Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Are giant mealworms the same as regular mealworms just giant in size or is it something totally different? I ask because a while ago some people were talking about a type of large worm that had some kind of growth horomone in it that was harmful to leos. I couldnt find these posts though. Also, do you guys store your mealies at room temp or in the fridge? I heard storing them in the fridge makes them dormant and thus they dont eat so they arent that healthy a food for the leo. But is it bad to house them in room temp? Thanks.

Rob Woods

giant mealworms are mealworms, feed hormones. its a myth though that they are bad for your gecko. they are feed a hormone that they naturally make, so that they do not pupate, therefore growing longer and larger. its perfectly fine to store them a room temperature.
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Do you have to cut the heads off of giant mealworms? I heard they can burrow out of the leos stomach and kill it. I cut the heads off tonight when i fed them but my leo didnt seem interested since they werent moving at all. Thanks

Rob Woods

no thats another myth. if the mealworms arent killed simply by being chewed up, the stomach acids will kill them.
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your head will collapse, but there's nothing in it, and you'll ask yourself, "where is my mind"

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Thanks for the help. My leo hadnt been eating the crickets i was feeding him lately so i tried mealworms. he didnt go for the headless ones at all a few hours ago when i tried feeding but i threw in about 7 or 8 live ones and he ate them all right away.

Rob Woods

I don't risk feeding giant mealworms to my animals. I don't like anything that smacks of controlled growth... Its not natural for mealworms to produce the amount of hormone fed to them to keep them in the larval stage...It would take increased amounts over a period of time to keep them at that stage of life. Why risk it? Superworms are widely available and better anyway.. they naturally stay in their larval stage unless stress pupated seperately.

Growth hormones are fed to chickens, cows, and pigs. It's why so many little kids are going through puberty younger and younger. So unless you're vegetarian, you have no way of avoiding "controlled growth."

It's the same for superworms. Some breeders feed them a kind of yeast that makes them grow faster instead of at their normal pace. As for the hormone that's fed to the giant mealworms, that's a hormone that every bug in the larval stage produces (treated or untreated), so chances are, you're feeding it to your leo anyway.
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I agree that superworms are the better choice. Plus they are stored at room temperature and the mealworms have to stay in your fridge. They are also easier to gutload since they dont hibernate in the fridge.

mealworms dont HAVE to be stored in the refrigerator, people just do that so they dont pupate.
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your head will collapse, but there's nothing in it, and you'll ask yourself, "where is my mind"

if you have AIM, IM me at chichandoCONrosa