How to Care for Superworms

How to Care for Superworms

Superworm Substrate, Substrate for Superworms. Care of superworms, what does it take to take? Before you learn how to care for superworms, you must first understand why they are important. Superworms are a special type of beetle larvae. If you keep reptile pets, birds, turtles, chickens, ducks, spiders, you can feed them super worms. You can also feed the pets giant mealworms. Why not use giant mealworms instead? Well, one of the differences between those foods is the former grows naturally, while the latter is treated with growth hormones.

Considering the risk involved in feeding pets worms treated with growth hormones, it is advisable that you learn the best superworms care. The most important things you need to care for your worms are sufficient food and the right habitat. Breeding your own superworms is a brilliant idea, and you will save so much in the process. To do this, allow the worms to live out their life cycle until they turn into beetles. Once they turn into beetles, you move them to a different habitat where they can breed and produce more superworms for you.

What are superworms?

Zophobas morio is a species of Darling beetle, also known by the common name superworms, Morio Worms. The adult creatures are only about 2 inches in length, but they grow quickly, reaching about 5 inches when fully grown.

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How to care for superworms: Living Conditions of Superworm Substrate

Can you put superworms in the fridge? The answer is no, because the ideal temperature is around 70 degrees, and they are tropical. If you put superworms in the fridge or keep them in the fridge, the temperature is too cool, and they could die quickly.

Find a good plastic container, which will act as their home. Alternatively, you can also use an aquarium. The container size might differ from one store to the other, but make sure it has at least a three-inch gap between the top and the substrate. The substrate refers to the material you put at the bottom of the container. A good substrate for superworms should double up as a soft resting place for the worms, and as food too.
Some of the best materials you can consider as substrates include uncooked oatmeal, wheat bran, and bran. These are materials whose moisture content is just the right amount, making the living conditions bearable for the superworms.

Remember that superworms are burrowing animals. With that, ensure you have sufficient substrate material. Anything more than four inches will be perfect. If you add the best substrate for superworms to the container, make sure it is dry. This helps to balance the moisture in the container. Too much moisture can be fatal.

Bearing in mind the fact that the worms might crawl out of the container, try to find a container with smooth sides all around. The next thing you should think about in super worms care is ventilation. There is a lot of confusion about super worms and other breeding insects. While some insects can be forced into hibernation mode by refrigeration, this does not work for superworms. If you put them into a freezer, they will die.

Ensure the container has sufficient ventilation. Cover the container with a mesh lid, or if you do not have that, poke small holes on it. Try to make the holes very tiny, such that the worms cannot crawl out.

How to care for superworms

How to care for superworms

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Maintaining a Healthy Environment, Substrate for Superworms.

You must maintain the optimal temperature to keep the superworms healthy. Like we mentioned earlier, superworms are not mealworms. Refrigerating them will kill them. Superworms thrive at room temperature. Therefore, keep the temperatures between 21 and 27 degrees Celsius. If you live in an environment where temperatures keep fluctuating, keep the worms in a section where you can maintain a consistent temperature. Occasionally, the worms can survive even if the temperatures increase or drop slightly from the room temperature. While they might survive, this will interfere with their growth.

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How to care for superworms and what to feed superworms

The next thing you should learn about how to take care for superworms is proper feeding. Like most worms, superworms are nocturnal animals. Most of their feeding happens at night. Vegetables and fruits are ideal for superworms. To make your work easier, you can also give them leftovers. Foods like slices of apples, potatoes, fresh vegetables, and carrots are perfect because they provide sufficient moisture for the worms.

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How to care for superworms: How to keep superworms?

Another thing you must remember about how to care for superworms is that they will eventually be fed to your pets. Therefore, to keep your pets healthy, your superworms must also be fed healthy. Give them fresh food. Do not moisten their living conditions. Do not pour water into the container either. Direct exposure to water will cause serious health problems for the superworms.
Breeding

Monitor the superworms frequently, especially if you are breeding them. You can allow some worms to grow into beetles, which will eventually save your finances in the long run. You need different containers to breed superworms.

Have smaller containers that will act as chambers. Just as you did with the large container, make sure the small containers are properly ventilated. Follow the same procedures for the substrate too. Monitor the worms and separate them from their larvae. If you do not do that, they can get stuck in the larvae stage for up to a year. Isolating the larvae from the worms helps them grow into pupa.

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How to care for superworms: Superworm Pupa Stage

What do superworms turn into?

It will take the worms around 10 days to move from the larvae stage to the pupa stage.  You know the worms have turned into pupa when you notice them curled into round balls. This is a very delicate stage, and they can be fed on by adult beetles and the larvae. Remove them and place them in their own containers. Ensure each superworm pupa has its own growth container with all the ingredients they need to thrive.

How to care for superworms: Superworm beetle care

You need another set of containers prepared in good time before the pupa turns into beetles. This will be their breeder. Make sure the plastic containers also have smooth sides, or the beetles will crawl out. For the superworm substrate, only use an inch. To enable the beetle’s breed, insert a section of an egg crate into the container. Ensure the breeding container is ventilated properly. As soon as the life cycle of the superworms comes full circle, and they turn into beetles, transfer them into the breeding containers you have prepared. Beetles will keep breeding and producing new super worms until they die.

Like any other animal, the beetles must also be fed daily. Give them fresh food, just, in the same manner. Remember that if you do not feed the beetles well, they will in turn feed on their eggs.

how to care for superworms: How long do superworms live?

They will live for around 4-5 months. Adult beetles will live for around 3-4 months, in this period, they will lay eggs.

 

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