# "Superworms" as Asian mantis food ?



## Malnra (Oct 30, 2007)

These are not expensive and dont seem as likely to esacpe as crickets. Anyone have a guess as to the likelyhood of Asian's eating these as food ? They woulde be easier for me to grab and toss into the mantis cage and probably LESS likely to attack the mantis.

I just *do not* think it would be a good idea to toss in a dozen crickets with a mantis, whereas a dozen of these dont seem like they would be a problem.



> SuperwormsMost reptiles, arachnids, and amphibians like their meals and snacks served up still moving, so active superworms are the perfect choice. Softer body than mealworms makes them easier to digest.
> 
> What’s super-tasty, super-healthy, and super-fun to eat? Superworms, of course!
> 
> ...


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## Kruszakus (Oct 30, 2007)

Worms are almost only fat and water - their nutritional value is rather low.

As for crickets... I construct a "harpoon" from a needle and a long stick - I pierce the cricket with it and feed it to my mantids - it'a a lot easier than dumping them into the container - besides, they poo a lot and will most likely cover the floor of the container with faeces...


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## Malnra (Oct 30, 2007)

Kruszakus said:


> Worms are almost only fat and water - their nutritional value is rather low. As for crickets... I construct a "harpoon" from a needle and a long stick - I pierce the cricket with it and feed it to my mantids - it'a a lot easier than dumping them into the container - besides, they poo a lot and will most likely cover the floor of the container with faeces...


I had thought about using long tweezers to feed them, however I think there will be times where i will A) put them in a smaller container to feed them, then transfer back or _maybe _even B) toss in 1 cricket until he is eaten then another if they are eating 2 of them normally.

Sounds like you all dont get to go on vacation when you breed these. At least my dod Lady can goto the kennel.  

I am just freaky about people coming into my house when I am not home, so asking a neighbor is not something I would likely do.

I tossed abouit 6 pillbugs into the bottom with the moss. They wont hurt the mantis and the mantis is unlikely to even look a them in the moss.


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## Rick (Oct 30, 2007)

Mantids will eat the worms if you give them but they're not an ideal food. I feed flies and crickets and use a pair of long tongs to grab the crickets and drop them in for the mantis. Using that large tank you may have to drop in several to make srue the mantis finds enough.


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## echostatic (Nov 2, 2007)

i know a lot about a healthy bearded dragon diet, and i know that superworms are only to be fed to them as an occasional treat due to their high fat/fairly low nutritional value. i figure the same applies to mantids. you dont want to feed it just water enclosed in a sack of fat. of course with mantids i dont imagine you would have to deal with superworm addiction...


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## Andrew (Nov 2, 2007)

A big superworm actually killed and ate about half of my Iris oratoria female one time. Looked kinda like what a male mantis does after the female eats his head.


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## Sparky (Nov 5, 2007)

Andrew said:


> A big superworm actually killed and ate about half of my Iris oratoria female one time. Looked kinda like what a male mantis does after the female eats his head.


Yeah superworms are known to fight back. It ate through my carnivorous plants and it killed my leopard gecko.


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## Malnra (Nov 5, 2007)

Sparky said:


> Yeah superworms are known to fight back. It ate through my carnivorous plants and it killed my leopard gecko.


what the heck ! ... some mean sob ....


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## Sparky (Nov 5, 2007)

Geoff_K said:


> what the heck ! ... some mean sob ....


Yeah... I went to the vet to see what was going on and he said the worm was chewing on its stomach lining.


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## asdsdf (Nov 5, 2007)

Sparky said:


> Yeah... I went to the vet to see what was going on and he said the worm was chewing on its stomach lining.


 :blink: Wow....

EDIT: I went to the wiki of superworms, and this is what it said:

Many reptile owners prefer to clip off the head of the larva, before feeding it to the reptile, as this will prevent the larva from getting eaten alive. The threat of the worm eating its way out of the reptile is just a myth and there has never been any scientific data presented to prove this has ever actually happened. A reptile's stomach has digestive juices which will actually kill the worm quite quickly - if the teeth don't do it first.


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## Sparky (Nov 5, 2007)

asdsdf said:


> :blink: Wow....EDIT: I went to the wiki of superworms, and this is what it said:
> 
> Many reptile owners prefer to clip off the head of the larva, before feeding it to the reptile, as this will prevent the larva from getting eaten alive. The threat of the worm eating its way out of the reptile is just a myth and there has never been any scientific data presented to prove this has ever actually happened. A reptile's stomach has digestive juices which will actually kill the worm quite quickly - if the teeth don't do it first.


Wiki is not a reliable source.


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## asdsdf (Nov 5, 2007)

I've noticed... &lt;_&lt;


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## Sparky (Nov 5, 2007)

I should of crushed the head of that damn worm. I was too young at the time to know this, just read what andrew wrote.


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## hibiscusmile (Nov 6, 2007)

Goodness, I cannot even look at the horn worm, no wonder they are so ugly, they probably eat everything in their path. Have you seen them on fear factor? :blink: Yea, you can leave fly pupae in there in a portion cup if going away with some paper towel under them to control the juices. If you leave crickets it is risky at best.


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## Sparky (Nov 6, 2007)

hibiscusmile said:


> Goodness, I cannot even look at the horn worm, no wonder they are so ugly, they probably eat everything in their path. Have you seen them on fear factor? :blink: Yea, you can leave fly pupae in there in a portion cup if going away with some paper towel under them to control the juices. If you leave crickets it is risky at best.


I was actually _IN_ one of those shows..........fear factor.........*shivers*


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## Malnra (Nov 6, 2007)

Sparky said:


> I was actually _IN_ one of those shows..........fear factor.........*shivers*


WOAH ... I now know a TV person ... hehehe ..... can I have your autograph please :lol: 

would you tell us the show you were on ? or date it aired ? i used to watch it frequently ... and what was the gross thing you had to eat ?


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## asdsdf (Nov 6, 2007)

Sparky said:


> I was actually _IN_ one of those shows..........fear factor.........*shivers*


Wow, we have to watch this!!! Watch Sparky suffer!!!


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## Sparky (Nov 6, 2007)

wow, why would you want me to suffer? I'm a good boy. Sorry to get off subject, but there was a fear factor show for teens. I think it was aired LIVE near Hollywood. They dumped tuna,worms,pig intestines and other stuff, i forgot what they were, but i knew it was gross. Well they dumped it in a blender and we had to drink it from a cup. Who ever can drink the whole cup without throwing up or spitting will progress on to the next stage. Of course, being asian... &lt;_&lt; 

OK! so superworms....nasty little buggers.


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## asdsdf (Nov 7, 2007)

Sparky said:


> wow, why would you want me to suffer? I'm a good boy. Sorry to get off subject, but there was a fear factor show for teens. I think it was aired LIVE near Hollywood. They dumped tuna,worms,pig intestines and other stuff, i forgot what they were, but i knew it was gross. Well they dumped it in a blender and we had to drink it from a cup. Who ever can drink the whole cup without throwing up or spitting will progress on to the next stage. Of course, being asian... &lt;_&lt; OK! so superworms....nasty little buggers.


Don't worry, it's not just you. If someone I knew in school did it too as well, it would be funny... I guess I'm evil. :blink: Anyways, what does it have to be with you being asian? Does that mean you lost on the first round? I have to see that!!!

Ya, I now decapitate all the feeder bugs except for flying things. (Bees I just cut off the venom area.(  Don't worry, they didn't feel a thing.)


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## Sparky (Nov 7, 2007)

asdsdf said:


> Don't worry, it's not just you. If someone I knew in school did it too as well, it would be funny... I guess I'm evil. :blink: Anyways, what does it have to be with you being asian? Does that mean you lost on the first round? I have to see that!!!Ya, I now decapitate all the feeder bugs except for flying things. (Bees I just cut off the venom area.(  Don't worry, they didn't feel a thing.)


NO WAY! I made it to round 4! And lost on the 5th round which was the last one.  

Oh btw the stereotype about asians eating anything, yeah... I was trying to say I won that round.


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## asdsdf (Nov 7, 2007)

OH! :lol: But I'm asian, and there's no way im eating that. *barfs* What did you lose to?

(Play me in starcraft!!! I'll use mantis power! (zerglings))

Ummm.....superworms are bad!! :angry: The only safe(ish) feeder would be flies.


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## Sparky (Nov 8, 2007)

asdsdf said:


> OH! :lol: But I'm asian, and there's no way im eating that. *barfs* What did you lose to?(Play me in starcraft!!! I'll use mantis power! (zerglings))
> 
> Ummm.....superworms are bad!! :angry: The only safe(ish) feeder would be flies.


I had to sit in a mild and safe electric chair and you had to answer questions. If you got the question right, they dumped roaches and snakes on you. If you get it wrong, you'll have to drink a cup of blended organs. You are being shocked every 6 seconds while answering questions.

..Superworms


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## asdsdf (Nov 8, 2007)

Mild? Safe? It must have killed some brain cells. :lol: jk! Wow, though, that's like torture. :blink: 

Ummmm....What other feeder foods strike back?


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## Sparky (Nov 8, 2007)

No, it just shocks your hands and arms.

OH AND ALSO! Crickets can fight back! When I was in Texas, I saw a wasp trying to attack a black cricket and the cricket turned back while upside down and chewed the wasps back.


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