Wax Worms?

[TypicalCricket]

Hey all. I got my first batch of slings a few weeks ago, and also stopped at a chain pet store (at the time the only place I knew of where I could buy feeders; I have since located a local business that I would rather support, and has a better selection to boot) to buy them some noms. Their cricket selection looked pretty bad so I bought a small tub of superworms instead. For the past few weeks, I have been giving each sling a half of a superworm, with the head crushed so as to prevent it from digging and biting. While I don't necessarily mind using superworms, I was thinking of making a transition to wax worms after reading about them on this forum. I do have a few questions about them before I go out and buy some though.
First of all, I'm given to believe that unlike superworms, they don't dig or bite. If true, can I then offer them live to my slings? Their movement might elicit a better feeding response from some of my slings who either don't know that there's food out because they're hiding in their burrow, or don't care for pre-killed superworm. Either way, I end up picking out untouched superworm halves from my LP and Ecamp slings cages the day after feeding day.
I am curious about the adult moths as well, since someone mentioned that they make good feeders. What is the "shelf-life" of a tub of wax worms usually, or are they like superworms and won't pupate without being privately sequestered?

 

[ArborealKing]

Wax worms are great, and the small ones work well for slings too, its nice to feel safe knowing that it isn't going to see a molting spider as a meal. I keep and breed them and the moths are awesome feeders, they seem to get the best feeding repsonse out of anything I've tried. They are easy to keep and breed too, just get some honey, some weetabix or bran or anything like that, mix with a bit of water and glycerin and your all set. Just let it dry, add some tissue/wax paper and chuck the worms in.

They will pupate when together, takes about a couple weeks for them to become moths once theyve started pupating. How long they stay as worms really depends on how warm you keep them, mine take about 8 weeks to go through their whole life cycle but you can keep them a lot longer colder if you aren't interested in the moths.

 

[cold blood]

+1 king

They make great feeders, t's love them. I've never had them make it to moth stage, but I get them to cacoon up or whatever it is they do...but t's like those, too.

Its a great bonus to know that it won't 1. escape, 2. burrow, 3. bite, not a worry. I fed one to a 1.25" C. marshalli that was close to molt, it ran up and hugged it, started to pull it down, backed off. It wriggled down the burrow and the sling was so intimidated that it made a mat and molted right next to it. No worry about the sling getting hurt.

They are good cut up and can feed several slings each.

They are also a nice fatty meal, so I put a little more time between meals than I do for a cricket. And I mix it up with other feeders at least occasionally.

The other thing I notice is that because they are so high in moisture content, that when eaten in moist enclosures like slings need, that they will mold really quickly, but that's literally about the only thing to watch with waxies.

 

[SHoward]

My 2'' GBB loves them, I only got him a week ago and he's eaten 3. His motto seems to be "I could eat!" As others have stated, it's good to know that they won't bite or burrow, and the wriggle movement sure gets the T's attention.

 

[Ellenantula]

Wax worms. I already am successfully breeding crickets, roaches and mealworms -- I wonder if I don't have enough combined feeders already to feed everybody here's Ts for a week.
And now I want waxworms.
(sigh)
And I imagine my avic would probably really love a moth as well as the larvae phase.

 

[edgeofthefreak]

...I've never had them make it to moth stage, but I get them to cocoon up or whatever it is they do...but t's like those, too...

I've been interested in waxworms lately as well, just as an alternative. I was under the impression you had gotten them to pupate to moths. Now I can't remember who it was...

They aren't very pretty, but they're not very big either. I once considered raising silkmoths, and that would be the larger, prettier moth. I want something I can leave overnight, without any worry at all. Might be turning to moths and their larvae, over beetles and their head-crush-requirin' larvae.

 

[cold blood]

I've been interested in waxworms lately as well, just as an alternative. I was under the impression you had gotten them to pupate to moths. Now I can't remember who it was...

They aren't very pretty, but they're not very big either. I once considered raising silkmoths, and that would be the larger, prettier moth. I want something I can leave overnight, without any worry at all. Might be turning to moths and their larvae, over beetles and their head-crush-requirin' larvae.

I was discussing it with someone who had, I can't recall who it was, either.:wall:

 

[viper69]

I wouldn't use waxworms as your only food source because they have the highest fat content of most common feeders. This is coming from a herpcentric practice.

 

[edgeofthefreak]

I was discussing it with someone who had, I can't recall who it was, either.:wall:

Dagnabbit!
I'm hoping this is a fairly easy practice, going from waxworm to waxmoth. If I can get a decent supply of mulberry leaves, or the official alternative stuff, I may try silkworms to silkmoths.

Though, my biggest tarantula is a 4ish" B. albopilosum, and next in line just molted from 1" to 1.25"... no need for moths here for a while, I'd wager. Nice to plan for the future though.

Once found a wild Sphinx moth, and they can get pretty darn big! And they can stridulate! That oughta get a fantastic feeding response from some of the larger tarantulas.

 

[Dave Marschang]

I was gonna say my experience is with reptiles and we only feed waxworms as treats because they have little nutrition and tons of fat, I cant imagine they are much healthier for T's.

 

[cold blood]

Opened the container tonight to find a fat little moth...a little N. chromatus jumped right on it. The moths are much plumper and bigger than I expected. Gonna have to get a bunch and see how many moths I can get. It didn't take long for it to become a moth, I basically left them in the warm t room for a few days accidentally.

 

[Ellenantula]

Plump big moth -- yeah, I gotta get my avic some of these. She would love them.
She's not much of a bottom hunter. I picture putting the larva in, and then surprise one day when it flies up and she catches it like an acrobat.

 

[klawfran3]

This may be a dumb question as I have not really heard of this kind of stuff until now, but do all moths make good tarantula feeders? I'm always worried about trying new feeders just because I don't want to sicken or accidentally kill one of my spiders, so I usually offer mainly dubia with a superworm every now and then. If moths and their caterpillars actually make good feeders then I really would love to add some diversity to my spiders diet. Plus I know they won't munch on a molting spider.

I always thought the fuzz on the moths would cause a problem. Especially silk moths, those big balls of fluff.

 

[Blueandbluer]

All moths? No. For example, I certainly wouldn't feed them a Manduca sexta as the caterpillars are raised on tobacco, and nicotine is a pesticide for MOST creatures. I would carefully research any moth you consider feeding first, and also not use anything wild caught as it could be tainted with pesticides.