Do Hermit Crabs Eat Mealworms?
Hermit crabs are scavengers, and in the wild have been known to eat just about anything (including stuff we’d consider gross, like dog poop and dead animal!). So do they eat mealworms? Definitely yes!
They are omnivores and the older they get, the more they crave a well rounded diet including meat, which includes worms and insects.
But do hermit crabs like mealworms? And are they healthy and nutritious for them?
A few important facts about mealworms (it’s important to know what you’re feeding your hermit crab pets!):
Mealworms...
- are insects, not worms
- are the larva (baby) form of the darkling beetle
- come in both dried and live form, easily found in most pet stores
- contain protein, fat and fiber and vitamins, healthy for hermit crabs
Do hermit crabs LIKE mealworms?
Hermit crabs can be picky, and they can also get bored with food if there isn’t enough variety.
Mealworms can be a good supplement to a hermit crabs diet, as an occasional treat or limited part of a much wider diet.
And since mealworms contain lots of nutrition for your hermit crab pets, certainly it’s a great idea to see if they like dried mealworms!
In our experience, some hermit crabs will like them and others won’t.
Dried mealworms come in some commercial foods. Most specifically, whole dried mealworms can be found in Fluker’s Buffet Blend for Hermit Crabs food. The mix also contains small food pellet and pieces of river shrimp in addition to the whole mealworms.
DRIED vs. LIVE mealworms
Mealworms are high in nutrients, and a good healthy food to feed to hermit crabs as well as chickens, koi and lots of other animals. But which form of mealworm is best, dried or live?
Dried mealworms actually have a higher nutritional value than live. Why?
Live mealworm is 62% moisture, while dried mealworm consists of about 6% moisture. Once dried, the amounts of protein, fiber and fat increase significantly with protein at about 53%. So dried mealworm is more nutritious than live!
Also, it’s NEVER advisable to add live foods to a hermit crab habitat. Dried mealworm is the best choice for hermit crabs as an occasional treat or inside of a hermit crab food mix like Fluker’s Buffet Blend.
Just don’t assume all of your hermit crabs will like mealworm! Some will like it, and some inevitably, will avoid it and move on to the other things in their food dish.