Dried mealworms may therefore cause the hamster to eat more than it needs as a result.ĭried mealworms may also raise the risk of obesity or malnutrition, especially if you feed your hamster large amounts of them on a regular basis. This is because they contain less water than living mealworms do. As the names suggest, they are demarcated by their color shade and size. Of these, the yellow mealworm is the most abundantly found species. obscurus) and the giant mealworm ( Zophobas sp.).

If you want to feed your hamster dried mealworms, you should probably only give them as an occasional treat. There are three types of mealworms, namely, the yellow mealworm ( Tenebrio molitor ), dark mealworm ( T.

Are dried mealworms bad for hamsters to eat?ĭried mealworms are not bad for hamsters, but fresh ones are better and safer. The cold temperature slows down their metabolism and they will stay alive for a few days without food or water, so you can keep them with you until it is feeding time. If you do not mind buying them fresh every few days, this can be done by putting live mealworms in a jar with holes in the lid and placing the jar in the fridge. Therefore, dried mealworms should probably only be fed to the hamster as an occasional treat.Ī safer option is to feed your hamster living mealworms instead of dried ones, but only if you are willing to provide a constant supply. This raises the risk of obesity or malnutrition. However, dried mealworms contain a lot less water than living mealworms do, so it is likely that the hamster will eat more to compensate for this lack.

Mealworms contain high amounts of protein and calcium, which makes them an attractive snack for small pets. 1 Are dried mealworms bad for hamsters to eat?

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