WaxMoths And A 2-Month-Old

[GrilledCheese]

So! I’ve gotten a 50 set of wax worms just to try but now I’ve gotten another 50 set from someone with good intentions, but now I’ve got (supposedly) 100 wax worms which I know are a treat bugs and the person I share the fridge with has threatened to beat me up if they see bugs where the butter goes And my lil fridge is too cold/can’t adjust temp.

My lil guy is a lil over 2 months, would he be able to eat wax moths? And should he? To be honest my lil guy isn’t much of a hunter as of right now (I’ve seen him stalk and miss a fruit fly that snuck in his cage. Several times).

Are wax moths still high in fat critters or would they be a little more on the normal side?

 

[ehdee6]

They're pretty fatty and should be used as a treat rather than feeding them like crickets.

The moths are about as big as the larvae, I usually leave some at room temperature just to turn into a moth. It takes about 3 weeks for them to hatch once they cocoon. I put the cocoons in a glass jar with a paper towel and put another paper towel sealing the top with a rubber band. The moths are super slow and just hang around the light so it makes a great hunting bug for chams just learning how to catch flying bugs. Take out any ones that turn black and shriveled, those are dead ones.

 

[MissSkittles]

The moths are mostly active at night, but they do make fun treats. While wax worms are pretty fatty, I think of them as ‘dessert worms’ and give one or two (depending on their size) to my critters when I have them. They don’t last long - either turning black and dying or pupating. I get them only a few times a year and mainly for treats for my geckos.

 

[insectovore]

The ones from stores are often in bad shape and die quickly. The ones I breed myself are really hardy and much more active. I don't think there is really a way to gutload them per se but I do use organic honey and I always dust them (like most feeder insects they have a poor Ca ratio). The store bought ones seem to die off even if and probably even more when I put them in with food. If you throw them in the cage and some turn "brown" they will change into moths and if the chams see them moving Im sure they will eat them. Pretty much everything I have from salamanders to lizards eat them, but I'm feeding mostly crickets as the primary feeder simply because everything eats those too and they are one of the feeder insects that we know how to gutload.

 

[MissSkittles]

I don't think there is really a way to gutload them per se but I do use organic honey

I think they’re similar to hornworms and silkworms in having a somewhat limited diet. I feed mine a mix of oat bran and a few oats mixed with organic honey.