Mealworms vs. Phoenix Worms-Taste

Hello-

I am curious what everyone's experience is with phoenix worms. My gecko does not seem to like the taste of them. He readily eats mealworms and crickets. He has tried phoenix worms a couple of times but doesn't seem to like them. When I tasted the phoenix worms I didn't notice much of a difference in taste compared to mealworms. Anyone else experience the same thing with their gecko?

Thanks-
Les

Did i read that right? You tasted both worms? Kinda strange IMO. lol.

But it all depends on the gecko, what his taste buds are and what he feels like eating. Its always good to keep variety with your feeders.

Heres info value with both worms:
Phoenix Worms
Phoenix worms are another great feeder insect. They would be a great staple diet, except for the fact that they are just so expensive, averaging $6 a cup for about 35-50 worms, and extremely high in calcium (no suppliment is needed if you use phoenix worms as your staple feeder). Rich in calcium, the Phoenix Worm Larvae - Hermetia illucens - makes an ideal food for most animals that don't readily feed. They wiggle intensely exciting the feeding process. They also stay fresh in their cup for weeks at room temperature or even longer if kept at an optimum temperature of 50º - 60º F and they do not need to be fed. Even better, they do not make noise.

Mealworms
Mealworms, Tenebrio Molitor, are easy to raise and breed, and some of the bonus points are that they don't smell, and they don't make noise like crickets do, plus it is less likely that your feeders will pass a parasite infection to your herp. Mealworms are easy to feed either by a bowl or tong feeding (by hand) and you can feed the pupa (aliens) or adult mealies to your herp with great success as a staple feeder. They do have a lower nutritional value so using a rotation of insects will help make up any short comings in nutrition when using mealies as a staple. Remember to keep mealies refrigerated to prevent pupating and take them out 48 hours prior to feeding so they can wake up and be gutloaded.

Hope this helps.

lclaypool20 wrote:Hello-

I am curious what everyone's experience is with phoenix worms. My gecko does not seem to like the taste of them. He readily eats mealworms and crickets. He has tried phoenix worms a couple of times but doesn't seem to like them. When I tasted the phoenix worms I didn't notice much of a difference in taste compared to mealworms. Anyone else experience the same thing with their gecko?

Thanks-
Les

lol Fear factor style! My geckos don't like them either, but i don't know why.
what did they taste like btw?

lclaypool20 wrote:Hello-

I am curious what everyone's experience is with phoenix worms. My gecko does not seem to like the taste of them. He readily eats mealworms and crickets. He has tried phoenix worms a couple of times but doesn't seem to like them. When I tasted the phoenix worms I didn't notice much of a difference in taste compared to mealworms. Anyone else experience the same thing with their gecko?

Thanks-
Les

One of my geckos eats them up, the other will take them out of the bowl, chew a little bit, walk to a corner spit it out, and repeats.

this thread is so funny to me. pheonix worms because the "craze" about 5 years ago in all the reptile magazines and i decided my beardie HAD to have them. So i ordered a big box and was so excited when they were delivered (i had never tried mealworms before because my mom at the time wouldnt let me have anything in her refridgerator). I put them in a bowl and after a few days my beardie at maybe 3 pheonix worms. Never touched them after that. He only likes crickets now wont touch any worm or canned foods. Ugh waste of money! They looked delicious to me!

lol he tried the bugs his gecko is eating awwwwww hehehehe thats amazing

Iclaypool20 your name is now down for "I'm a celebrity" and seeing as you're trying them without having to I think we might have it in the bag this year.

A leo's sensitive taste system can likely pick up things our human inferior taste systems can't such as levels of minerals, different bodily fluids, etc. We are really one of the simpelist set ups for taste in the animal kingdom. Leos however rely on taste for many different things from pheramone reception to scent distinction etc. so your leo is likely detecting things whenever could. Another thing that might be putting him off phoenix worms is that they are a really soft bodied bug and when you have a herp that is use to a bug with a bit of shell on it sometimes that change can be off putting.