Silkworms and Hornworms
- Thread starter odduc748
- Start date
ChamDE86
Avid Member
She ate one, single silkworm and she runs away from hornworms.
$30 in bugs wasted....
Don't view it as a complete waste just yet. It took about 3 days for my guy to take a hornworm as it was not a feeder he was use to seeing. I once put a freshly molted dubia in his cage and he would not touch it, but had no problems eating the regular dark shell ones
. I would give it some time to see if she comes around. After eating the first silkworm, she will likely recognize it next time.
odduc748
Member
Well.... At this point, all of the silkworms are dead. They did not arrive in the best condition as the weather is very cold here in NH. So, I may try silks again, later. The hornworms are doing well but my cham seems to be afraid of them. I place one on a vine within her view and she quickly moves away. I'll even leave the hornworm in the cage and come back later to find my cham as far away from the worm as she can get.
Hang the horn worm on the screen below her, so it will climb up toward her, bump it in the but to get it moving.
CHEERS!
Nick
CHEERS!
Nick
Just like kids, they don't want to eat what is good for them!
CHEERS!
Nick
CHEERS!
Nick
odduc748
Member
She still refuses to take the hornworms. She did take a superworm, for the first time. However, she would not take a second one.
She won't even take dubia roaches any longer.
On the other hand, she still goes after crickets very aggressively.
My fear is that she is not getting enough variety in her diet.
She won't even take dubia roaches any longer.
On the other hand, she still goes after crickets very aggressively.
My fear is that she is not getting enough variety in her diet.
Raul
New Member
feeding hornworms
The first time I offered my cham a hornworm he wouldn't go for it, I kept trying and trying because I heard they were so good for him but no luck. Finally one day I got tired of wasting money on these expensive worms so I waited until he was very relaxed and had his mouth open because he was hot... Very very slowly I brought the worm up to his mouth and finally when it touched his tongue he gobbled it up! After that he's been eating them from my hand! I also feed him silk worms. He's grown about double in size over the last 2 months! He went from eating 7 crickets a day to 20 and about 4 worms! He doesn't appear fat and is showing amazing neon colors with teal polka dots! Awesome!
The first time I offered my cham a hornworm he wouldn't go for it, I kept trying and trying because I heard they were so good for him but no luck. Finally one day I got tired of wasting money on these expensive worms so I waited until he was very relaxed and had his mouth open because he was hot... Very very slowly I brought the worm up to his mouth and finally when it touched his tongue he gobbled it up! After that he's been eating them from my hand! I also feed him silk worms. He's grown about double in size over the last 2 months! He went from eating 7 crickets a day to 20 and about 4 worms! He doesn't appear fat and is showing amazing neon colors with teal polka dots! Awesome!
odduc748
Member
The silkworms and hornworms have all died off, now. I may try silks again, in the summer.
However, I took a chance and got more roaches from a local herp shop. I gutloaded them overnight with carrots, sweet potato and kale. I offered a big one to my girl and she ate it up and looked to me for another. After the third roach, I offered a superworm and she eagerly devoured that too.
So, I feel much better about the diversity of her diet now. Of course, she still loves the crickets, but she will now eat other insects.
Woohoo!!!
However, I took a chance and got more roaches from a local herp shop. I gutloaded them overnight with carrots, sweet potato and kale. I offered a big one to my girl and she ate it up and looked to me for another. After the third roach, I offered a superworm and she eagerly devoured that too.
So, I feel much better about the diversity of her diet now. Of course, she still loves the crickets, but she will now eat other insects.
Woohoo!!!
Chance Leon G
Member
Not eating silkworms
I am feeling the waste of money on the silkworm experiment as well. I got the small pod from Coastal Silkworms about two weeks ago. As far as I can tell he did not eat one. I see one cocoon in his habitat and half the worms in the Pod have died. I dump the worm Pod feces most every day. I put a few of the largest ones in a separate container as it was getting too crowded in the Pod.
I have tried a lot of different ways of putting the silkworms on a branch, the screen and even stuffing it in his mouth. He totally dodged that. I starved him for a week. Then I broke down and gave him a super worm that he takes right out of my hand as he does regularly.
I give up and have lost $22 on silk worms. I will keep trying to feed what is left of the live ones to him, but I don't have hope for it.
I am raising Dubias too in the disparate need of alternate foods.
WAIT! While I was writing this I just tricked him into eating one while he was chewing on a super worm. Maybe there is hope if he figures out that they are good.
I will keep you posted.
Greg
I am feeling the waste of money on the silkworm experiment as well. I got the small pod from Coastal Silkworms about two weeks ago. As far as I can tell he did not eat one. I see one cocoon in his habitat and half the worms in the Pod have died. I dump the worm Pod feces most every day. I put a few of the largest ones in a separate container as it was getting too crowded in the Pod.
I have tried a lot of different ways of putting the silkworms on a branch, the screen and even stuffing it in his mouth. He totally dodged that. I starved him for a week. Then I broke down and gave him a super worm that he takes right out of my hand as he does regularly.
I give up and have lost $22 on silk worms. I will keep trying to feed what is left of the live ones to him, but I don't have hope for it.
I am raising Dubias too in the disparate need of alternate foods.
WAIT! While I was writing this I just tricked him into eating one while he was chewing on a super worm. Maybe there is hope if he figures out that they are good.
I will keep you posted.
Greg
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