Can i breed my KingWorms? :S :)
- Thread starter NewOwner
- Start date
ciafardo 4
New Member
Yes but first they must turn to beetles other then that i dont know they are not that expensive so why bother?
BocaJan
New Member
There are some good places online to search out, try Google. That's how I found out how to do it. Anyway, here are some directions.
Get some nice plump worms at the pet store. Put them in some oatmeal (raw please) with a chunk of potato. Let them eat and poop for at least two weeks.
Get some covered cups like what salsa is served in or the individual little cup of cole slaw in a deli. We have a Fresh Burrito place by us that uses these cups. Put one worm in each cup. Punch a hole in the top with a thumb tack and set the cups in a dark warm cabinet or drawer. They will shed if needed then curl into a C shape for a couple weeks and then pop out of that skin into a crysalis. This crysalis takes about 2-4 weeks to develop. It will then start to turn brown, do a little shed (you will see the legs emerging) and then one day you will see this beetle. It starts out being very light colored, but darkens over the next couple days.
I take the beetle out of the cup and put it in a plastic shoe box with a mixture of wheat germ and oatmeal with a chunk or two of potato. Take the lumpy part of an egg carton (cup off the flat part) and turn it upside down covering your beetle. They will pile into one or two of the cups and hang upside down in there, warm and dark.
They will eat the meal and the potato, slowly. After about 4-5 days they will mate and start laying eggs which you will probably never see. When the eggs hatch the worms will be sooooo tiny you probably won't notice them. In about a month the teeny worms will grow big enough for you to see them, but not to feed to your cham.
This is a slow process, but you will realize hundreds of worms. The beetles will start to die off in about 2 months, but the worms will be growing.
Again, keep them warm, but don't worry about fresh potatoes, they seem to like them better when they have been sitting in the bin for weeks. One day you will pick up that piece of potato and see the worms are eating a hole in the potato. If you throw away the hardened potato piece you may be throwing away worms.
Don't feed them off until they get large, about 2" and fat.
I put worms into the cups about every month so I have an ongoing batch. I have 5 chams and am propogating 12 every month. If you have any young chams they can eat the smaller worms. My little ambilobe (4 months) loves the worms and gets 3/day along with about 8 1/4" crickets.
Good luck - it takes a long time but it is interesting and once they start you will have a nice colony.
Get some nice plump worms at the pet store. Put them in some oatmeal (raw please) with a chunk of potato. Let them eat and poop for at least two weeks.
Get some covered cups like what salsa is served in or the individual little cup of cole slaw in a deli. We have a Fresh Burrito place by us that uses these cups. Put one worm in each cup. Punch a hole in the top with a thumb tack and set the cups in a dark warm cabinet or drawer. They will shed if needed then curl into a C shape for a couple weeks and then pop out of that skin into a crysalis. This crysalis takes about 2-4 weeks to develop. It will then start to turn brown, do a little shed (you will see the legs emerging) and then one day you will see this beetle. It starts out being very light colored, but darkens over the next couple days.
I take the beetle out of the cup and put it in a plastic shoe box with a mixture of wheat germ and oatmeal with a chunk or two of potato. Take the lumpy part of an egg carton (cup off the flat part) and turn it upside down covering your beetle. They will pile into one or two of the cups and hang upside down in there, warm and dark.
They will eat the meal and the potato, slowly. After about 4-5 days they will mate and start laying eggs which you will probably never see. When the eggs hatch the worms will be sooooo tiny you probably won't notice them. In about a month the teeny worms will grow big enough for you to see them, but not to feed to your cham.
This is a slow process, but you will realize hundreds of worms. The beetles will start to die off in about 2 months, but the worms will be growing.
Again, keep them warm, but don't worry about fresh potatoes, they seem to like them better when they have been sitting in the bin for weeks. One day you will pick up that piece of potato and see the worms are eating a hole in the potato. If you throw away the hardened potato piece you may be throwing away worms.
Don't feed them off until they get large, about 2" and fat.
I put worms into the cups about every month so I have an ongoing batch. I have 5 chams and am propogating 12 every month. If you have any young chams they can eat the smaller worms. My little ambilobe (4 months) loves the worms and gets 3/day along with about 8 1/4" crickets.
Good luck - it takes a long time but it is interesting and once they start you will have a nice colony.
Breeding Superworms
Why would you want to? 1,000 Supers is $18.00 to $20.00 on internet sites, and with shipping added in on top of that, you are only paying 2-1/2to 3 cents per worm. If you just want to do it for the experience, go for it, but to save money, raise silkworms from eggs, or Dubia roaches.
CHEERS!!!
Why would you want to? 1,000 Supers is $18.00 to $20.00 on internet sites, and with shipping added in on top of that, you are only paying 2-1/2to 3 cents per worm. If you just want to do it for the experience, go for it, but to save money, raise silkworms from eggs, or Dubia roaches.
CHEERS!!!
BocaJan
New Member
New Owner asked how it was done and I told him. He didn't ask anything else. I like to breed them because it is easy and I don't mind handling them. I don't particularly like to handle roaches....eck, and have never done silkies. I also don't like having to have my chams food sent through the mail because who knows how the mail is going to deliver it.
RachelRiot
New Member
When you raise feeders yourself you know what they are eating and how they are being gut loaded/raised. To me that right there is worth more than saving some money.
BocaJan, thanks so much for that breakdown. I am looking forward to trying.
BocaJan, thanks so much for that breakdown.
I am looking forward to trying.
blackbetty
New Member
Im gonna raise Dubias. I think if I get them small, ben(ita) might enjoy them and I know they are good,. The idea totally freaks me out.. so, does anyone know a good place online to get a colony?
ciafardo 4
New Member
Jan thanks for that its fascinating i get a thousand for 16 bucks so i never really thought about doin it but thats really cool to know.
ciafardo 4
New Member
Im currently raising dubia they are least creepiest of the roaches in my opinion but it takes along time the warmer you keep them the faster they grow. This said it still takes a few months to get a colony goin start off with alot of breeders and the process will move faster. Before dubias the sight of a roach terrifyied me now im picking them up along with lobster roaches but beware lobsters can climb anything !
ciafardo 4
New Member
oh mulberry farms georgia bugs are some places you can just try and google it. Hope this helps remember the nymphs and females are ok but the males are down right creepy
blackbetty
New Member
Yea roaches creep me out too. I picked up 4 here but they were HUGE! and 3 died before we even got them home.. but I was told if we bred them and got smalls, it would be very good for the cham.. I was told get a colony, put them in a container, throw in scraps, and leave int eh dark and whala! Is it that simple?
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
I breed my own superworms (kingworms). They may be cheap to buy bulk, but they're just as cheap to raise for yourself. Doing so has benefits:
1 - its kewl (Okay, so I like bugs) and its easy
2 - you know exactly what they have been fed their whole lives
3 - you always have a variety of sizes to feed to a variety of sized reptiles
4 - you always have a supply on hand and are never reliant on supplies, shippers, weather
5 -if you happen to only be feeding one or a couple chameleons, you dont need to buy thousands at a time for the good discount price - just raise how many you need.
1 - its kewl (Okay, so I like bugs) and its easy
2 - you know exactly what they have been fed their whole lives
3 - you always have a variety of sizes to feed to a variety of sized reptiles
4 - you always have a supply on hand and are never reliant on supplies, shippers, weather
5 -if you happen to only be feeding one or a couple chameleons, you dont need to buy thousands at a time for the good discount price - just raise how many you need.
BocaJan
New Member
Thank you for your help when I was getting started. I still have your posting about what to do. I am glad to be able to pass it along to others. I check my beetles every day on my rounds in my chameleon room. My hubbie likes to stir the container with the big worms. It is fun to see the wheat germ move...LOL
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Tee hee. I've stirred the bedding too just for that strangely satisfying movement. I though about you the other day when I saw my magnifying glass.
blackbetty
New Member
Will/can the chams eat the beetle form?
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Most of my chameleons have no interest in the beetles, which is in my opinion just as well. The beetles have a very hard shell, which I think may "scratch" their mouths, might be hard to digest, and hard to "pass"
Plus the beetles are worth more to me as makers of hundreds of new worms rather than a single meal.
Plus the beetles are worth more to me as makers of hundreds of new worms rather than a single meal.
Go to the classifieds under miscellaneous. If you want to feed soon, get 50 to 100 mixed sizes.
mphclimber
New Member
Hey all im new to the Forums you guys have given me a lot of helpful info so im giving you some info back on my superworm farm that i established for my beardie. Its quite ez and i only have to maintain it about 2x a week.
Supplies:
3 plastic shoe boxes
Metal screen (needs to be metal they will eat through anything else)
Hobby box, tackle box, with adjustable slots (See pic)
Hot glue gun
drill
Razor blade
Old egg carton
Oat meal (Not instant)
Wheat Germ (baking isle of grocery store)
Powdered milk
200 super Worms from pet store (number depending on needs)
Sorry i don't have pics of the assembly process but ill do my best to explain.
Put the slots in your tackle box. I have noticed, the smaller the slots the quicker they turn. Once u have the slots in drill holes in the top of every slot for ventilation. This setup will force your worms to change to their next stage. Put 1 Big FAT healthy looking worm in each slot. The warmer darker the better. I have mine under my Beardie cage and they do just fine.
Take 2 Shoe box lids and drill a lot of small holes in 'em
Take the 3rd and cut out the depression in the top
Take a shoe box and cut out a bottom thats smaller than the lid you cut out. sorry i dont have a great pic of this. Then take your screen and cut to fit the hole in the shoe box. After that, hot glue to seal it on there.
Put a little Wheat germ, oats mix in the bottom of 2 boxs (one the screen bottom), Put the cut out lid on the solid one . Put a few pieces of egg carton in the screen bottom one. Place it on top of the cut out and put a lid with holes on it. This will be your beetle storage, and idealy the eggs will fall through the screen. Put this setup aside until you get beetles.
Take you final box, fill it 1/3 full of oats/germ mix, Sprinkle some powderd milk in with it. this helps fatten up your worms for the process for their beetle transformation. put your worms inside. Put some food in there, carrots (what i use), Kale ect. I personally dont like potatoes or leafy foods because they dry out fast and potatoes tend to mold.
Ok, now the process. You have worms in your "Feeder box" these you can feed to your chamy and might need to replace until you get your own feeders to size. Next you have your tackle box. These are worms that you are trying to get to change into beetles. This is a multi stage process. DO NOT feed them or mess with them as much as possible. First they will curl into a "C" shape. This could take a few days to a few weeks its very random. Next they will go into a "cocoon" state. This take about a week after "C".
They will stay in "Coccoon" for about 2-3 week.
They will emerge beetles. They will be pretty light in color and need to be moved into the "Beetle Box".
Fill your empty spot in your tackle box with one from your "feeder box" So you tossed your beetle in the "beetle box" This is the Double stacked box (the one on top). Put some food in (carrots ect.) once u start putting beetles in here. One you get about a dozen beetles you will start making progress. About 6 weeks after start looking in the bottom box for little bits of movement. They are very hard to see. Thinner than a string and about 1/4 long at most. now you will need to start putting food in here too. A helpful piece of advice is your food is a good place to look for your baby feeders. Once they start fattening up transfer them to you "Feeder box" and you have an endless cycle and all the worms you could ever want!
Maintenence: Make sure to pull all dead bugs out off all your containers. Dead worms beetles. Skins and old food. Beetles will die after a few cycles of lying their eggs.
Few Pointer: Tweesers are very useful for getting them out of the tackle box but be gentle dont squish 'em.
Clear tackle boxes are nice because you can see your worms quickly.
If you have too many worms, sell 'em to your friends. I have a friend with a turtle i sell 'em to her for $.05/ea
If you cant sell your worms and you need to slow down your farm. Dont put as many worms in the tackle box.
This also goes the other way, if you want more worms get a 2nd tackle box
To save space in your tackle box you can get a smaller container 3x3x3 ect and put a paper towel in the bottom with holes in the lid to store your cocoons between cycles. If you do this you really have to be on top of getting the beetles out because they will eat the cocoons.
Remove all dead worms from your tackle box, this is a stressful time on them and you will loose a few of them. They will be dark and completely straight when they are dead.
You can also make a 2nd box with holes for medium sized worms. I dont like to do this because it takes forever to sort worms
Hopefully my pics turn out if u have any questions feel free to ask and good luck on your farm!
Supplies:
3 plastic shoe boxes
Metal screen (needs to be metal they will eat through anything else)
Hobby box, tackle box, with adjustable slots (See pic)
Hot glue gun
drill
Razor blade
Old egg carton
Oat meal (Not instant)
Wheat Germ (baking isle of grocery store)
Powdered milk
200 super Worms from pet store (number depending on needs)
Sorry i don't have pics of the assembly process but ill do my best to explain.
Put the slots in your tackle box. I have noticed, the smaller the slots the quicker they turn. Once u have the slots in drill holes in the top of every slot for ventilation. This setup will force your worms to change to their next stage. Put 1 Big FAT healthy looking worm in each slot. The warmer darker the better. I have mine under my Beardie cage and they do just fine.
Take 2 Shoe box lids and drill a lot of small holes in 'em
Take the 3rd and cut out the depression in the top
Take a shoe box and cut out a bottom thats smaller than the lid you cut out. sorry i dont have a great pic of this. Then take your screen and cut to fit the hole in the shoe box. After that, hot glue to seal it on there.
Put a little Wheat germ, oats mix in the bottom of 2 boxs (one the screen bottom), Put the cut out lid on the solid one . Put a few pieces of egg carton in the screen bottom one. Place it on top of the cut out and put a lid with holes on it. This will be your beetle storage, and idealy the eggs will fall through the screen. Put this setup aside until you get beetles.
Take you final box, fill it 1/3 full of oats/germ mix, Sprinkle some powderd milk in with it. this helps fatten up your worms for the process for their beetle transformation. put your worms inside. Put some food in there, carrots (what i use), Kale ect. I personally dont like potatoes or leafy foods because they dry out fast and potatoes tend to mold.
Ok, now the process. You have worms in your "Feeder box" these you can feed to your chamy and might need to replace until you get your own feeders to size. Next you have your tackle box. These are worms that you are trying to get to change into beetles. This is a multi stage process. DO NOT feed them or mess with them as much as possible. First they will curl into a "C" shape. This could take a few days to a few weeks its very random. Next they will go into a "cocoon" state. This take about a week after "C".
They will stay in "Coccoon" for about 2-3 week.
They will emerge beetles. They will be pretty light in color and need to be moved into the "Beetle Box".
Fill your empty spot in your tackle box with one from your "feeder box" So you tossed your beetle in the "beetle box" This is the Double stacked box (the one on top). Put some food in (carrots ect.) once u start putting beetles in here. One you get about a dozen beetles you will start making progress. About 6 weeks after start looking in the bottom box for little bits of movement. They are very hard to see. Thinner than a string and about 1/4 long at most. now you will need to start putting food in here too. A helpful piece of advice is your food is a good place to look for your baby feeders. Once they start fattening up transfer them to you "Feeder box" and you have an endless cycle and all the worms you could ever want!
Maintenence: Make sure to pull all dead bugs out off all your containers. Dead worms beetles. Skins and old food. Beetles will die after a few cycles of lying their eggs.
Few Pointer: Tweesers are very useful for getting them out of the tackle box but be gentle dont squish 'em.
Clear tackle boxes are nice because you can see your worms quickly.
If you have too many worms, sell 'em to your friends. I have a friend with a turtle i sell 'em to her for $.05/ea
If you cant sell your worms and you need to slow down your farm. Dont put as many worms in the tackle box.
This also goes the other way, if you want more worms get a 2nd tackle box
To save space in your tackle box you can get a smaller container 3x3x3 ect and put a paper towel in the bottom with holes in the lid to store your cocoons between cycles. If you do this you really have to be on top of getting the beetles out because they will eat the cocoons.
Remove all dead worms from your tackle box, this is a stressful time on them and you will loose a few of them. They will be dark and completely straight when they are dead.
You can also make a 2nd box with holes for medium sized worms. I dont like to do this because it takes forever to sort worms
Hopefully my pics turn out if u have any questions feel free to ask and good luck on your farm!
