Breeding Hornworms?

[Chris14]

Hey all,

first post here, but I should make many contributions later, im quite busy right now, starting a feeder business(Feeder Fiesta)! Anyways, the question is:

How do you breed hornworms?! I've looked everywhere for info, but cant find much. So far, I understand that you raise them in a lateral type container, and when they stop eating and go to the bottom of the container, you should put them in another container with about 4 inches of peat moss. They will emerge as moths, then what? How do you keep the moths so they reproduce? Thanks!

Chris

 

[Israel2004]

Hormworm breeding

Here's a site to check out
http://insected.arizona.edu/manduca/manual.html

 

[fantasticp]

Does anyone know how to make hornworm food without buying the premade mix? An exact recipe? I just bought some hornworms and tried to feed them a tomato last night, thinking everything would be alright, but I awoke the next day to a huge mess. The tomato was reduced to mush, in which some of the smaller ones got stepped on and smushed into. The bigger ones were then walking around with bits of their deflated cousins on their feet like toilet paper. They didn't even care. Mind you, there is plenty of room for everyone to walk around without trampling, but as an added precaution, I have seperated them into groups of four. I didn't have any problems like this before my permade food ran out.

 

[Buspirone]

There is a diet recipe here:

http://www.entm.purdue.edu/Entomology/outreach/recipe/Lablube.Tobac.Meal.htm

Its complex.

 

[fantasticp]

thanks. Quite a hefty shopping list.