butterworms

I am sure someone will answer more definitively but my understanding is they are great feeders. Very high in calcium. You an gutload them with steamed (cooled off) butternut squash. And all my chams LOVE them!!
 
brilliant, thanks. I just found a site that has giant ones in stock for a limited time, I'm gonna buy 25 and see what Neelix thinks of em. Also buying 50 silkworms. I will break this superworm fixation!
 
brilliant, thanks. I just found a site that has giant ones in stock for a limited time, I'm gonna buy 25 and see what Neelix thinks of em. Also buying 50 silkworms. I will break this superworm fixation!

Breaking the superworm addicition, only to start a silkworm addiction, lol! Those things are so expensive! I usually buy eggs and raise my own as it works out far cheaper. Once they get too big for Monty to eat I sell them on and keep a few back to grow on to pupation.
 
They are pretty expensive & I think they're horrible! Not going down the breeding route if I can help it lol I've order small ones & I'm gonna grow them until they're big enough to catch Neelix's attention. It was a bit cheaper that way
 
The thing is with silkworms is that everything has to be kept really clean. If you take one out and it doesn't get eaten you can't then return it to the tub with the ret of them as it may be contaminated. They have no immune systems and can get this condition called 'Grasserie' which makes them die and go all mushy. It is quite disgusting and can wipe out the whole colony! I have separate spoons for the food, separate tweezers and use cocktail sticks that I throw away after use in each tub to avoid cross contamination. I also rinse the tweezers between tubs in boiling water! They can be very time consuming, but I sold a lot of my last lot off so lots mroe chams got to enjoy them! At the peak before I learnt easier ways of doing thing it was taking me 2 hours or so every night just to clean and feed them.:eek:
 
Wow, that's crazy. I'd probably kill em all off instantly if I had more than 1 tub. Thanks for the head's-up! I shall designate special silkworm tweezers & spoons. Should I keep their tub away from the other insects too?
 
I am sure someone will answer more definitively but my understanding is they are great feeders. Very high in calcium. You an gutload them with steamed (cooled off) butternut squash. And all my chams LOVE them!!

When I bought butters I'm sure it said to keep them in the tub and they don't need feeding. Am I wrong? They are in the salad drawer in fridge just now.::D
 
You can just feed them off from the fridge but someone asked about gut loading and you can feed them butternut squash if you like ;)
 
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