Calciworms

D

DavidBuchan

Guest
Soooo.......I just ordered 500 Phoenix worms, the soldier fly larvae, known as Calciworms.
But that's about all I know about them......the advert says no need to feed, or dust, so does anyone know what they'll eat, or how to get them breeding?
 
I got the tub of 500 from silkwormstore

They come in a tub like you get the crickets in at pet shops and stink really bad. They have something in with them, I'm not sure if its just a really smelly moist substrate or poo. I wash it off before I feed them to my chameleon.

You really don't need to do anything with them. I'm not sure about breeding but my chameleon absolutely loves them and eats them like crazy. But yeah, I haven't dusted or fed them, since that's what everyone says. They will eat silkworms and other soft worms I've heard though, and I imagine they will eat just about anything, but they don't need food at all.
 
Psychodrake said:
I got the tub of 500 from silkwormstore

They come in a tub like you get the crickets in at pet shops and stink really bad. They have something in with them, I'm not sure if its just a really smelly moist substrate or poo. I wash it off before I feed them to my chameleon.

You really don't need to do anything with them. I'm not sure about breeding but my chameleon absolutely loves them and eats them like crazy. But yeah, I haven't dusted or fed them, since that's what everyone says. They will eat silkworms and other soft worms I've heard though, and I imagine they will eat just about anything, but they don't need food at all.
Click to expand...
Oh right, thanks that's where I ordered mine from too- I know the Chams will love them, and I'm going to stop giving any waxworms at all now.......
 
The worms will eat vegetables, I had some feeding off of wet rabbit pellets. The adult does not have a mouth therefor does not eat and only lasts between 5 to 8 days I believe.
 
suzi said:
The worms will eat vegetables, I had some feeding off of wet rabbit pellets. The adult does not have a mouth therefor does not eat and only lasts between 5 to 8 days I believe.
Click to expand...

Good to know, thanks. Do you know of any laying requirements?
 
The grub stage is the only time the Black Soldier fly eats anything. Unless they are full sized, they will want to keep eating. You can slow that stage down a lot with lower temperatures. Once they get to their largest form as a grub, they do stop eating. Their mouth parts actually fall off and become a digging beak. It is a harmless thing that can’t bite, just aids in burrowing into the ground for pupating. They can be stored for a long time if kept cool. Once they go dormant to pupate, they look like they are dead. In my experience, it takes eleven or twelve days for them to turn into the adult fly. That is the stage where they only live another eight days or so max.
 
And thanks again, lol. I now know everything I need to, and more.......this'll be easier than I thought :cool:
 
I don’t even know how to link here, but I have a photo album on here that shows my version of the five gallon bucket-type Black Soldier Fly raising and harvesting container. Very similar to the one suzi provided the link above for. I have two of them right inside my walk in cage. I can produce these grubs and flies pretty much continually between the two. More than I know what to do with, so I let dozens and dozens pupate into the adult fly and release them into the cage to start the whole cycle over again.
Here’s a couple of other links if you want to spend some time learning what I know about them.

http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/
http://blacksoldierflyproject.blogspot.com/
http://raisesoldierflies.com/
 
I was going to buy these tomoro while i wait for the rep cal without d3 to arrive... do they sell at petco? how much? are they refrigerated? and will they be ok for my 2.5 month year old?
 
Order from Josh’s Frogs, get small size, I think it’s like 5.99 for 150 or something like that, and about that much again for USPS Priority shipping. They sell them as Phoenix worms. If you keep them cool and feed a few off every day, they can live right in the little cup they are delivered in, or you can start a BSF colony with them, let them eat and grow all the way to adult fly if you want. These things can live and grow in pure pig crap, and sometimes are raised that way. Those will probably stink. You can wash them with soap and water without hurting them, I think it takes two hours to drown one. I think Phoenix worms are raised in a proprietary way on some grains or something which is how they were able to trademark a very common bug as their own. Probably because of the way they are fed, Phoenix worms do not stink.
 
chameleonoobie said:
Order from Josh’s Frogs, get small size, I think it’s like 5.99 for 150 or something like that, and about that much again for USPS Priority shipping. They sell them as Phoenix worms. If you keep them cool and feed a few off every day, they can live right in the little cup they are delivered in, or you can start a BSF colony with them, let them eat and grow all the way to adult fly if you want. These things can live and grow in pure pig crap, and sometimes are raised that way. Those will probably stink. You can wash them with soap and water without hurting them, I think it takes two hours to drown one. I think Phoenix worms are raised in a proprietary way on some grains or something which is how they were able to trademark a very common bug as their own. Probably because of the way they are fed, Phoenix worms do not stink.
Click to expand...

Yeah, listen to this guy, he taught me nearly everything I know about Calciworms :D
 
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