My Chameleons Just Say No to Silkworms!

[wst0209a]

I'm very disappointed of my chameleons. THey won't pay any attention to the silkworms. I got my hopes all up from you guys talking about them and they ate one each and thats it. How much UVB gets through a reptarium? I got one for outside and just want to know if a lot will get through. The mesh seems like it would block a lot. Also, if I used a 10.0 uvb light for indoors with those cages, how much will they get?

 

[DrewNYC]

for the most part i think screen and mesh block about 50% of the UVB rays, so using a zoo med 10.0 which says it will reach 20" into the cage, i would expect it to reach 10"
drew

 

[wst0209a]

Thank you. Got any suggestions on the silkworms?

 

[Julirs]

I use Reptariums with Zoomed 10.0 and it works fine. Someone used a UV meter on one to make sure it was OK. As for the Silkworms-it took my Veiled 2 weeks to eat them. I ordered 50 the first time and they outgrew my cham so I gave them away, but once he ate one he was hooked-so keep trying. I am now breeding silkworms and trying to get my Oustalet to try them.

 

[wst0209a]

My silkworms keep on dying? Every time I go to look at them I pick one more out that was all green looking and them are real mushy. Any thoughts?

 

[wst0209a]

From the last reply I have picked out 2 more dead silkworms. What the**!@#@%$! I really getting angry at them.

 

[Julirs]

The number one rule with silkies is that they have to be clean and dry. You also have to have the right food. I use the dry and it needs to be kept in the fridge, but it will keep for a month. I keep mine in critter keepers, and feed them every other day. Once a week I dump the worms and the poop on a papertowel, and then put fresh food and then the worms back in. I have had no die offs yet (fingers crossed).

 

[wst0209a]

Well then I must be doing something wrong. I bought the food drom the lady and spread it out throughout the plastic bin they are in. I also raised the temperature from 68F to 75F. The food is a little damp from yesterday but that is the only moisture in the place.

 

[Julirs]

Did you over the whole bottom with food? Usually I just grate the food over the worms and they crawl up and eat it within 4 hours or so. If they are sitting on a bunch of moist food that might be the problem.

 

[wst0209a]

there is a good bit of food on the bottom but they have enough space just to be on the plastic. The food was a little wet before I put it in there. I didn't know that it would be bad for them. Most of it is drying now that I have the light on it.

 

[Julirs]

After you microwave the food you put it immediately in the fridge and it turns into a solid. Not super dry, but not wet, just moist and crumbly. Sometimes you can get a bad batch of worms. Always wash your hands before doing anything with them, and once you take a worm out-never put it back-bacteria spreads like crazy through a worm colony.

 

[wst0209a]

The food.... I bought it from the lady, it was in a small little dixxie cup, it is like a dark gray, when I took it out it was very moist but now is pretty dry, I shaved it up into pieces and threw it in there. Was I supposed to microwave it? I thought that was only for the powder?

 

[Julirs]

Some people sell the pre-made food. I have never seen it be gray though? It is usually green.