Mealworms as a staple?

[GingerC]

I hate crickets: they're messy, they stink when you keep them in large numbers, they cannibalize, and they're just generally horrible disease-burritos and I don't want my mantis eating them. Mealworms are an extremely convenient food source because they are easy to raise, and I've solved the problem of them burrowing into my mantis' substrate by putting them in an open deli cup.

But can you actually feed mealworms as a staple? This might be a stupid question, but since mealworms mostly eat what they're living in plus a few fruits and vegetables, I'd be concerned about them having enough protein for a mantis to live off of.

In addition, I can't seem to get George to eat a mealworm; she tried grabbing it once but missed, and hasn't made any further attempts since then. I'm considering chopping one in half for her.

 

[Teamonger]

I am with you on the cricket front, they are the bugs I dislike the most that I'm raising. Super worms wig me out but at least they are clean. I never thought I'd say it but I wish I could get roaches here legally but alas.

I can speak to using them as a staple, I'll leave that bit to more experienced keepers. However have you tried offering various sizes of worms? I've found if my mantis tries to grab it and fails offering a smaller one usually works. Some mantises are just not aggressive enough to handle wrestling a larger worm. I leave mine under a deli cup with the mantis, let the worm scoot around til it gets the mantis's attention.

 

[GingerC]

@Teamonger I scooted her on the butt until she was resting directly over the mealworm cup, and then poked the worm so it would start wiggling... she's now munching halfway through her second one! I'm using the mini size, since I'm also going to try them on my jumping spider; she could probably take a regular one, but it would be a struggle.

I've also wanted to try dubia roaches, since pretty much any feeder roach is going to be way better than a cricket. Crickets are just horrible in every way.

 

[Teamonger]

@GingerC Great news! I would definitely recommend trying roaches if they are available to you, everything I hear puts them way above crickets in every way. I'd do away with my crickets in a second and just use the Black Solider Flies if only my darn Gecko would eat the Phoenix Worms  He tastes them when I offer them and just goes naaaaaaw like a jerk.

 

[crabbypatty]

@GingerC I've been using them as a staple, if they're too big I'll gut and cut them into bite sized pieces. I've raised several mantids from nymphs to adults this way. I hate crickets.

 

[Serle]

@GingerC Great news! I would definitely recommend trying roaches if they are available to you, everything I hear puts them way above crickets in every way. I'd do away with my crickets in a second and just use the Black Solider Flies if only my darn Gecko would eat the Phoenix Worms  He tastes them when I offer them and just goes naaaaaaw like a jerk.

@Teamonger I have asked round but cannot find any roaches , any Canadian  leads?  My larger mantids (tenoderas) won't touch meal worms and they love the stinky little crickets. Crickets are easy on a small scale but I am suspect on their health concerns.

 

[Teamonger]

@Serle I have not been looking for a roach lead cause I have heard horror stories from my friends about people being caught with them. The fines are apparently SEVERE although I have not looked up said fines myself. So I have decided not to play that game. It's one thing to keep mantises as pets knowing if they escaped (the exotics) they could not survive the winter here and another to risk accidentally introducing roaches into our blissfully roach free environment regardless of how awesome a feeder they are. That's just me though, that's my line. I'm not about to say you shouldn't try to find them, that's your call to make. A lot of this hobby is a grey area after all  

If you ever wanted to have a go at setting up BSFs however I would be happy to help you out. They are much less smelly (if a tad more messy) then crickets so long as you like the smell of coffee.

 

[GingerC]

@crabbypatty In that case, yay, no more stupid nasty crickets to deal with! What do you do to gut load them? My crix eat gut loading blocks, with the occasional bits of apple, lettuce, chicken, and fish, as well as the flesh of their comrades. If they'll eat them, I'm guessing the green blocks would be suitable as a water source for mealworms, as well.

 

[Serle]

Dumped in a leaf of green lettuce , should flush them out clean. I only keep enough for a month at a time the smell is a little more contained.

Roaches , I haven't heard that they were prohibited tho we don't want to start infestations..... S

 

[crabbypatty]

@GingerC I just throw in the occasional apple core or potato, they love it. I remove any uneaten food the next day to prevent mold. I grind up oats and use it as their media. 

 

[Teamonger]

Cabbage and broccoli are also great for meal worms as they tend to dry up rather then mold just like potatoes.

 

[Zuzu]

@GingerC Great news! I would definitely recommend trying roaches if they are available to you, everything I hear puts them way above crickets in every way. I'd do away with my crickets in a second and just use the Black Solider Flies if only my darn Gecko would eat the Phoenix Worms  He tastes them when I offer them and just goes naaaaaaw like a jerk.

Compared to crickets, roaches are a godsend. They're much loved above crickets in the reptile community, lol. 

Are you dusting your phoenix worms when offering them to your gecko? My beardie loves dubias, but won't eat them if they are dusted.

 

[Teamonger]

@Zuzu I have not tried dusting them as it was just a hey what do you think of these sort of thing. He's pretty displeased with me in general still (He's a Tokay...) so it might be that. I've never actually seen him eat, the feeders just disappear by the next morning.

 

[Zuzu]

@Zuzu I have not tried dusting them as it was just a hey what do you think of these sort of thing. He's pretty displeased with me in general still (He's a Tokay...) so it might be that. I've never actually seen him eat, the feeders just disappear by the next morning.

I mentioned it because the calcium/vitamin powder might have been a turnoff to him, but since you're not doing that he's probably just a little picky! You actually don't need to dust phoenix worms since they're already so high in calcium. You can try dipping them in juice to make them more appealing to him, and eventually stop adding the juice to see if he's used to the worm.