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okay to freeze mealworms? #153469
10/05/06 05:45 PM
10/05/06 05:45 PM
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,486
Albany, NY
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Posts: 1,486
Albany, NY
I've had my gliders since this past spring when they were joeys, but I've never fed them mealworms. I guess I was just too skittish about having bugs in my house and having to pick them up (I know...I'm a bad/wimpy mother!), I don't like bugs.

Anyways, I recently discovered that my female is pregnant, and I know she needs extra protein now. So I went out and bought live mealies from Petco. My question is...would it be alright to freeze the mealies, and feed them to them frozen/dead? I'm concerned that they would freeze in one mass, making me unable to pick them up except in a big block. Has anyone done this, or can anyone think of any reason not to? If I need to feed them live, I will. Just thinking of possible alternatives to handling live creepy crawlers, lol.

Also...I wonder if they'll even know that they're for eating. They haven't had any in the six months I've owned them. I hope they'll eat 'em...

Edit: okay I feel silly now. I peeked in the container the mealies came in expecting there to be a pile of squiggling worms, but they came in some sand/dirt substance, and they're not moving and are pretty stiff. I assume they're already dead? Guess there's no need to freeze them, then, huh...? The container did say live worms. I'm confused.

Last edited by RSXTC; 10/05/06 06:14 PM.
Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: RSXTC] #153485
10/05/06 06:17 PM
10/05/06 06:17 PM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 306
Gainesville, FL
Blue02celi Offline
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Gainesville, FL
Oh they know they're for eating. I have that can o mealies stuff, I keep it in the freeer so they are hard when I give them to mu suggie, so yes its ok. After freezing, it doesn't feel like a mealie so might be better for you (until it thaws the feels like can of worms again)
Personally I want to give mine live ones, haven't fed her them yet, sometimes its funny watching them eat it. And same for crickets (in a bag). Put them in the fridge for a while, they'll die, and no hoppies running around your house smile


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Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: RSXTC] #153486
10/05/06 06:17 PM
10/05/06 06:17 PM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 306
Gainesville, FL
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Blah, keep hitting the button twice

Last edited by Blue02celi; 10/05/06 06:19 PM.

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Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: RSXTC] #153493
10/05/06 06:32 PM
10/05/06 06:32 PM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 11,015
MA
pappy1264 Offline
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MA
They sell 'can o worms' which are basically 'cooked in the can'. I started out with these as Timmy had never had mealies before. If you got live ones, they will begin to move when they warm up. First out of the fridge, they are almost in a hibernation stage. Although if they black or really hard, they could be dead. I never feed those ones to my two. Leave the container out for a little while, you will be able to see them moving. Btw, I use tweezers, so my two get the benefits of live food and I don't have to deal with wiggly gigglies in my finger! lol (Btw, they also have can o' crickets, can o' grasshoppers as well! You should be able to get them at Petco, they would be in the retile isle, not the fridge.)

Oh, I wouldn't freeze them. Just buy smaller amounts (they come as small as 50 and you will be amazed how quickly you go through them! lol)

Good luck!

Timmy & Gidget's mom
Mary


Timmy, Gidget(RIP), Bandit, Petey(RIP), Phoebe, Jake (RIP) Piper(RIP), Pru(RIP), Paige, Cole, Molly(RIP), Oliver, Wyatt, Roo(RIP), Romeo, Pennie, Mandy(RIP), Madison, Garth, Kikipoo, Stasia, Bella, Petunia(RIP), Helen, Sydney, Kizzy and Sweet Pea's mom,
Mary
Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: pappy1264] #153499
10/05/06 06:42 PM
10/05/06 06:42 PM

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wave
They should be somewhat wiggly if alive, like said, they are inactive if refridgerated and once left out they will wake back up. Poke a few to see if they react.

Any black or ridgid ones are dead and shouldn't be fed. You can freeze them if you like, this will kill them but they will be fine so long as you keep them frozen.

You can also store them in the fridge and they will stay alive but hibernate.

Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: ] #153538
10/05/06 08:36 PM
10/05/06 08:36 PM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 16,087
Manitowoc, WI
BeckiT Offline
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Posts: 16,087
Manitowoc, WI
I bought the can of worms, hoping they'd be dead.. they smell horrible and some of the darn things were still alive :O So, they went to my son's turtles and I got live emalworms and some feeding tongs, lol...

Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: BeckiT] #153543
10/05/06 08:51 PM
10/05/06 08:51 PM

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I place my small mealies in the fridge, and at the time I remove them they're pretty stiff. Give them a few seconds of heat just sitting in the food bowl and they're wiggly. Best way to handle them and have live insects, in my opinion.

If you get the superworms, I believe it is NOT okay to freeze them. They are the ones I hate handling. I actually spoon them out, like a wimp. haha

As far as freezing the normal size mealies, discard them once they turn black.

I keep the smaller mealies in my butter bin in the fridge. I keep the superworms in a small critter keeper. I just dump them in the keeper with their "bedding." My girls actually LOVE getting to chose their own, so I open the lid and they hop over, lean their entire body inside the plastic box, and grab a mealie with such speed. I would definitely feed live mealie if you could, they just enjoy it so much. smile

Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: ] #153552
10/05/06 09:21 PM
10/05/06 09:21 PM

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Yeah, I do that with live crickets. I don't do bugs either so I just hold the cricket bucket in the cage and they hang upside down on the side and get to shop for the one they want. It is so funny to watch. I'm glad they like to get their own or they wouldn't be getting them from me. Ewwww!!!

Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: BeckiT] #153553
10/05/06 09:24 PM
10/05/06 09:24 PM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 11,015
MA
pappy1264 Offline
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They were alive??? Wow, never heard of that! But I agree, they do stink! lol

Timmy & Gidget's mom
Mary


Timmy, Gidget(RIP), Bandit, Petey(RIP), Phoebe, Jake (RIP) Piper(RIP), Pru(RIP), Paige, Cole, Molly(RIP), Oliver, Wyatt, Roo(RIP), Romeo, Pennie, Mandy(RIP), Madison, Garth, Kikipoo, Stasia, Bella, Petunia(RIP), Helen, Sydney, Kizzy and Sweet Pea's mom,
Mary
Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: pappy1264] #153580
10/05/06 10:53 PM
10/05/06 10:53 PM

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Just out of curiosity, about how many mealies are in the can? I'm always tempted to buy it, but figure they'd be weird to handle (especially since the label says they're packed in "natural juices" um...GROSS!) haha

Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: ] #153582
10/05/06 11:05 PM
10/05/06 11:05 PM

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What I do is buy them in bulk from grubco. It's about 11 dollars including shipping for 1000 of them. I throw the bag they come in in the freezer for about 5 minutes and then shake them all off of the newspaper when they're hard and still (not dead yet) then I just pour them into a zip lock bag and stick it in the freezer and leave it there. I got mine about a month ago and they're still good as can be sitting in my freezer. They last forever which is really nice and a whole lot cheaper then going to the store and getting the can o worms for 5 or 6 dollars a can and then having a dirty smelly can that you have to mess with. When the mealies are frozen you just take them out and feed them to your gliders. Mine will even eat them frozen they don't care!

Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: ] #153634
10/06/06 01:13 AM
10/06/06 01:13 AM
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,486
Albany, NY
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Albany, NY
Update:
I woke the kids up shortly after posting to see if they'd eat a mealie. As everyone said, a few minutes after the worms were out of the fridge, they started squirming (EW!), so they DEFINITELY weren't dead like I thought they were...just hibernating. I used tweezers to pick 'em up, and the kids snatched them and ate 'em right up!

So it wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined it would be, and I really don't mind feeding them live mealies, so long as they're in this hibernation state. I was imagining huge fast-moving worms that would escape in my bedroom, but thank goodness that's not the case, heh.

Thanks for all your answers, guys & gals!

Edit: someone asked about price/quantity - I bought 50 mealies for about $2.50 at Petco. Not too shabby.

Last edited by RSXTC; 10/06/06 01:14 AM.
Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: RSXTC] #153667
10/06/06 08:42 AM
10/06/06 08:42 AM

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I've never had a mealworm escape, but I've found crickets sitting in odd places (on my wall by the bed, on the bathroom floor, on the staircase) that somehow mysteriously escaped their fate. I always feel like they deserved to be set free outside after spending several days avoiding cats, dogs, and feet. haha no mealie escapes, though...so far. Ew.

Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: pappy1264] #153680
10/06/06 09:39 AM
10/06/06 09:39 AM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 16,087
Manitowoc, WI
BeckiT Offline
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Posts: 16,087
Manitowoc, WI
Yep, the can of mealies that I bought had about a dozen of them that were still alive shock I can't imagine how they survived the cooking. Hope the turtles finish them off soon, lol... I just picked up 1000 live from the pet store for $8 last night, a lot cheaper than the $3 for 50 that I had been paying.

Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: BeckiT] #153872
10/06/06 10:55 PM
10/06/06 10:55 PM

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Wow, that's such a good price and no shipping. What pet store was it? It is a chain or mom & pop?

Re: okay to freeze mealworms? [Re: ] #153901
10/07/06 01:18 AM
10/07/06 01:18 AM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 16,087
Manitowoc, WI
BeckiT Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
BeckiT  Offline
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Posts: 16,087
Manitowoc, WI
It's a little mom and pop shop, hard to even get to them because they're open really weird hours and only a couple hours on Saturday even... It's not really even a pet store so to speak, it's a pet and garden store, lol... They sell reptiles, fish and birds, pet supplies, lawn mowers and lawn stuff and plants, lol...


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