How Long can silkworms go without food?

Not sure.
But you should always be gutloading your feeders. The nutrients they gain from the food you give them will be transfered to your cham via ingestion. Gut loading is essential to keeping chameleons healthy.
 
This info is from the Silkwormshop who breed and sell silks.:

How to Grow Your Worms to the Perfect Size

Silkworm Eggs and Moth The great thing about silkworms is that they only grow as much as you feed them, and they can go for up to a week without food. Keep in mind, however, that silkworms become dehydrated after a few days without food, and should be feed at least once daily in order to remain healthy. But, in general, if you have too many silkworms you can feed them a few times per week and they'll stay alive until you need them without growing too much larger.
 
Not sure.
But you should always be gutloading your feeders. The nutrients they gain from the food you give them will be transfered to your cham via ingestion. Gut loading is essential to keeping chameleons healthy.

the thing with silkies is they ONLY eat mulberry leaves or a chow made up of mulberry leaves, there is no special gutloading technique for silkies besides keeping them fed with mulberry - so if he or anyone has silk worms, they are ALWAYS gutloaded.....you CAN give them shaved carrots or beats, but from my experience, if you try feeding only vegetables with no mulberry in their diet they die off quickly.

to answer your question based on my experience is that after not being fed for 48 hours would notice die-off, smaller ones going first...
 
From my experience, silks die off pretty quickly if they run out of food. It's best to keep enough on hand that you'll be able to feed them until you can feed them all off to your chameleons.

Besides, gutloading is really important for your chams, as previously stated.
 
I have never let them go without food for over a day so I guess I wouldn't know. I was just passing along info from people who breed them and probably know better than me!
 
Ok great! Thanks for the info guys. They can live alote longer than I thought. But a good idea to keep them hydrated. I noticed that they were starting to get low on food today when I checked on them in the incubator today. I would say they have 1.5 days left so I ordered more food that arrives in two days. Once they get about .75" long they really start to grow fast!
 
the thing with silkies is they ONLY eat mulberry leaves or a chow made up of mulberry leaves

Incorrect. Silkworms will also eat dandelion leaves, soft squash, romaine lettuce and thin shaved carrot. Their diet must be at least 50% mulberry based, but they grow and thrive on a mixed diet just fine.

Older larva can last a week without food.
Younger larva will not last long, maybe a couple days, without food of some kind.
 
Superworms can go forever! they start eating eachother though...

Anywho, CARRRROTS! They nibble the carrots when they get hungry enough. They can't live off of carrots, but it will sustain them temporarily AND gutload them with something different. I've also had them eat romain, I haven't tried dandelion and squash yet though.
 
Superworms can go forever! they start eating eachother though...

Anywho, CARRRROTS! They nibble the carrots when they get hungry enough. They can't live off of carrots, but it will sustain them temporarily AND gutload them with something different. I've also had them eat romain, I haven't tried dandelion and squash yet though.
I don't think I've even had one go cannibal on me yet, lol. Way too easy to maintain.
 
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