Live Superworms Care Sheet
Superworms
Superworms (Tenebrio molitor) are the larvae of mealworm beetles. They have four stages of life: egg, larvae, pupa and adult beetle. Superworms grow to their large size by carefully controlling their environment and protein levels.
PetWave Premium Quality Superworms can be added to the diet of many animals to help provide variety in a balanced and naturally nutritious diet. As active movers, live Superworms are also perfect for animals who are stimulated by the movement of live food in order to eat. They are a clean and easily handled food.
Superworms are high in protein and fat so are good for treats and building up young, sick, injured or gravid animals. Like any treat, Superworms should not be regarded as a stable food and always offered as part of a varied and well-balanced diet.
Superworms contain: 59% Moisture, 10% Protein, 13% Fat, 330mg/kg Calcium and 1650mg/kg Phosphorus. No feeders supplied by PetWave are fed any hormones.
Superworms are suitable for feeding to the following pets:
- Lizards
- Frogs & Turtles
- Predatory Fish
- Insect eating birds
- Chickens
- Rats & Mice
- Spiders
- Wildlife
Some delicate pet species can find Superworms hard to digest, due their hard exoskeleton.
Both the larva and the beetles are edible.
Feeding Superworms to Your Pet: Feed the Superworms at a rate that allows your pet to eat them immediately.
|
Type of Animal |
Examples |
Suggested No of Superworms per Meal |
|
Medium Birds, Medium Lizards, Large Fish & Rats |
ButcherBirds, Bearded Dragons, Large Turtles, etc |
5 |
|
Large Birds, Large Lizards, Chickens |
Chickens, Kookaburras, Magpies, etc |
10 |
Remove the desired amount of Superworms from the fridge and store in a darkened position at room temperature for about a day before feeding so that the Superworms become active.
Gutloading is the simple process of feeding your Superworms high quality nutritious foods containing healthy minerals and vitamins supplements, so that the nutrition is passed to your pet. Feed the Gutload to the Superworms up to 24 hours before by putting them in a dedicated container with food covered with Gutload and then dust your Superworms calcium powder immediately before you feed them to your pet. Organic Gutload and Calcium Powder can be purchased online from PetWave.
Feeding Your Superworms: Superworms are veracious feeders and will eat any fresh or rotting fruit, vegetables, grains or grain products. Thoroughly washed fresh fruit and vegetables such as carrot, potato, pumpkin, apple, etc are ideal to meet both their food and water requirements. When outside the refrigerator, always ensure that there is sufficient food for the Superworms, otherwise they might resort to cannibalism.
Housing Your Superworms: Live Superworms can be stored in the refrigerator for months. Their storage container should have a bed of dry bran or oatmeal which serves as both a food and a substrate for the Superworms to burrow in. The cool temperatures slow the mealworm’s appetites which keeps them in the larva stage for longer. The warmer the temperatures, the more your Superworms will eat and the faster they will grow.
If you want to keep your Superworms for a longer period of time, remove them from the refrigerator every week or two for 24 hours & allow them to warm up and eat. Give them a small amount of food (such as carrot or apple) and top up their bran. Remove any uneaten food when you return them to the refrigerator.
Toxic fumes can be very dangerous to your Superworms including insecticides, cleaning products, dog shampoos, flea products, car fumes, smoke, etc.
Superworm Sizes:
- Baby Superworms
- Extra Small Superworms
- Small Superworms
- Medium Superworms
- Large Superworms
Packaging:
Handy tubs & bulk supplies available in most sizes.