Mealworms are an indispensable staple food source for many reptile owners, providing both protein and essential vitamins. Unfortunately, their hard exoskeleton can make digesting them challenging.
Feed your gecko a variety of feeder insects such as dubia roaches, crickets, superworms and wax worms for optimal digestion and higher calcium content than mealworms.
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Mealworms are easy to raise
Mealworms, or larvae of Tenebrio molitar beetles, are simple and straightforward to raise. Available at local bait shops and pet stores alike, mealworms have long shelf lives if stored properly with humidity levels maintained at optimal levels in an airtight container with plenty of humidity.
Assuring that mealworms receive adequate nutrition is easy with fruit and vegetable-rich meals like apples, carrots and potatoes as staples – why not also mix in leafy greens for extra variety?
Supplementing geckos’ diets with extra vitamins and minerals such as ReptiCal or Reptivite powdered mixes may also prove useful, giving their geckos an additional boost of nutrition.
Although mealworms make for an excellent staple food source, it’s wiser to mix them in with other feeder insects such as crickets and Dubia Roaches in order to prevent overfeeding, which can lead to digestion issues, difficulty chewing food properly, and excessive waste production. Furthermore, you might consider offering your leopard geckos waxworm treats once or twice each week as treats to encourage them to eat and gain weight.
They are a nutritious food
Mealworms provide nutritious food for geckos, so the proper storage is key to their wellbeing. When starting your own colony of mealworms, select a large, clear container large enough to house all of them, with an airtight screened lid to provide proper ventilation and keep out any other insects that might enter through vents in its lid – this also prevents moisture build-up that can lead to mold or bacteria growth within its confines.
Regularly remove feces, shed skins, and any debris from the container in order to ensure cleanliness and reduce mold or bacteria growth risk, thus improving mealworm health. You should also replace substrate frequently to keep it from becoming stale or harboring bacteria.
Feed your mealworms vegetables to boost their nutritional intake and ensure they thrive, encouraging their natural foraging behavior. However, try to avoid feeding dried or dead mealworms to your leopard geckos as these lack key vitamins needed by leopard geckos.
They are easy to store
Mealworms can be stored and maintained easily if you follow some simple guidelines. These include creating an ideal environment for their storage container, regularly cleaning it out and monitoring their health; additionally, remove dead worms to avoid mold growth in your container.
Mealworms should be stored in a dark and cool area to slow their development and extend their lifespan before pupation occurs. Furthermore, you should add some potatoes as bedding material so they receive adequate hydration.
Once the mealworms have reached room temperature, it is time to begin feeding them nutritious food such as leafy vegetables, fruit and bug grub for gut loading. Keep an eye out on their appearance so you know when they’re ready to feed to your gecko; also helpful is keeping a record of them so you can track their development throughout their natural lifespan.
They are easy to feed
If you want to feed your leopard gecko mealworms, they can be purchased from any pet store or bait shop. But before making your purchase, always read and verify the label to make sure you are purchasing mealworms as opposed to similar-looking but sterile feeder insects known as giant mealworms (Zophobas morio). Giant mealworms contain S-Methoprene hormone which slows their transformation into beetle larvae making them larger than regular mealworms.
Once you’ve acquired mealworms, place them in an airtight container with a lid and store in the refrigerator. The cold temperatures will slow their development so they last longer before pupating into beetles and eventually becoming beetles themselves.
Feed your gecko only live mealworms whenever possible for easier digestion and more nutrients in its diet. A disadvantage of freeze dried mealworms could be they might tunnel under bark and branches and consume decor items in its habitat.