Lesser Mealworms / Buffalo Worms
SKU:
CA$2.50
CA$2.50 - CA$8.00
per item
Alphitobius diaperinus
Aside from being good bone & bin cleaners, and cleaner beetles for arid environments, their larvae are highly active & nutritious little feeder insects!
They can be kept as you would Superworms or Dermestid Beetles.
Orders are packed in cornmeal with a piece of vegetable for moisture.
Larvae-only orders are packed in cornmeal with a bit of Repashy SuperLoad.
Larvae Sizes of 1.25 cm (0.49 inch) +, unless a specific size is requested.
Our Buffalo Worms are a little over 1.3 cm (0.5 inches) long, at their maximum.
As a Feeder Insect:
Their larvae are high in protein, amino acids, and essential minerals, while being low in fat & carbohydrates.
They also have a thinner exoskeletons compared to similarly-sized Mealworms & Superworms.
Buffalo Worms (& Beetles) don't bite and are safe for baby reptiles, amphibians, & spiderlings.
Buffalo Beetles can't fly.
Unlike Mealworms, they don't appreciate being too cold and can't be kept in the fridge, but feeder orders should last at least a couple of weeks, if kept at room temperature in a cool & dry place. Just remember to give them a new vegetable piece (or a piece of prepared Bug Burger) if the one they have has dried out or becomes rotten/moldy.
Buffalo Worms are smaller than Mealworms, but they're very wiggly and quickly attract the attention of a variety of pets!
They can bolt into loose substrate very fast though, and you may want to use a feeding dish for slower/shy eaters.
We're currently raising our larvae/beetles on a grain mix, (corn, bran & oats) and feeding them Repashy Bug Burger, as well as a variety of fresh vegetables. They're also offered a bit of egg or a f/t feeder mouse every couple of months.
Bone & Skeleton Preparation:
On their own, Buffalo Worms & Beetles work best on specimens that are wetter and/or a little further along in the decaying process than those preferred by Dermestes maculatus-- but we've found this to be incredibly useful when using them for bone and skull cleaning with Dermestid Beetles, as they prefer decay that is too wet for Dermestids, and will make overly wet/rotten parts of a specimen more suitable for them.
When kept with Dermestes maculatus, they may begin to out-compete them if regularly kept at or above 29℃ (84℉).
As a Feeder Insect:
Their larvae are high in protein, amino acids, and essential minerals, while being low in fat & carbohydrates.
They also have a thinner exoskeletons compared to similarly-sized Mealworms & Superworms.
Buffalo Worms (& Beetles) don't bite and are safe for baby reptiles, amphibians, & spiderlings.
Buffalo Beetles can't fly.
Unlike Mealworms, they don't appreciate being too cold and can't be kept in the fridge, but feeder orders should last at least a couple of weeks, if kept at room temperature in a cool & dry place. Just remember to give them a new vegetable piece (or a piece of prepared Bug Burger) if the one they have has dried out or becomes rotten/moldy.
Buffalo Worms are smaller than Mealworms, but they're very wiggly and quickly attract the attention of a variety of pets!
They can bolt into loose substrate very fast though, and you may want to use a feeding dish for slower/shy eaters.
We're currently raising our larvae/beetles on a grain mix, (corn, bran & oats) and feeding them Repashy Bug Burger, as well as a variety of fresh vegetables. They're also offered a bit of egg or a f/t feeder mouse every couple of months.
Bone & Skeleton Preparation:
On their own, Buffalo Worms & Beetles work best on specimens that are wetter and/or a little further along in the decaying process than those preferred by Dermestes maculatus-- but we've found this to be incredibly useful when using them for bone and skull cleaning with Dermestid Beetles, as they prefer decay that is too wet for Dermestids, and will make overly wet/rotten parts of a specimen more suitable for them.
When kept with Dermestes maculatus, they may begin to out-compete them if regularly kept at or above 29℃ (84℉).