superworms---confused owner

[KayaMcrackin]

okay ive been looking up different types of worms to feed your beardie and people told me to get pheonix worms which im planning on getting but i also would like to have maybe another type because its good to have some variety. and i came across super worms. i started to look through the forms on this site and i see people say dont feed juveniles superworms only if its 16 inches but then i see people say you can because of how soft their shells are. im really confused. also i wanted to know is there any kind of worms i could actually buy from local petstores? because i used to feed my juvenile mealworms but i was told they arent that good for them so i stopped but i really need to get some more insects. please help! thankss <3

 

[patrickmb21]

How big is your dragon? my beardie is 15 inches long and i feed him supers, as long as he poops everyday and you have correct lighting everything should be fine

 

[bumblebee]

Hi! Super worms' shells are softer than meal worms' shells, but they are still too tough to digest for beardies under 16 inches long. You should never feed meal worms, but you can feed your beardie super worms once he/she is over 16 inches long. If your beardie is under 16 inches, you can feed crickets, dubias, and soft bodied worms like phoenix worms (also called reptiworms or calciworms), silk worms, hornworms, and butter worms. You can feed wax worms as treats, but they are really high in fat, so they should only be fed occasionally. Most pet stores only have crickets, super worms, and meal worms (and only the crickets would be okay for a beardie under 16 inches). Sometimes you can find a pet store that sells other types of feeders. You might also want to check into ordering online - it's usually cheaper than most pet stores.

Hope that answers your questions!

 

[unkempt1]

Yea it's all about their digestive tract. There is a kink in it that doesn't get wide enough until they are about 16 inches long. Just make sure you don't get them spoiled on them. You are right, variety is the key!

 

[KayaMcrackin]

How big is your dragon? my beardie is 15 inches long and i feed him supers, as long as he poops everyday and you have correct lighting everything should be fine

i never got around to measure him but he is way under 15 inches so im just going to stick with pheonix worms but once he gets better i am defiantly going to get some super worms =D

 

[KayaMcrackin]

Yea it's all about their digestive tract. There is a kink in it that doesn't get wide enough until they are about 16 inches long. Just make sure you don't get them spoiled on them. You are right, variety is the key!

Okay thanks D

 

[KayaMcrackin]

Hi! Super worms' shells are softer than meal worms' shells, but they are still too tough to digest for beardies under 16 inches long. You should never feed meal worms, but you can feed your beardie super worms once he/she is over 16 inches long. If your beardie is under 16 inches, you can feed crickets, dubias, and soft bodied worms like phoenix worms (also called reptiworms or calciworms), silk worms, hornworms, and butter worms. You can feed wax worms as treats, but they are really high in fat, so they should only be fed occasionally. Most pet stores only have crickets, super worms, and meal worms (and only the crickets would be okay for a beardie under 16 inches). Sometimes you can find a pet store that sells other types of feeders. You might also want to check into ordering online - it's usually cheaper than most pet stores.

Hope that answers your questions!

yes it does thank you so much it really cleared things up for me

 

[Mustashio]

Mulberry farms sells different sizes of superworms so you could give that a try. They also sell horned worms, silkies, butterworms and phoenix worms too. I usually get my phoenix worms from phoenixworms.com though because they have larger quantities and since even the "large" phoenix worms are pretty small, Tashi goes through them pretty fast. They are a good staple though so I keep getting them.

This is the first time I;ve bought superworms, and I bought the small ones even though Tashi is 17inches long and 15months old. The regular sized superworms freak me out but ofcourse they are the ones that are the most available from the local pet store! Tashi doesn't seem to care for the supers though so I;m glad I only got a small 100 container. Some pet stores will carry waxworms too, and they are soft and squishy, but should only be used as a treat cuz they are high in fat.

Phoenix worms are great and have the perfect calciumhosphorus ratios, so no dusting required. They are easy to keep (stay at room temperature) and even if they turn black they are still good. In fact that is supposedly when they have the most calcium. Even the "large" size is pretty small though, so Tashi tends to eat tons at once. In fact, he often forgets to chew and then they come out whole in his poop sometimes. I've had to feed only 10 at a time so he slows down and doesnt inhale!

Horned worms are kinda expensive, and they get HUGE, (see pic below) but they are soft bodied and sometimes squirt when they are eaten! EEEWE! Tashi LOVES them and will literally jump off his basking spot and dart to the other end of the viv when I drop one in! Bonus is that you can stunt their growth by cooling things down if you don't want them to get too big for your beardie.

Butterworms are a good soft bodied worm too and are a good staple. They are kinda reddish orange caterpillars that don't get as big as hornworms but are much more plump than phoenix worms. You can keep them in the fridge. They arent as wiggly as phoenix, but they are another one of Tashi's favorites.

Silkworms are, in my opinion, a pain in the butt to keep. They are great for your beardie, but are very high maintainance for you. I've only purchased them once, and they were all clumped together and damp so I felt like I was just giving him a blobby mass of worm goo. Blech!

Anyway, I hope that helps a little. Sorry it is so long, but this is just my experience with those worms. Oh! And I think another poster said this too...don't let your beardie get spoiled with worms. We almost made that mistake with Tashi. We always fed him crickets too, but once he got a taste of those worms he wanted to lose the crickets all together. I swear they are bearded pigs not bearded dragons!

~Jill

 

[KayaMcrackin]

Mulberry farms sells different sizes of superworms so you could give that a try. They also sell horned worms, silkies, butterworms and phoenix worms too. I usually get my phoenix worms from phoenixworms.com though because they have larger quantities and since even the "large" phoenix worms are pretty small, Tashi goes through them pretty fast. They are a good staple though so I keep getting them.

This is the first time I;ve bought superworms, and I bought the small ones even though Tashi is 17inches long and 15months old. The regular sized superworms freak me out but ofcourse they are the ones that are the most available from the local pet store! Tashi doesn't seem to care for the supers though so I;m glad I only got a small 100 container. Some pet stores will carry waxworms too, and they are soft and squishy, but should only be used as a treat cuz they are high in fat.

Phoenix worms are great and have the perfect calciumhosphorus ratios, so no dusting required. They are easy to keep (stay at room temperature) and even if they turn black they are still good. In fact that is supposedly when they have the most calcium. Even the "large" size is pretty small though, so Tashi tends to eat tons at once. In fact, he often forgets to chew and then they come out whole in his poop sometimes. I've had to feed only 10 at a time so he slows down and doesnt inhale!

Horned worms are kinda expensive, and they get HUGE, (see pic below) but they are soft bodied and sometimes squirt when they are eaten! EEEWE! Tashi LOVES them and will literally jump off his basking spot and dart to the other end of the viv when I drop one in! Bonus is that you can stunt their growth by cooling things down if you don't want them to get too big for your beardie.

Butterworms are a good soft bodied worm too and are a good staple. They are kinda reddish orange caterpillars that don't get as big as hornworms but are much more plump than phoenix worms. You can keep them in the fridge. They arent as wiggly as phoenix, but they are another one of Tashi's favorites.

Silkworms are, in my opinion, a pain in the butt to keep. They are great for your beardie, but are very high maintainance for you. I've only purchased them once, and they were all clumped together and damp so I felt like I was just giving him a blobby mass of worm goo. Blech!

Anyway, I hope that helps a little. Sorry it is so long, but this is just my experience with those worms. Oh! And I think another poster said this too...don't let your beardie get spoiled with worms. We almost made that mistake with Tashi. We always fed him crickets too, but once he got a taste of those worms he wanted to lose the crickets all together. I swear they are bearded pigs not bearded dragons!

~Jill

Thank you so much that really helped. pheonix worms seems to be my best bet so im going to order some as soon as possible! thanks again!