Beardomania
Juvenile Dragon
- Messages
- 190
There are many sources out there saying that bearded dragons shouldn't be fed (many) mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) because they have a shell that is difficult to digest and they are too fat. People say that superworms (Zophobas morio) are also too fat to be used as a staple though the shell is easier to digest however, I have heard of people raising healthy beardies on superworms as the sole source of protein so with a careful eye on obesity signs, I have went ahead with that and so far see no negative impacts. Because the nutritional content of superworms isn't remarkably different from that of mealworms (citation 1 below), I have a suspicion that the bad reputation of mealworms is also at least mostly folklore.
I have heard some people on thier board saying they feed mealworms (though not exclusively) without issue and will not be dissuaded by rumors of their ills. Today, I came across a video that is a mealworm breeding guide which presents evidence that an adult bearded dragon fed on a high mealworm diet (supplemented with crickets) will not produce negative effects.
Mealworms are much cheaper to buy and faster to breed/grow than superworms. They require no pupation chambers to enter the pupal and adult phases which further reduces the effort needed to raise them, however, the main drawback to this is that it also means that when you order bulk, you cannot use them little by little as you can with superworms because they will move their life cycles forward on their own.
Just as with superworms, you can also feed your bearded dragon pupae or freshly emerged adult beetle (white-cream colored wings) to increase the protein while decreasing the fat and hard shell content.
I have come to the realization that my incredibly great deal from Rainbow Mealworms purchasing 2,000 large superworms for $43 shipped was a fluke and an incredibly rare offer, as they have since run out of large superworms, then run out of medium superworms, then run out of small/all superworms altogether. The price for 1,000 never changed for size either. I contacted them for when the large will be offered again and they said not in the forseeable future. The regular price for 2,000 large superworms is closer to $140 on Amazon. So I am now in search of a new source of food for my dragon with about 2 month's supply of superworms left in my rearing tanks to buffer my search efforts. Breeding was not easy as the young require heat and moisture to hatch but will die if mold begins to grow and also require 5 months to reach a large size. It seems that I will give mealworms a go and report on the issues/successes. At $34 shipped for 5,000, the price is right for a trial.
Citation 1. http://www.grubco.com/nutritional_information.cfm
I have heard some people on thier board saying they feed mealworms (though not exclusively) without issue and will not be dissuaded by rumors of their ills. Today, I came across a video that is a mealworm breeding guide which presents evidence that an adult bearded dragon fed on a high mealworm diet (supplemented with crickets) will not produce negative effects.
Mealworms are much cheaper to buy and faster to breed/grow than superworms. They require no pupation chambers to enter the pupal and adult phases which further reduces the effort needed to raise them, however, the main drawback to this is that it also means that when you order bulk, you cannot use them little by little as you can with superworms because they will move their life cycles forward on their own.
Just as with superworms, you can also feed your bearded dragon pupae or freshly emerged adult beetle (white-cream colored wings) to increase the protein while decreasing the fat and hard shell content.
I have come to the realization that my incredibly great deal from Rainbow Mealworms purchasing 2,000 large superworms for $43 shipped was a fluke and an incredibly rare offer, as they have since run out of large superworms, then run out of medium superworms, then run out of small/all superworms altogether. The price for 1,000 never changed for size either. I contacted them for when the large will be offered again and they said not in the forseeable future. The regular price for 2,000 large superworms is closer to $140 on Amazon. So I am now in search of a new source of food for my dragon with about 2 month's supply of superworms left in my rearing tanks to buffer my search efforts. Breeding was not easy as the young require heat and moisture to hatch but will die if mold begins to grow and also require 5 months to reach a large size. It seems that I will give mealworms a go and report on the issues/successes. At $34 shipped for 5,000, the price is right for a trial.
Citation 1. http://www.grubco.com/nutritional_information.cfm