# Wax Worm Pupae



## Mime454 (Sep 10, 2012)

Most of my waxworks died, but I got a few on them to pupate in the sawdust medium in which they came. Do they need any special care, or should I just leave them lying in the medium?


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## Ntsees (Sep 10, 2012)

I think it's fine to just leave them just the way they are if you want them to emerge. They metamorph into moths.


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## Mime454 (Sep 10, 2012)

Ntsees said:


> I think it's fine to just leave them just the way they are if you want them to emerge. They metamorph into moths.


Yeah, I bought them for the moths to feed my idolos.


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## gripen (Sep 10, 2012)

Just FYI the adults hardly ever fly. They mostly sit in one spot and crawl around if you are lucky.


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## kotomi (Sep 11, 2012)

Mime454 said:


> Most of my waxworks died, but I got a few on them to pupate in the sawdust medium in which they came. Do they need any special care, or should I just leave them lying in the medium?


I know that once the adults hatch, if you want them to breed you have to ball up wax paper for them to lay their eggs on. I didn't read anything about the pupae needing special care, though.

I just set up some waxworms as well, just to give my mantises some variety in their diet since they seem to love moths much more than crickets. I looked up a few different recipes on food, I'm just curious what you were feeding them? I've had mine a couple weeks and still haven't gotten any pupae yet, and some of them have died... so I'm not sure if I just have the wrong proportions of food or if the few that died would have died anyway.

Does anyone else here breed waxworms as a food source?


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## Mime454 (Sep 11, 2012)

They were fully grown in a sawdust medium when I bought them. No further feeding was necessary. I just left them there, feeding a few worms to he mantids every once in a while, to pupate.


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## aNisip (Sep 11, 2012)

gripen said:


> Just FYI the adults hardly ever fly. They mostly sit in one spot and crawl around if you are lucky.


So true, they are good feeders if you are going to use forceps, but other than that they just sit there, all boring and such...when I cultured them I used a mx or dry oatmeal and honey...but Rebecca at sells beeswax specifically for waxworms; heck, she sells a lot of stuff for waxworms on her site...


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 11, 2012)

yesum I do! if you leave them in the sawdust, they will turn into moths, I just released a good handful yesterday in the idolos cage and gave the oxy girls one each! oh and also the wallies!


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## Mime454 (Sep 12, 2012)

Some hatched today! How do I start breeding them?


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## sueb4653 (Sep 12, 2012)

hmmm I may have to buy some wax worms and try this for the ghosties


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## aNisip (Sep 13, 2012)

They will breed on their own if kept together...


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## Mime454 (Sep 13, 2012)

My wax moths are actually flying fiends! I turn on the light and they go crazy. I'm going to breed this batch, but they should make great feeders for my idolos and ghosts.


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## sueb4653 (Sep 13, 2012)

ok so let me get this straight you buy the wax worms they are in sawdust and you just let them be they pupate and then moths

you dont have to feed the worms?


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## Mime454 (Sep 13, 2012)

PAI think that you would have to feed them for your second generation, but they sell them fully fee in the container.


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 13, 2012)

They will breed if fed, other wise they will just turn into moths


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## Mime454 (Sep 13, 2012)

hibiscusmile said:


> They will breed if fed, other wise they will just turn into moths


The larvae breed?


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## selkielass (Oct 22, 2012)

*BOGGLES*

Wax worms are a major pest for beekeepers- they devour old comb in storage and in the hive if the colony isn't strong enough to protect it. They are natures way of cleaning up old honeybee hives.

The moths that get into my equipment are strong fliers, but only fly when disturbed or when in search of mates or comb to lay their eggs on.

They like old dark colored comb that's been reinforced by having had lots of bees pupate in it- I have found larvae around an inch long burrowing thru old combs.

Shame they are too big for my ghost.


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## Sticky (Oct 22, 2012)

gripen said:


> Just FYI the adults hardly ever fly. They mostly sit in one spot and crawl around if you are lucky.


I hold the moths by one wing and feed them that way to my mantids. The moth does not like it and struggles. Always get the mantids attention. I use forceps. My fingers got pinched too much!


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