Superworms questions

So, I have been digging around on the internet, and I am interested in feeding superworms. The reasons behind this-

1. I cannot always make it to the petstore, I am only 15, but I will be driving in July, so this may or may not be a permanent thing.
2. My crickets either die or get ridiculously loud very quick, considering I only have one T (G. rosea, first tarantula)

I would be feeding the super worms every other feeding, unless I have a supply of crickets at a given time. So, I have some questions.

1. I am trying to feed my tarantula 2 crickets a week, what does this translate to in superworms? 1 worm? 2 worms?
2. How long would they last? I can get a cup of 25 pretty cheap, but feeding 2 worms every other week would mean it would take atleast 6 months to use them all up..
3. I read feed them vegetables. So just cut some pieces up and dump them in the cup along with a little moisture?

Thank you

ForeverTHC said:

So, I have been digging around on the internet, and I am interested in feeding superworms. The reasons behind this-

1. I cannot always make it to the petstore, I am only 15, but I will be driving in July, so this may or may not be a permanent thing.
2. My crickets either die or get ridiculously loud very quick, considering I only have one T (G. rosea, first tarantula)

I would be feeding the super worms every other feeding, unless I have a supply of crickets at a given time. So, I have some questions.

1. I am trying to feed my tarantula 2 crickets a week, what does this translate to in superworms? 1 worm? 2 worms?
2. How long would they last? I can get a cup of 25 pretty cheap, but feeding 2 worms every other week would mean it would take atleast 6 months to use them all up..
3. I read feed them vegetables. So just cut some pieces up and dump them in the cup along with a little moisture?

Thank you

Click to expand...

I'd say a superworm is worth a good 3 'large' crickets. They last a long time at room temperature and are very easy to keep. I bought a dozen in January and fed the last one out in June, still alive and well. ^ months shouldn't be a problem.

I put them in with a bunch of dry wood and they munch through it, occasionally I will put in potato or carrot for moisture (I've tried other things, but they tended to rot). The carrot and potato just dry up and are cleaner. I never noticed any of the fruit/vegies get eaten at all, but they went through the wood like crazy. I also put some oatmeal at the bottom. Other than that I kept them dry.

Here's the thing about superworms, though....many t's just aren't crazy about them. Out of 19, I have maybe 4 or 5 that will take them and my rosehair wants nothing to do with them. The ones that will take them generally only get them right after they molt, as they are a big, fatty meal that plumps them up quicker than crickets. They are a great solution, IF your t will eat them.

As for your feeding, your t would be fine with one cricket a week, or even every other week. I feed mine 1-3 times a month, one crcket per sitting and she's a nice plump old lady. This species has low food requirements and are very often over-fed.

If she'll take a superworm, one or two a month would be more than enough.

The worst I've heard about superworms is that they're fatty, but not as bad as mealworms. I pick up a bunch as an occasional treat for my lizards now and then, but I just fed some to my B. emilia for the first time, and it was such a blast watching her suck them up, I just kept them coming, and she had four. I wonder whether tarantulas are better at self-monitoring their food intake than herps, because those can become morbidly obese in the care of an overenthusiastic owner.
Crickets are my least favourite food animal, and did you know that one of the country's most amazing roach guys lives in your state? Possibly even in driving distance. I am a huge fan of roaches as food - unlike crickets, they don't stink and die. I was skeptical at first, but I ordered my first bunch (dubias) along with something else, just to try them out. I'd only ordered a few for a snack, but when I unpacked them, I found they'd had babies in transit. That was the end of crickets for me. And having them reproduce at my house means I've always got a full range of sizes. Just something to consider.

I feed superworms occasionally. You'll want to make sure your t takes it right away, or it will burrow and pupate and then become a nasty beetle. My slings like the worms cut into pieces from time to time. I also have a dubia colony but most of my t's won't eat them. ( A couple do, finally!) Right now nothing beats crickets that all of my t's will eat. Yes, they stink, chirp and die quickly...[emoji16]

4 superworms in one sitting for a B. emelia is a bit ridiculous IMO, that's a month+ worth of feed.

T's are opportunistic and when they will also easily feed themselves to obesity if given the opportunity. Yours is on the fast track ATM Drache...lol


I agree though, roaches may be a better option, but not for just a single t, especially a single t that's very prone to long fasts. You'll have roaches coming out of your ears in no time...but you can always sell the excess of roaches I guess.

Crickets are almost universally liked by t's...As poec54 described them...there's a reason why they are the backbone of the t industry.

Thanks for the quick responses and help. And yeah... I wish I could start feeding roaches but my mom would not allow that. (I know, she allows filthy crickets in her house T_T)
Also, I'm aware of the burrowing and biting and everything. I was going to crush the head first.

Crickets last when they're kept in a dry plastic cage, no substrate, good ventilation. I put papertowels on the bottom, and give them pieces of romaine lettuce for food and water both. Keep them moist and they die.

Poec54 said:

Crickets last when they're kept in a dry plastic cage, no substrate, good ventilation. I put papertowels on the bottom, and give them pieces of romaine lettuce for food and water both. Keep them moist and they die.

Click to expand...

Thank you for the tip. I had coco fiber in a deli cup to hold my crickets. I replaced it with paper towels and put lettuce in and picked up 2 crickets and fed one, I currently have the other in the deli cup.

cold blood said:

4 superworms in one sitting for a B. emelia is a bit ridiculous IMO, that's a month+ worth of feed.

T's are opportunistic and when they will also easily feed themselves to obesity if given the opportunity. Yours is on the fast track ATM Drache...lol


I agree though, roaches may be a better option, but not for just a single t, especially a single t that's very prone to long fasts. You'll have roaches coming out of your ears in no time...but you can always sell the excess of roaches I guess.

Click to expand...

Thanks - she's on an extended fast now. She'd not been much interested in roaches recently, so she hadn't eaten in a while and I was surprised at her level of interest in the supers. I did think that was a lot.
As for the roaches - one can control their breeding by getting a sexually dimorphic species and staying on top of things - a tad more work, but worth it for the free food. Dubias are easy that way.

the thing about superworms, they are super sturdy and durable. and dont climb. no problem with keeping them alive for ages.

-put them in box with some (3-5 cm) bedding like rice or bran or oathmeal or cornflex or coco flour. they use that for bedding and food. change bedding every month or so.
-next need protein source. this is a must. because superworms are super cannibalistic. if you dont provide protein, they will attack each other. use cat or dog food or fish flakes.
-next you need fresh veggie&fruit for moisture, also a must. because they will eat each other othervise. put moisture source in plastic bowl or something so you dont have direct contact with the bedding, you'll
get mold after 2-3 days if you dont.
- dont put extra moisture or mist the bedding, you'll get mold. if smell mold anytime, change bedding ASAP!

good thing about the whole cannibal thing is that you will never have to worry about dead superworms stinking up the bedding somewhere down there. they clean it all up for you

they are easy to care for unlike crickets and live a long time. my last months and months until i feed them all off. unlike mealworms they will not change into beetles unless isolated.

they do however have large powerful jaws. take care with this! i always cut off the jaw part of head before putting them on their way to meet gods. they live 2-3 dais more then die.
if you fail to crush head properly, they will burrow, change into beetle and eat your pet.

superworms make great feeder. for slings, just cut them up.

all my T & Scorps eat them. i go to great lengths to provide variety with diet. mine get several tipes of roaches, superworms, locusts, butterworms, wax worms, baby mice and as a treat piece of chicken&beef&duck meat. mine eat all