# Dead mealies



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I just bought a container of 100 mealworms for Lily, for her holiday treat (I haven't been able to buy them for a couple of months). But today I was checking on them, and it seems like the majority of the worms are dead. -_- There's still some that are alive and seem okay, but definitely less than half of them. I'm not going to bother trying to get my money back, as I've already thrown the dead ones out, but I'm concerned about whether it's safe to feed the live ones to Lily. Should I just throw them all out and find someplace else to buy my worms in the future, or should they be okay to feed?


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Don't feed any of them. If there are more than a couple dead, I will not feed. Go down the page and read about my beautiful Luke who died from contaminated mealworms. http://thehedgieden.webs.com/therainbowbridge.htm

I didn't even know those meal worms were contaminated because there were so few dead. It's not worth the risk.


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

I am NO expert, but my instincts tell me to through them all out, just in case. However, you might want to wait for a better opinion then mine.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Wow Nancy, that's horrible...I'm so sorry that something so stupid ended in the death of a sweet little baby like Luke.  Thank you both for your replies, and I definitely won't feed any of them to her. That's the direction I was thinking, but just wanted to check. I think I may find a new pet store to buy mealies at too...I don't want to take any chances.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Always open the container before you purchase it and dig through the top portion of the container. You will find out quickly that way if it is worth purchasing or not. I have found containers that were dry on top but soaking wet near the bottom, black mealworms, dried out mealworms, etc. I've never had a store employee say anything to me... they know what I'm doing, I'm looking for healthy mealworms.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Some stores will also remove the dead ones so you think you are buying a healthy container. I had that happen at another store a while after we discovered the cause of the illness and death was mealworms. As the girl walked out of the back with the mealworm container she commented that she'd picked all the dead out. UM NO! Don't want it now. Call me paranoid.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Another good reason to just grow your own... at least you know what conditions they are being raised in and what food they are being fed.


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