# Mealworms... and stubborn mother



## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

I want to feed my hedgie live mealworms, but my mom will not let me keep mealworms in the fridge (she is absolutely grossed out by the fact that live worms would be sharing living quarters with our veggies and fruits)...

Is there an alternative? :/


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

You can buy just enough mealworms to last about 2 weeks or so. Then you don't have to keep them in the fridge. Keep them on bran/oatmeal, as well as giving them fruit or veggies every few days, and you'd be good to go.

Or, you can buy superworms. They don't turn into aliens without getting "stressed" such as putting them alone with no substrate in a dark place. However, you will have to crush/cut off their heads before feeding.


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## Amy1024 (Mar 18, 2010)

What I did was I kept the container the mealies in a grocery bag and then hid it in the fridge and she completely ignored it. Now she knows there's worms in her fridge but they've been there long enough and she didn't see any free moving worms in there so she gave in. My mom's completely grossed out by worms too :lol:


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## nessariel (Mar 3, 2010)

My mother is the same way! :lol: I froze the mealworms, and thaw them individual to feed them to Winston. She objected less to dead mealworms in her freezer than live ones in her fridge.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Immortalia said:


> You can buy just enough mealworms to last about 2 weeks or so. Then you don't have to keep them in the fridge. Keep them on bran/oatmeal, as well as giving them fruit or veggies every few days, and you'd be good to go.
> 
> Or, you can buy superworms. They don't turn into aliens without getting "stressed" such as putting them alone with no substrate in a dark place. However, you will have to crush/cut off their heads before feeding.


I would do that, but the pet store I frequent only takes orders which are 100 mealworms at a time (they have to order them, as they are not readily available) @[email protected]

Maybe I should check a reptile store?

How many should I get if I want them to last 2 weeks?


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Any place that is reptile oriented should have plenty of mealies of different quantities. Usually they aren't chain stores, and you could probably bargain for a smaller # with one of the employees- usually they are not sold in cups of under 50, I believe. You might try posting on Craigslist or a similar local classifieds to see if anyone nearby raises them and would sell some to you.


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

Another idea you could always try to get around it is to have your own mealworm farm and then you wouldn't have to worry about keeping them in the fridge. The mealworms would just be able to go through their different cycles and if you ended up with too many you can always feed them to the birds outside.


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## jdlover90 (Jun 14, 2010)

Maybe you could just explain to your mom that they are in a container so they can't get out in the fridge?? I didn't have this problem since I have a fridge in my garage too, and we don't keep food in there. So I keep my mealworms in there. Hmmm....there are lots of good suggestions on here, so take your pick.  And good luck! lol


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## tie-dye hedgie (Dec 19, 2009)

Could you buy a cheap little mini fridge to keep them in, in your room. You can also put your own things in them too.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

I could, but that would mean more furniture :/

We try to not buy as many things as possible, because we rent apartments, so we move often.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Update:

I just ordered 100 mealies from the pet store.
How long can they last (before they turn into larvae) if I leave them out at room temp?

Also, around how many should I feed my hedgie (per day, per week, etc)?


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

Blue ice squares? Purchase two, keep one in freezer, one in a lunch bag with the mealworm container. Swap out each day.


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

Mine pupated pretty fast, I think within a day or two. Actually, I had a few pupae when I brought the stupid things home, so obviously a couple of them had done it at the store, despite being kept in a minifridge. (Maybe they did it before they were put in there, actually.) It's best to keep them cool, I think, and thaw them only when you want to feed them to your piggy.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

krbshappy71 said:


> Blue ice squares? Purchase two, keep one in freezer, one in a lunch bag with the mealworm container. Swap out each day.


I may do that, because that is a very good idea... but also seems a bit of a nuisance. I will see if I can convince my mother, because that would be the most ideal :/



Sela said:


> Mine pupated pretty fast, I think within a day or two. Actually, I had a few pupae when I brought the stupid things home, so obviously a couple of them had done it at the store, despite being kept in a minifridge. (Maybe they did it before they were put in there, actually.) It's best to keep them cool, I think, and thaw them only when you want to feed them to your piggy.


****, I was told that they can last up to a month without being put into the dormant stage... but I guess I will have to figure out a way to convince my mom, or to use krbshappy71's idea of the lunch bag.
Hopefully none of them hatch into beetles!
I have no problem with them as larvae, I just don't want them to turn into beetles because I don't think I would have the stomach for that :/


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

To be honest, I think the beetles look nicer. << I didn't have the heart to feed them to Loki after that first one, so I let them go in my garden.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Sela said:


> To be honest, I think the beetles look nicer. << I didn't have the heart to feed them to Loki after that first one, so I let them go in my garden.


I don't think I could feed the beetles... but I don't think I would be ok with finding a surprise beetle in a plastic tub... just like... there... what if it flies at my face D: ahhhh!
If the beetle escapes, then it will probably become my cat's lunch though xD


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Don't worry, none of the darkling beetle species can fly. Quite harmless.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

LizardGirl said:


> Don't worry, none of the darkling beetle species can fly. Quite harmless.


Well that makes me feel slightly better about them beetles haha x]
I am just terrified of flying insects, unfortunately


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

shaelikestaquitos said:


> LizardGirl said:
> 
> 
> > Don't worry, none of the darkling beetle species can fly. Quite harmless.
> ...


Me too, especially moths, they are just so fluttery. ICK


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