help with superworms

[unknown91]

so i bought last week some superworms and the guy who gave them to me put some chicken food (i think) into the box. they seemed happy and moving around a lot. i would put their food in there and eat it and bury it and stuff.
after a couple of days i start seeing lots of water drips, and high humidity. after another couple of days (i started to clean the water every day with paper towel from the box) the chicken food was all wet and on the bottom of the box, and they had no more. now i just put them into a box and they seem not to move anymore.
before i buy them chicken food again, how/what is the best way to keep superworms not to die and be happy ?

 

[NHenn]

I keep mine in a plastic container with oatmeal as the main substrate. I use Bug Burger for gut loading so that is what I give them for food. I would feed them what you feed your other feeders as they can be gut loaded. I would not recommend chicken food.

 

[unknown91]

i think it's called bran in english, and i heard it's good for feeders.
and i gut load them with fruits and veggies, do i need anything else ? supplements or anything ?
and why the high humidity ?

 

[carol5208]

I keep mine in a bed of oatmeal as well and feed them everything I feed my crickets...kale, mustard greens, mango, orange, carrots, apples, sweet pepper and I sprink some bug burger over that.

 

[NHenn]

Nope you shouldn't need anything else. I would dust them when you feed them to your cham but no need to give the superworms any supplements.

You don't need high humidity, you want it dry. I'm not sure why yours is producing so much moisture.

 

[unknown91]

i know i need them dry, cuz else the oatmeal and the bran become moisture and have to change it ...
i don't know why the high humidity...

 

[ChameleonKing1911]

Just keep in mind that super-worms turn into beetles. They are large and carry a very strong odor once they turn into beetles. Try to use them faster than say crickets so they dont have time to molt into a beetle

 

[Olimpia]

Superworms aren't like mealworms, they will not turn into beetles unless each individual worm is isolated from the others, so if you have them all in a bin they will remain worms for months, until they either die or are fed off. I buy superworms in lots of 500 and they will last me about 3-4 months until I've fed off all of them. Mealworms however definitely will pupate in the bin whenever they decide to.

OP, are you keeping the superworms in a closed box? I don't know how you are building up that much humidity if you have them in an open bin or container. Perhaps you are throwing in too much wet food?

 

[unknown91]

definitely i'm doing something wrong ...
i bought them just a week ago (max) and after the oatmeal or the bran (not sure) got all moistured they sat in there for maybe 1 day (before i got them new substrate) and now i see 70-80% died (it smells CRAZY).
i separated the dead ones from the living ones, you think it's dangerous to feed her still with the alive ones ?
i'm keeping them in a closed container, yes, but lots of holes for air ...
it might be the fruits raising the humidity, i'll throw them less and see ...

 

[Lazy Boy]

I was getting a smell and damp substrate when I had a lid with holes too. I removed to lid completely and the smell got way less and dried up. I don't run any lid now and all is good.

 

[junglefries]

Keep in any wide bottomed container on crushed bran flakes. Take something like a pringles lid and put greens, fruit, or bug burger on it. Do not let food overflow the lid. Pick up any loose pieces of food from container. The food mixing with the substrate is causing your humidity. Keep in closet, as they prefer dark. Change food out every 2 days. Do this and you have worms for 4-6 months, without one dead one. Simple.

 

[unknown91]

i was putting the greens on top of the bran flakes, so i think that was the problem.
but i keep them in small containers as they're not that many, so how can i separate the flakes from the food ?

 

[pigglett79]

I also put the food on a small plastic lid. I set the lid on top of the substrate and only put the food on that lid. The worms will climb up on to the lid to eat. I do sprinkle the dry gutload in the substrate as well.

 

[unknown91]

ok, i'll try to put a small lid on top of the substrate if you say they climb
thank you all