat bran and give them water crystals or a fruit or veggie water source. You definitely don't want to feed your beardie dehydrated bugs.

i do this but i also cut the heads off before i feed them iv been bit before and iv heard of them biting eyes and mouths id rather not chance it and have a bite get infected

 

[PicosParent]

Wow, now I am more perplexed by this than I was before....quite the variety of input here. Thanks folks and I guess I will just keep a very close eye on Pico when I am feeding him these!!! I don't know if I am capable of decapitation

 

[JaySoSaySo]

@Pico - I agree!

@all - thanks for the input here!

 

[Menolly07]

Very glad to have read this.. I'm diversifying Odahviing's diet and adding in some baby silks, horn and supers, like super tiny, via a snack pack from Mulberry Farms, plus some butters and just a FEW waxworms.. Crickets and the black soldier fly larvae are all I'd worked with in regard to his feeds. I never would have imagined that a worm could BITE! It stands to reason. These will be so tiny they won't do anything, but still... He'll grow.. So will they. But my gosh. Glad to know it!!! :shock: