# Live Mealworms



## Gooly165 (Aug 16, 2016)

So, I've been thinking about trying to use meal worms as a way to tempt my grouchy hedgie out the ball of quills she's been. I happen to have a bunch on hand since they are the staple diet for my leopard gecko. My question is though, when I feed them to my gecko, I have to gut load them first off of these: https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Orange-Cube-Complete-Cricket/dp/B000634JJE They make the worms nice and fat and lively, but would the calcium and vitamins that come in the cubes would harm my hedgie?

Also, is it even necessary to gut load the worms before feeding? Or do you just feed the worms as-is? I plan to stop by the pet store later to get a few more containers to have separate if need be.


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## Hammy (May 3, 2015)

Some people gut load, some people don't. In a couple threads from a while ago individuals mentioned using apples, carrots, and other things from the treats list.

Personally, I gut load mealworms with carrots and kale.

Someone else will have to come by and check out Fluker's Orange, since I'm not confident there. However, I do use Fluker's Orange on insects for my reptiles as well, so I'm looking forward to seeing a more educated response for you.


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## Overquill! (Aug 16, 2016)

Those orange cubes are horrible. They ferment and start smelling like alcohol, or they dry up. They're expensive as well. My roaches won't eat them, neither will crickets or superworms.

If you want to gutload there are a couple of options. A slice of carrot works, so do some rolled oats or steel cut oats. Some people use a piece of sweet or regular potato. If you want a pre-made gut load, Repashy makes two products, Bug Burger and Hydro-load. Here's their website: http://www.store.repashy.com/by-product-type-en/fruit-fly-culture-supplies-en/

I give Spike (my hedgie) a few superworms as a treat every so often. I don't bother gutloading them because superworms come packed in a "sawdust" material which is actually food for them. If you give them anything else they sometimes start eating each other. It's important to cut the heads off of superworms before feeding them to your pets, as they not only bite hard, but they can literally eat their way out of a pet if swallowed whole. I saw this happen to a young crested gecko once.


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## cwallace4runner (Sep 28, 2016)

Overquill! said:


> Those orange cubes are horrible. They ferment and start smelling like alcohol, or they dry up. They're expensive as well. My roaches won't eat them, neither will crickets or superworms.
> 
> If you want to gutload there are a couple of options. A slice of carrot works, so do some rolled oats or steel cut oats. Some people use a piece of sweet or regular potato. If you want a pre-made gut load, Repashy makes two products, Bug Burger and Hydro-load. Here's their website: http://www.store.repashy.com/by-product-type-en/fruit-fly-culture-supplies-en/
> 
> I give Spike (my hedgie) a few superworms as a treat every so often. I don't bother gutloading them because superworms come packed in a "sawdust" material which is actually food for them. If you give them anything else they sometimes start eating each other. It's important to cut the heads off of superworms before feeding them to your pets, as they not only bite hard, but they can literally eat their way out of a pet if swallowed whole. I saw this happen to a young crested gecko once.


Hedgehogs chew their food though don't they? So it would never burst out of its stomach like an alien.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

I can't be totally sure because I haven't dealt with super worms in a long time. 
But other animals, people included, will still have some nervous function when they are dead. A prime example of this is chickens. Chop their head off, they will still run around for a bit. Cut an earthworm in half, it still wiggles. 
So if you chop the head off a superworm, and don't feed the head, you don't have to worry about any residual nervous function.


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