Meal worms from a petsmart?

[Ol Grey Mare]

*some* mealworms for commercial sale are chemically altered to prevent pupation... resulting in a prolonged larval stage and bigger worms...but this means no eventual beetles so no start to a worm farm. Additionally, not all growers feed "clean" and what goes into the worms goes into your birds. *i* would find a local source for starter stock (there are small and larger growers all over the place). If you arent sure where to look let me know.

 

[Kris5902]

*some* mealworms for commercial sale are chemically altered to prevent pupation... resulting in a prolonged larval stage and bigger worms...but this means no eventual beetles so no start to a worm farm. Additionally, not all growers feed "clean" and what goes into the worms goes into your birds. *i* would find a local source for starter stock (there are small and larger growers all over the place). If you arent sure where to look let me know.

Any lines on good, clean worms in Vancouver Island, BC, Canada? There’s a reptile specialist store in North Van I know of and trust, but it’s a long ways from me now... I wonder if I could maybe breed my own from commercial stock? It’s a cheap investment to start with. I know some reptile worms are dusted with vitamin and mineral supplements, which also scares me...

 

[Chickassan]

Petsmart mealworms are fine for breeding. If the container says "super sized" mealworms those are good for treats but you can't breed them they're sterile. If the container says "superworms" you can breed those but it is a process. You have to take single worms and seperate them so they don't touch other worms, stop feeding the ones you seperate and just wait for them to pupate into beetles. Once beetles happen, you put them together and breed more.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Also the superworms have x-ray vision and don't care for kryptonite

Almost did a spit take when I read this! Hahaha!

 

[Chickassan]

I don't know of any good sources where you are located, but a source here in the U.S that i'd reccomend is rainbowmealworms.com. They ship very healthy, clean insects. The dusting powders that concern you are vitamin D and calcium, neither of which would harm your birds if they did ingest them.

Any lines on good, clean worms in Vancouver Island, BC, Canada? There’s a reptile specialist store in North Van I know of and trust, but it’s a long ways from me now... I wonder if I could maybe breed my own from commercial stock? It’s a cheap investment to start with. I know some reptile worms are dusted with vitamin and mineral supplements, which also scares me...