SUPERWORMS!! questions????

[njustine]

I am going to try Etch on superworms for the first time! Petland has all different sizes, so I am going to buy some small ones for him to try...

I have some questions

1. Can I use it as a staple (he is roughly 16 inches) No more crickets???
2. How do I keep them? Do they chew through containers (I know that may sound dumb)
3. Any special requirements for them?
4. How many should I feed Etch? Will they bite him?

 

[redflea13]

His staple diet should be greens; collard, mustard, alfalfa, ect. I've heard that they can chew through the stomach so you should crush the head but I've never known of that actualy happening. I have a colony of meal worms I keep in a rubbermaid tub with poultry layer feed. I also have a colony of roaches. I feed freeze dried crickets and mealworms also. I als use pelleted food. Here is a URL="http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.php?ref=181"]site[/URL] you can find all of this stuff rather inexpensively.

 

[peera]

1. Can I use it as a staple (he is roughly 16 inches) No more crickets???
Yes! They're an excellent staple live feeder.
2. How do I keep them? Do they chew through containers (I know that may sound dumb)
Rubbermaid container or the plastic container most pet stores send them home in is fine. They don't even need a lid since they can't climb, but it's a good idea to keep things out and prevent spills. Just punch a couple holes in the lid (I use an ice pick) for air. They can chew through cardboard and paper bags.
3. Any special requirements for them?
If you get tons, throw a piece of carrot or potato in there to keep them hydrated. Otherwise, you'll probably go through them to fast for it to really matter.
4. How many should I feed Etch? Will they bite him?
As many as he'll eat. If he's still a growing boy, that could be quite a few (probably best to offer 5 at a time... he'll act like he wants more even after he's full, but won't keep eating). My older dragons typically have 5-6 every other day. He'll probably snap them up before they ever had a chance to bite him (feed them out of a deep feeding dish if you're worried), and probably couldn't actually hurt him if they did. They've bit me before and don't even leave a mark. They CANNOT eat their way out of your dragons stomach, they're dead by the time they hit it.

 

[blondie098]

we experimented with the best way to keep them alive by getting small quantities at first from pet store... without moisture source, they will attack each other (we saw two going at it in the 3-mile drive home one day) -- without a moisture source, they cannibalize and will leave you remnants of their buddies.

We tried carrots, greens, potato, apple -- apple by far was the preferred source. They drag the greens under the bedding with them, so it's more a pain to cleanup their house. Plus, potato stinks when it starts to turn, an apple smell in your house is not offensive. They used the carrots, even nibbled into them, but the apples disappear (except the skin).

We just ordered 1000 because Crash likes them so much, and they are on an oatmeal bedding, and get fresh apples every day -- they drain the moisture away, and have actually left behind just the skin for me to clean up the next day -- have only lost 1 worm after 1 week, but that was trying to pupate it to breed.

I've been bit by them, it's only a slight pinch, not even as bad as a beesting. They to like to wrap around my fingers, tho which gets my heebie-jeebie meter going. My 10 year-old daughter likes to play with the worms

So we're done with crickets, we feed Dubia Roaches & Superworms

 

[Catalyst]

1. Can I use it as a staple (he is roughly 16 inches) No more crickets???
2. How do I keep them? Do they chew through containers (I know that may sound dumb)
3. Any special requirements for them?
4. How many should I feed Etch? Will they bite him?

Yes you can use them as a staple, they're so easy to care for compared to crickets I'm sure you'll be thrilled (I know I was when Randal started on them!). They're easy to keep, live for months, and are reletively easy to breed yourself as well. Keep them in a plastic tub with a couple inches of bedding - I use wheat bran - and apples or potatoes for moisture. Make sure there are lots of air holes in teh container both for air flow and to ensure that moisture doesn't build up - if the bedding gets wet it can easily mold and is a mess to deal with. Supers can bit but as noted it's more of a pinch, and with your dragon they won't get the chance since he'll chomp them up pretty good - no need to crush the heads, its an urban legend that they'll chew out of your dragon's stomach Start your dragon off slowly, 2 or 3 the first day, and watch his poo the next day to make sure he's digesting them properly (pieces of shell is normal, but you dont' want to see whole chunks of worm coming through). Then gradually increase the number he gets each day until he's at his goal. An adult dragon should get 25-30 supers a week, there really isn't a set number for a younger dragon and opinions vary. My girl started on supers at about 10 months I think it was and she usually got 15-25 a day, although I think she would have eaten them until she exploded if I let her (and still would, haha). Hope this helps

 

[haleygirl272]

His staple diet should be greens; collard, mustard, alfalfa, ect. I've heard that they can chew through the stomach so you should crush the head but I've never known of that actualy happening. I have a colony of meal worms I keep in a rubbermaid tub with poultry layer feed. I also have a colony of roaches. I feed freeze dried crickets and mealworms also. I als use pelleted food. Here is a URL="http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.php?ref=181"]site[/URL] you can find all of this stuff rather inexpensively.

With all due respect I disagree. According to my research, they should not eat a main diet of greens until they are an adult....I believe he has a juvenile. I have a baby Zinger (bearded dragon) who is 15 inches and 5 months.

 

[njustine]

Thank you everyone...and yes he is a juvenile he is about 7 months old...

Well he does seem to love the superworms. I think that he would eat the whole tub of 50 that I got in one setting if I let him, but I am starting him out slow...

How often do they usually poop at this age? I am finding that lately he is only pooping every 2nd or 3rd day. He doesnt seem to be acting funny or anything, and his eating is slowing down a bit. Is this normal?

 

[peera]

Pooping will slow down as eating slows down. Adults typically only poop a couple times a week. As long as he doesn't seem to be having trouble passing his BM's when he goes, you probably have nothing to worry about.

 

[njustine]

Well I am never home when he goes so its hard for me to know if he is having trouble...but I dont think he is. I will give him a nice warm bath later to make sure he goes today

 

[zebedeepink]

Superworms are brilliant as a staple. I tend to leave them in the tub they come in and put a parge piece of collard green on top of them. They pretty much devour the lot. George's pooping slowed down tremendously when she was about 6 months old. She went from every day, to twice a week and now she probably only goes every 2-3 weeks or so. She seems to store it up so it comes out like dinosaur dung