Moldy mealworms... Still safe?

[Poly]

My friend had purchased 300 mealworms at the same time I purchased mine. Mine have been growing, eating, pupating into beatles, etc. but hers are still rather small, she forgot an orange slice in thier container (no idea how long it was in their) and green mold spread all over the cheerios she was keeping them on. She said it was either I take them, or she would throw them out... nevertheless, I took them.

Now, the nasty job of finding the survivors... well I was shocked, what resilient insects! There were only about 22 dead mealworms, the rest, all still alive!

After two hours of picking them out, one at a time, here is what I had:

Around 270 mealworms left.

30 ro so larvi:


9 beatles:


Anyhoo, seeing as how these were kept in poor conditions, and likely ate the mold, are they still safe as feeders now? I have them in new... clean... containers.

Thanks!

~Royce

[merp]

I wouldnt risk it. They probrably have gotten some bacteria or mold inside them.

[Poly]

I wouldnt risk it. They probrably have gotten some bacteria or mold inside them.

Yeah, that's what I figured.

[Kurt]

They're find. One of the insects that I feed smaller frogs are springtails, which regularly feed on mold. In fact I put springtail cultures into many of my tanks, specifically to eat mold in them, regardless to the size frog inhabiting said enclosure.