Mealworm Beatles good or bad?

[D.J.]

I have two thistle mantids that are taking mealworm Beatles, I just want to make shure that they are safe to eat? I behead the Beatle and show them the insides then they take it.

 

[Ruaumoko]

theyll more than likely take the whole beetle with head still attached. My whallis loved um.

I always figured that because the worms were fine the beetles would be as well

 

[hibiscusmile]

ya they are ok!

 

[twolfe]

I've tried live darkling beetles for my b. Mendica, and they won't eat them. I have used them as emergency food for my Texas Unicorns, and some of my females do eat them. I usually tried to get fresh beetles before they harden. However, my female Texas Unicorns prefer the larvae (mealworm) stage over the adult (beetle) stage.

 

[D.J.]

They are eating them one taking whole and one taking headless

 

[twolfe]

I guess my gals are pickier or prefer flying insects.

 

[D.J.]

I guess my gals are pickier or prefer flying insects.

ya mine are trained to eat of the tongs

 

[D.J.]

ya they are ok!

Ya my two are ones you produced

 

[Orin]

Your spelling of Beatles is interesting. Adult mealworms produce quinones but the thick exoskeleton is more of a deterrent.

If you feed the mantids mealworms the cage should be bare-bottom and not too tall or some mantids won't bother going down to the bottom.

 

[Rick]

Why wouldn't they be fine?

 

[D.J.]

Well I'm a reptile guy and they hate the adult mealworms so I just wanted to make shure that they where safe

 

[lancaster1313]

The quinones don't seem to bother the mantids as much as they bother reptiles. I don't think that the smell bothers them much at all (maybe it is because they have no nostrils?). As Orin posted, your chances are better if you make sure the mantids notice the beetles.

I don't usually feed the beetles to anything because I don't like the smell. It seems to stay in my nostrils for a while after I mess with them. YUCK!