Silkworm food
- Thread starter Greenhorn
- Start date
ReptileGirl111
New Member
The easiest way to feed silkworms and isn't expencive if you have the tree already, is mulberry tree leaves, that's what I feed my silkworms when i run out of SW chow.
Tygerr
Avid Member
I think the reason he is asking, is because it is winter where he is (South Africa), and most mulberry trees have lost their leaves...
Greenhorn, it isn't really possible to make your own silkworm chow. The two main problems are that you need dried mulberry leaves as a main ingredient (and we've already established that you are lacking those), and you need lab-quality conditions to prepare a sterile mix.
Added to that, the ingredients for the chow are not run-of-the-mill type ingredients. They usually include vitamin and mineral enhancements, as well as preservative and antiseptic chemicals.
If you do a really thorough search, you might find some chow preparation recipes listed online (usually listed in university reference material where silkworms have been used for experimentation), but as I said, they're not the kind of recipes that can be whipped up in your kitchen.
Rather wait for spring and a fresh new supply of free leaves... (but if you look around really hard, there are some mulberry trees that don't seem to lose their leaves over winter - I have collected leaves in August before).
Greenhorn, it isn't really possible to make your own silkworm chow. The two main problems are that you need dried mulberry leaves as a main ingredient (and we've already established that you are lacking those), and you need lab-quality conditions to prepare a sterile mix.
Added to that, the ingredients for the chow are not run-of-the-mill type ingredients. They usually include vitamin and mineral enhancements, as well as preservative and antiseptic chemicals.
If you do a really thorough search, you might find some chow preparation recipes listed online (usually listed in university reference material where silkworms have been used for experimentation), but as I said, they're not the kind of recipes that can be whipped up in your kitchen.
Rather wait for spring and a fresh new supply of free leaves... (but if you look around really hard, there are some mulberry trees that don't seem to lose their leaves over winter - I have collected leaves in August before).
Tygerr
Avid Member
9 weeks old is fine to start feeding small silkworms. And because silkworms have such soft bodies, you can feed the cham worms that are slightly larger than the size of cricket you are currently feeding it.
Of course, there is no guarantee that your cham will actually eat the worm. Some chams are fussy eaters, and the slow moving silkworms don't always attract their attention. But chameleons' preferences do change over time (and possibly with the seasons): if it ignores the silkworms now, that doesn't mean it won't enjoy silkworms in a few months time.
As for feeding greens, they usually only become omnivorous as sub-adults (so from about 6-8 months), so it is quite likely that your cham will ignore the greens for some time still.
Of course, there is no guarantee that your cham will actually eat the worm. Some chams are fussy eaters, and the slow moving silkworms don't always attract their attention. But chameleons' preferences do change over time (and possibly with the seasons): if it ignores the silkworms now, that doesn't mean it won't enjoy silkworms in a few months time.
As for feeding greens, they usually only become omnivorous as sub-adults (so from about 6-8 months), so it is quite likely that your cham will ignore the greens for some time still.
kylocats
New Member
Thanks for your help. So I will lay off the greens till she is a bit older and I will go ahead will ordering her some silkworms. thanks
If you can't find chow in your country already, you can order it from us. (We supply it to South Africa all the time.) Hope this helps.
John
John
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
I can't imagine a baby cham refusing an appropriately sized silkworm
Also, I would keep offering the greens....mine started eating them at 6 weeks old.
-Brad
Also, I would keep offering the greens....mine started eating them at 6 weeks old.
-Brad
