Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I decided to try to switch Echo over to mealworms so I bought a small tub at Petsmart last night (payed waaayyy too much, but whatever. They were close, and I didn't know if she'd take them at 2 months so I wanted to get a small quantity)

Anyway, they came in a small plastic tub and they were packed in oatmeal. i don't know if there was anything else mixed in there, or if it was just straight oatmeal. I threw some small chunks of carrots and apples in there and sprinkled some herpivite on the fruit and oatmeal to gutload them. Now here's the question: What else should I be doing? Do they need more to load them up? Other than mixing up the veggies I give them, what do I need to do to make them nutritious?

Oh, and the good news is that she took them. She pounced on the strange little things and thoroughly enjoyed her dinner. I'm so happy to be off those stupid crix!
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Blaine

0.0.1 HY/Patternless/Normal Leo (Echo)

LeoLoverLizardLounge.com is one of the best resources for info on mealworms care. I have my lot in a very large plastic container with a mix of oatmeal, baby rice cereal, fish flakes, wheat germ, bran flakes, a gutload i recieved from the place i got my mealworms, carrots, cricket gutload and calcium/vitamin supplements. I am also working on my own colony, so far the worms are very very tiny

Red
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Crested Gecko Zeek:1.0
LEOS: Boo: 1.0 normal , Bronx & Nala: 1.1 blizzard,
Lily: 0.1 patternless, Abby: 0.1 albino, Zoe: 0.1 reduced pattern, Dot: 0.1 hypo
Chip: 1.0 papillion (small dog)
2.0 bettas

...on how your colony works out. I was just reading up on breeding them, and it doesn't seem too complicated. I might start breeding them to see how it works out.

It still amazes me that getting one pet means getting a second...
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Blaine

0.0.1 HY/Patternless/Normal Leo (Echo)

Ok no problem. My colony is going, but the worms are so small you can barely see them. I have my beetles in a different container. Last time i tried this i got whats known as BOOKLICE. Small white bugs that eat the shed skin. They aren't really harmful, just very annoying. They were everywhere too. I stunk up the house with raid and bleach with all my cleaning. I used up the worms and was rid of the problem. The bugs came from my cricket cage apparently. Bad lot of crickets. I'm so glad i don't use them anymore!!!

You've written me two other messages, i'll reply to them directly I've got MSN open and two chats going alot with ICQ, i'm going typing crazy LOL.

Red
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Crested Gecko Zeek:1.0
LEOS: Boo: 1.0 normal , Bronx & Nala: 1.1 blizzard,
Lily: 0.1 patternless, Abby: 0.1 albino, Zoe: 0.1 reduced pattern, Dot: 0.1 hypo
Chip: 1.0 papillion (small dog)
2.0 bettas

...did it take you to go from 1" mealies to the time you got babies?

I was just reading that it takes 10-15 days to go from 'alien' to beetle, and 1-3 weeks to get hatched eggs. But how long did it take to get 'aliens' from worms?

Another site said that the beetles have wings. Can they fly well?
The site also said they were quick and bite hard. Have they bitten you at all?

Thanks
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Blaine

0.0.1 HY/Patternless/Normal Leo (Echo)

It took a while actually. Seemed like forever from the time i got the beetles to the time i started to see the baby worms. It really doesn't take long to go from worm to alien though. The shippment of 4000 worms i got a few weeks ago have already started to produce aliens. As for the beetles.....never ever had one bite or try to fly...The worms however......hehe, i tried to wash off the ones i had when i had the bug problem.... darn things clung onto me like i was trying to drown them LOL
I've never been bit by any of the bugs i've fed.

I think its pretty cool to actually be breeding my own. I'll most likely still keep ordering them as my colony isn't at a point to support itself yet.

Red
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Crested Gecko Zeek:1.0
LEOS: Boo: 1.0 normal , Bronx & Nala: 1.1 blizzard,
Lily: 0.1 patternless, Abby: 0.1 albino, Zoe: 0.1 reduced pattern, Dot: 0.1 hypo
Chip: 1.0 papillion (small dog)
2.0 bettas

blah!
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Blaine

0.0.1 HY/Patternless/Normal Leo (Echo)

where do you order them from and how much do they cost? i am a student trying to keep lots of animals on a limited budget, and i want to rid myself of the crix as well and hopefully start my own colony of mealies. thanks for any help

-chip

I'm in canada, so I can't speak for american suppliers, but I'm going to start ordering from Port Credit Feeders in Mississauga.
I know there are tonnes of online shippers in the states though. Google should throw you a bunch.
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Blaine

0.0.1 HY/Patternless/Normal Leo (Echo)

>>where do you order them from and how much do they cost? i am a student trying to keep lots of animals on a limited budget, and i want to rid myself of the crix as well and hopefully start my own colony of mealies. thanks for any help
>>
>>-chip

I order mine from CanadianFeeders.com, the are wonderul. Prices are great too Reminds me that i have to order some more soon

Theres alot of suppliers out there, i'm sure you'll find some

Red
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Crested Gecko Zeek:1.0
LEOS: Boo: 1.0 normal , Bronx & Nala: 1.1 blizzard,
Lily: 0.1 patternless, Abby: 0.1 albino, Zoe: 0.1 reduced pattern, Dot: 0.1 hypo
Chip: 1.0 papillion (small dog)