hornworm food

[RealIzeRecognIze]

Got my hornworms today along with extra food this time... it is dry powdery stuff do I need to mix with water I'm assuming and just thro it in there tub? What about provide fresh veg for next day feeders? And is the 3days fridge and 2days out method okay?
One more thing are they good staple food for veiled? (Might breed)

 

[reptoman]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/hornworm-egg-update-72760/

I use deli cups for hatchling all the way to adult for hornworms. You should have gotten mixing instruction with your chow. Where did you get it?

Now I understand your question after reading your post again. as you feed off your worms and get down to no food in one of the deli cups they came in. mix the dry food up and put it in the bottom of one of the empty cups after cleaning it out. Hang onto those cups if you ever plan on breeding your own hawkmoths. They can be washed out a reused many times over.

 

[pigglett79]

There should be mixing instructions on the website you ordered from. It's usually a certain amount of boiling water. Just depends on which chow it is.

I usually put mine in the frig at night and out in the day. I haven't put them in longer than a day, so I can't vouch for it. I also use a mini frig that is on a warmer setting than my main frig.

 

[RealIzeRecognIze]

No instructions unless I over looked them and threw them out... ill just add some water and microwave I guess? The cups I get are upside down with a big staple in the top/bottom with climbing material and food at the top I never saved these but will begin. So maybe I should make another for when I need to clean one and just swap them out?
Are they a good staple food?

 

[RealIzeRecognIze]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/hornworm-egg-update-72760/

I use deli cups for hatchling all the way to adult for hornworms. You should have gotten mixing instruction with your chow. Where did you get it?

Now I understand your question after reading your post again. as you feed off your worms and get down to no food in one of the deli cups they came in. mix the dry food up and put it in the bottom of one of the empty cups after cleaning it out. Hang onto those cups if you ever plan on breeding your own hawkmoths. They can be washed out a reused many times over.

Just read the other thread. Great info! Is the cage necessary..anything else I could use? And what exactly did they lay the eggs on and do the just like the sweet nectar?

 

[pigglett79]

My moths laid eggs on a pothos plant in the cage. I put humming bird feeders in there for them and tomato vines outside the cage.

I posted pics and a video in this thread.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/hornworms-87904/

 

[reptoman]

Since I wanted to use the screen cage for a juvi panther I made my own hornworm rearing box. I just cleaned it out but the hummingbird feeder hangs from the screw sticking out of the wood crossbeam thats ziptied to the box. The dirtbox where the worm pupate sits on one side and the tomato plants sit at the other side. I used a 3" holesaw to cut out the vents and hotglued in some petscreen. I've gone through one round of moths and eggs so far and have several pupating worms in the dirtbox now. Hoping for a nice yeild next time around. I have found that the majority of the eggs are laid on the underside of the tomato leaves and you can just rub them off into a plastic deli cup or whatever you want to use. They bounce like little superballs so you need something a little deeper to keep them from bouncing out.

 

[RealIzeRecognIze]

Nice setups guys and very useful info do they go and pupate at any size? And is just peat moss fine or a special dirt? I've got really nice black soil in my yard under leaves that is soft and always moist with worms everywhere.. would this be fine?

 

[pigglett79]

I use Eco earth, but I think other people use organic soil. You just want to keep it moist and clumpy, like kinda loose. They are usually ready to pupate when they get 3 inches or so and really fat. They might stop eating and you can see a vein throbbing on their back. They might even start looking yellowish and wondering around.

 

[reptoman]

I like the peat moss best. Makes it easy for them to dig into it and start pupating. I mist the peat moss in the sterilite container every couple of days to maintain a little higher humididty. Seems if you let it dry out too much the moths have problems getting their wings to fully form and they wont mate if that happens.

 

[RealIzeRecognIze]

I'm excited to started my worms and moths thanks to you both giving me great ideas and sharing your info.

 

[pigglett79]

Good luck! Can't wait to hear how it goes.

 

[RealIzeRecognIze]

They gotta get bigger first but ill post some pics another question for future reference is just the horn worm chow fine to feed them from my feeder market?