# A few got loose!



## Guest (Oct 31, 2010)

Should I be worried? 2-4 superworms escaped into my Tegu's enclosure :shock:


----------



## eddyjack (Oct 31, 2010)

Worried? What for the worms? Only if the worms were your pets! Lucky Tegu!


----------



## JohnMatthew (Oct 31, 2010)

After they molt into beetles most of their time will be spent near the surface making removal easy(I usually find beetles under the water/food dishes during routine cleanings. It's not worth the trouble trying find a couple mealworms in all that substrate. If you haven't found a beetle within a few months from now your GU probably just found them first.


----------



## txrepgirl (Oct 31, 2010)

I know it's going to be a pain in the butt, but I would try to take them out of the enclosure. If you leave them in there they can bite your Tegu and it can stress him out. If our Tegu gets bit the skin can get damaged and it can get infected.


----------



## eddyjack (Nov 1, 2010)

I don't think the bug would have the chance to bite! If it did, it might not like the bite it would get back!


----------



## Guest (Nov 2, 2010)

Well now about 10 more got loose in there she tipped her bowl up when she was eating. I tried to get most of them but the burrow into the bedding so quick. Stupid worms. They cant really hurt her can they? Wont they eventually just die?


----------



## Blue Crab of PAIN!!! (Nov 2, 2010)

I am new to tegu keeping so take anything I say with a grain of salt, but If there's absolutely nothing around for them to eat then they MAY try "eating" the tegu out of desperation, although I think they would cannibalize each other long before they do that. I would also be very surprised if their attacks resulted in anything beyond your tegu initially being surprised that lunch came knocking on the door.


----------



## chelvis (Nov 2, 2010)

I've lost countless amounts of super worms in my tegus cage and nothing has come of them. Every now and then i'll find my tegu digging in the bedding bite down and sure enough she's found a super worm or a beetle. I wouldn't worry about it.


----------



## Guest (Nov 2, 2010)

I think the problems start eating their substrate ..


----------



## tora (Nov 2, 2010)

If it's just bugs they're pretty good at picking them out and not eating the substrate. It's when the food is a little damp is the problem. 

I think your tegu will be perfectly fine.


----------



## Guest (Nov 2, 2010)

Thanks for the input and reassurance


----------



## Guest (Nov 3, 2010)

i agree with them, i had a water dragon and sometimes afew got into the substrate and they just went to the bottom of the tank and turned into puppa or however u spell that.i took em out and breed them when they turned into beetles.


----------



## AB^ (Nov 3, 2010)

I had so many superworms escape in my old tegu cages that they turned to beetles and started breeding in there. It's really not a big problem at all.


----------



## Orion (Nov 3, 2010)

The worms will eat the substrate not your Tegu. Crickets will eat your Tegu, dont leave them in the cage.


----------



## AB^ (Nov 3, 2010)

The worms dont eat substrate. They will eat what's in/on the substrate (leftover tegu food ie. turkey, or even tegu feces) 

People should use more common sense with regards to loose insects in a cage.

there's a lot of "it will hurt my lizard, remove them all" and this might be feasible for someone who only has 1-2 lizards.

However with people who keep decent collections with "naturalistic" emclsosures this is not feasible.

sure, if insects are that hungry they can harrass a lizard, so why not just put a small piece of carrot or lettuce in a cage corner on occasion. They most certainly will go after this before bothering a lizard.

Just my 2 cents.


----------



## tora (Nov 3, 2010)

Yeah I agree with the above post. I put extra crickets in with my little gecko that's about the length of my hand, and they don't bother it. They eat whatever else is in the cage. Also, I really do not see how a bug could do any harm against the tough skin of a tegu. Unless your lizard sits there with his eyes open 24/7 and doesn't move if they try and bite it's eyes, then you may have a problem.


----------



## eddyjack (Nov 3, 2010)

That's what I think!


----------

