Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Gang: Since my boy will eat the Superworms now, I went looking for a good source to purchase from. Reptile Depot seems to be best in price overall. Is there much difference between one vendor to the next when it comes to superworms? I have high quality gutload and will provide that irregardless of where they are farmed. Also, how long does it take for a Superworm to turn to a beetle? It seems the more you buy at once the more you save, but I don't want to deal with the beetles.

Thanks-Maggie

To me, it's easier to use mealworms than superworms. I only have 3 Jackson's, so I don't need a lot of mealworms. I purchased 100 mealworms in a local petshop in last July, and they just keep breeding and I never bought mealworms after that. I even have more than enough to feed my peacocks which eat MANY MANY mealworms.

The best part is: mealworms need no maintenance. So do superworms, but superworms just don't breed that fast.

I can ship you some to start with if you want.

I think superworms are a great feeder for a few reasons. They're probably the lowest maintenance feeder I keep, almost every chameleon loves them, and they live a long time. Buy 500-1000 of them and stick them in a shallow bin with 2" of peat moss and they'll live fine in there for what seems like forever. They don't turn to beetles in that container, so you don't really need to worry about that. I don't remember when I got my current batch of them but it's been at least 3 months, and they're still fine. I have a gutload mixed in with the peat moss and I feed them fruit or veggies about every third day, just sprinkled on top of the peat moss to give them moisture. You can mist the peat moss every once in a while if you want to, but I haven't noticed a difference by not doing it. I don't really like mealworms since they don't move around as much. Superworms are very active and that gets the chameleon's attention. They are also more of a meal than mealworms, so you can feed one or two a day instead of 6 mealworms. For a long lasting source of food, I say go for it. If nothing else, I can use them temporarily to feed everything while waiting on an order of crickets or silkworms. They're always ready.

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Tyler Stewart
Las Vegas NV
www.BLUEBEASTREPTILE.com

Where do you live? I'd worry less about the price and more about deaths during shipping. Go for the supplier who ships from the point closest to you..... especially in winter. But be careful. I thought NY Worms was close to me (I'm in PA) but they actually ship from the west coast!

As for turning into beetles, if you don't give them much in the way of moisture they'll stay as worms for many weeks. If you buy the small or medium sized superworms they'll stay as worms even longer.