Silkworm question

[Chase]

Hello all!
Well I was wanting to introduce a new feeder to my herd, and think I will be trying silkworms and hornworms. I had a few questions about the hornworms though.

Has anyone here bred them? Do they lay similar amounts of eggs as a silkworm moth does? Do females lay more than one clutch(is that what it's called?)? After a male breeds her, should I feed him off? How many moths would I need to get a few hundred eggs?

Silkworm Questions:
How many eggs can a female produce? Should I keep a few pairs of moths so I can get a bunch of eggs? I have 4 chams that I'll be feeding, but I want to have a self-sustained group, and other feeders are either not an option or readily available at a local pet shop.

Thanks,
LPR08

 

[Chase]

Anyone know?

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

All I know is silkworm moths die after a few days because they don't have mouths. They just mate, lay eggs and die so feed them off after you get eggs if you want to use them as feeders. Don't know about the rest though.

 

[pssh]

Silk moths can lay hundreds of eggs. If I'm remembering correctly then the M. sexta moths lay a few hundred too. A quick google search will test my memory.

 

[Vegas Chad]

www.mulberryfarms.com
www.greatlakeshornworm.com

Everything you need to know!

 

[Vegas Chad]

OK OK OKKKKKAYYYY

Since you keep Verrus ill give you some good info.

http://www.manducaproject.com/

 

[theresaintucson]

OK OK OKKKKKAYYYY

Since you keep Verrus ill give you some good info.

http://www.manducaproject.com/

That's what THOSE are?! I get those gigantic caterpillars in my back yard all the time during the summer here...I wonder if I can catch them and gut load them to feed to my chameleons!

 

[pssh]

No. The plants they eat in the wild are poisonous. Only feed captive bred/hatched ones that have been raised on chow. You also cannot gutload them like dubia or cricketszx

 

[DeviousMike]

No. The plants they eat in the wild are poisonous. Only feed captive bred/hatched ones that have been raised on chow. You also cannot gutload them like dubia or cricketszx

And there isn't really a need to gutload a CB hornworm anyways. They are full of good stuff already! My guys went crazy for them when I bought a pack. They're just so darn expensive that I haven't gotten around to buying some more!

 

[Chase]

Do silkworms and hornworms eat the same type of food? There are two different bags, but didn't know if they were different and were needed if you had both feeders.

LPR08

 

[moviemanmania]

Do silkworms and hornworms eat the same type of food? There are two different bags, but didn't know if they were different and were needed if you had both feeders.

LPR08

Buy the silkworms chow. The hornworms will eat the silkworm chow but the silkies will NOT eat the hornworm chow. If you get the silk worm chow your universally accepted worm wise... LOL

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Silkworms will only eat mulberry leaves or the silkworm chow that is based on mulberry leaves if I'm not mistaken. Don't know what the hornworm chow is or if hornworms would eat silkie chow but the silkies will not eat the hornworm chow.

 

[Vegas Chad]

Do silkworms and hornworms eat the same type of food? There are two different bags, but didn't know if they were different and were needed if you had both feeders.

LPR08

Mulberry Farms has the same type of food for both worms, GL has a food that silks wont eat. If you are lucky some silk worms will eat carrot if you hatch them on it but better just to stick with mulberry.

 

[Chase]

Thanks y'all! I think I am going to concentrate on the silkworms at first, then introduce the hornworms. Unless I purchase one cup of hornworms, and not feed all of them, to get some to pupate and produce some moths. We'll see what I get in the next few weeks.

LPR08

 

[ijmccollum]

The hornworms grow exponentially fast. I generally get the baby cups of both. I am always out of hornworms before I am the silks.

 

[Chase]

The hornworms grow exponentially fast. I generally get the baby cups of both. I am always out of hornworms before I am the silks.

Do you allow them to reproduce for you so you don't have to keep purchasing cups?

LPR08

 

[ijmccollum]

naw. I purchase cups. Haven't got the insect breeding thing down. Am considering planting a mulberry tree though.... I keep supers as a staple and cycle through crix, butters, horns, and silks. Works well enough for me.

 

[melric]

I use to buy silkworms just as a hobby, haha. But, these are the cheapest I've ever found.

http://coastalsilkworms.com/

 

[Chase]

Thanks guys, I think I will get some eggs soon