superworm beetles

[Duane Howell]

Hi hello all.
Was wondering how safe superworm beetles are to Bearded dragons? Does anybody feed their dragons these? Or has anybody had bad experiences with feeding their dragons superworm beetles? I have read a few posts on other sites with mixed responses. Was also wondering which is harder to digest.... meal worms or these beetles?

 

[MillieD]

My beardie eats the superworm beetle larvae (superworms) and really enjoys them. I would imagine the hard shells of the beetles are hard to digest so I would recommend the superworms (as long as your dragon is adult or almost full grown).

 

[Duane Howell]

Was thinking the same thing. Mine is 8 years old. I have tried giving him larvae, but he spits it out after the first bite hahaha. Even the small meal worm larvae he doesn't like. I have been giving him the beetles as soon as they have emerged and still soft. haven't had any problems with them. Will be looking out for any abnormalities after feeding him one or two of them.

 

[PatsyB]

Apparently the beetles give off a bad scent when they sense danger, making them unappetizing. For awhile I tried raising my own super worms and lots of people told me that if you touch the beetles, your hands are going to smell and it's hard to get the it off. I always used tongs so I never had a problem.

 

[Duane Howell]

I've also read that. Maybe its just my nose, but I've never smelled anything. He usually spits out the food he doesn't like. But goes mad for them. Got so many of them. maybe I must start breeding them hahaha.

 

[PatsyB]

I've never smelled them either but I never wanted to find out!

 

[Duane Howell]

I've noticed the superworms do have a smell to them. But he seems to like them. If he can eat only supers he will eat them all day long hahahaha. At the moment I'm trying to get him to eat less of them. I.ve got a very picky eater. So it has been a struggle. He hates greens and almost never touches them. I trick him into eating some. I have been speaking to a well known specialist ( Dr Lambarini ) who has been helping me with some tips. He says he also had beardies refuse to eat veggies. So now mine gets a variety of insects all gut loaded with the veggies he was supposed to be eating.

 

[PatsyB]

What were some of the tips he gave you to get him to eat his greens? I have a VERY stubborn female that refuses her greens and she's 3 years old. I've tried EVERYTHING to get her to eat them and she refuses. I just make sure her feeders are eating her greens but I'd like for her to eat them.

 

[Duane Howell]

Seems we got the same problem. I have tried loads of stuff except for starving him. I have tried a huge variety of greens and fruit. Tried making them move to "seem" alive, even cut them to look like bugs hahaha. I've put baby purity on them. Sprinkled them with vitamin powder, let them float in water. Even stuck some on the bugs with some honey. But as soon as he realizes its vegies he spits them out and gives me the evil eye lol. The worms mixed in his salad (even supers) gets spat out when he tastes the veggies. So now every now and then I make him eat some purity and stick a piece of veggie in his mouth when he licks his lips. If you got any advice let me know plz...

 

[Hdrydr31]

I sure wish I knew!! Izzy likes to eat her collard greens, dandelion greens and kale but I can't get her to eat any veggies I just keep trying different ones, she doesn't seem to like fruits so far I think she might like cranberries jellied, she tried a peach she spit out a apple and rubbed her face on her cork platform I put some of her salad mix in a bowl and I also put some in with her bugs for the day so hopefully she gets some when going after her bugs..

 

[Duane Howell]

Larry also goes for the bugs in his salad, but spits all out when he gets the taste of the veggies. And where I stay kale and dandelion are hard to get hold of. I have never seen it in shops. tried some I picked from the veld, but didn't even have a go at it. He comes and asks for food. But as soon as I offer greens or anything else that doesn't run around he turns around and runs off. Will just keep on feeding his live food the greens he is supposed to eat.

 

[Hdrydr31]

sometimes I have to move the greens around with tweezers they love movement.

 

[Duane Howell]

Tried that.... even made veggie bugs with stems as legs and dragged them around too. No luck hahahaha

 

[PatsyB]

You've tried all the things I have! I rolled the collard greens to look like a hornworm and sprinkled it with calcium, she ate one then gave me the look. She doesn't spit things out, she eats it but refused to eat more after it. I've done the greens in water. I made a veggie smoothie and put it in her bowl and put some supers in it, she was interested in it until the supers stopped moving right away and died! They are really stubborn!

I mentioned in another thread that on FB I talked to someone about making a what I call a veggie smoothie but everyone else calls slurry. I've tried this with Dexter in the past and it worked for a min. This girl put bee pollen in hers and the beardie not only drank it but ate it's salad the next day!

 

[Duane Howell]

Bee pollen? Ill try that. My uncle a bee farmer. Will try get some today. Yesterday I offered him a few greens and he ate it. Was so happy. Maybe after 8 years he decided to eats some hahahaa

 

[PatsyB]

The bee pollen is either in powder form or granules and you sprinkle it on their food like calcium powder.

 

[Duane Howell]

Ok thanks for that info. Will give it a try. If I can get him of his new perch I put in his tank lol. Since putting it in he hasn't come of it. He even falls asleep on it. The only time he gets of is to take a poo. Then he will come up against the glass. Bumps a few times and waits to be taken to the bathroom hahahaha.

 

[Hdrydr31]

The bee pollen is either in powder form or granules and you sprinkle it on their food like calcium powder.

Where do you get your bee pollen?

 

[PatsyB]

Where do you get your bee pollen?

I bought mine from a vitamin store it came in granules but I put it in my nutribullet and made it into a powder. Bearded dragon.co has it online and I think some people have gotten from Amazon or Ebay.

 

[Hdrydr31]

I'll have to check my vitamin store then I think it would be good to add into Izzy's diet, how often do you do it? every meal?