Worm ID?

[greathouseFarm]

Anyone want to take a stab at identifying these big juicy worms we just found in our garden?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beebeelb/3969345569/

They were under a piece of wood in moist soil that probably had rabbit manure mixed in it. When we put them in the tub they seem to scoot around on their backs? Anyway... I thought why not a treat but thought I should check first to see if there are any possible poisonous worms or bad in general. I couldn't find any ID on google so I thought I'd try here. BTW our garden is certified organic so no danger of pesticides etc...

 

[smurfthebeardie]

Color of waxworms, but not. :?
I don't know.

 

[greathouseFarm]

Way bigger... even the smallest one I found is bigger than any waxworm i have seen. And clearer... I can see the exrement inside their body. Redish dots along the sides and pinchers at the mouth like a super...

 

[Rayneuki]

They're... scary looking.
Uhm... I wouldn't feed them to anything, they look like they could bite really hard.

 

[Jiffy]

I dont know what those are other than creepy. But if it were me, I would definitely not feed them to my beardie.

 

[greathouseFarm]

Yeah they are creepy looking... but also might be a really good food source. And if I figure out what they are then I might be able to keep them going... Sorry I'm just like that... always looking to find sustainable resources to save money.

 

[Sunshinessmile]

There may not be a worry of pesticides but those could have come from anywhere, I would fear parasites...

either way they are icky looking....

 

[Mistyck]

Look like Grub worms to me. I wouldn't feed them to my beardie.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=grub worms&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

 

[greathouseFarm]

Ahh! i think you are right! the legs on mine are a bit shorter and darker but that's probably just age. You say you wouldn't feed them but not why. Is that because you would be afraid they would carry some sort of parasite? I don't understand the difference between the parasite that a pet store cricket has and that of a wild caught bug. Can anyone explain it? This is a good learning reference I think. It's great to understand why something is... Thanks!

 

[Twobeardieguy]

You have lesser of a chance to get a parasite from a pet store then in the wild!! The breeders for worms and crickets have been doing that for a long time so there forth it is in the generation and they no where they came from! A wild caught bug you dont no where it came from and is more likely to carry parasites or some kind of crap! I would not feed any wild insects at all cause that is bad business and a dark alley you don't want to cross!! If your beardie is not sick now then why make him!!! Just my 2 cents, good luck....

 

[BaskingBaby]

Those are definitely grubs, and I wouldn't feed them to my dragons. Not sure what grubs eat, but that would pretty much be what your dragon was eating. Plus there is just too much of a risk of parasites for me.

 

[SARBEAR]

Grub worms are the larval stage of a June beetle if I'm not mistaking. And they eat grass roots.
I wouldn't feed these to your beardie, a lot of people spray stuff on their lawns to get rid of them, and the eggs are laid in the soil under the grass, which means there's a high chance of them carrying something, I personally wouldn't take the risk..
But what I would do, is try and get it to turn into a beetle, just because I'm into that kind of stuff, lol.

 

[albitjerz]

Those things look creepy. Good luck whatever you decide to do with the grose little things.

 

[greathouseFarm]

Awe well I was hoping for some sort of scientific explanation. I'm just not one to take things at face value... I like to really understand the science behind it. So if a beetle... (the big crazy blue ones that don't fly very well in So Cal) was to come from a yard that used pesticides and lay its eggs in my yard then the grub worm that it produced could have parasites or be contaminated? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I have my own back yard certified organic to grow veggies as I know that most of my community does also. We have a garden club because that's one of my passions and we get our soil checked twice a yr. I also culture my own crickets & am getting dubias. But the way I understood it was that every insect & reptile carries some level of parasites but that they can multiply to unsafe levels from stress or poor health. Is that not correct or am I thinking of something else. I appreciate everyones input... Sorry for being so knuckle headed I just like to learn & understand.

 

[smurfthebeardie]

I think the general consensus is that because we don't know we won't try.
I find grubs in the garbage a lot, but again it's no help.