Waxworms

[JoeCapricorn]

Is there a quick and easy way to turn waxworms into moths?

The reason is because that could work as a decent food source for the Violin mantis I am getting. And for all the other mantises too when they grow older.

 

[PeterF]

I haven't found a method that doesn't stink.

 

[warpdrive]

I haven't found a method that doesn't stink.

I dare you to smell some dead waxworms...now that really smells like "death warmed over". :blink:

Harry

 

[hibiscusmile]

hummm crickets still take the poop for me! :lol:

 

[hibiscusmile]

oh, yea back to your question, don't feed them, they turn faster.... hey Phil, how's me spelling today?

 

[geckoboy3]

Keep them in a honey bran mix (google it-- you need a good 3") And wait. When they turn into moths, they will lay eggs in this, so you'll get 1000s in no time.

Cover it with a rubber band securing a paper towel on the lid.... no smell UNLESS you lift up the paper towel..... DON'T!

 

[PhilinYuma]

oh, yea back to your question, don't feed them, they turn faster.... hey Phil, how's me spelling today?

Hey, girl, you doin' good! :lol:

 

[GreenOasis]

I would suggest getting large silkworms (ready to pupate) from someplace like Mulberry Farms. That'll give you nice, big, juicy moths for your Violins in no time! (And with no smell!) And silkworms flap their wings quite a bit more than waxmoths (which hardly move at all).

Or better yet, get some old wool clothing that you don't want or need & leave it out for the moths to find! (I've got them fluttering all over my house thanks to having brought some wool down out of the attic! :blink:

 

[warpdrive]

I would suggest getting large silkworms (ready to pupate) from someplace like Mulberry Farms. That'll give you nice, big, juicy moths for your Violins in no time! (And with no smell!) And silkworms flap their wings quite a bit more than waxmoths (which hardly move at all).

Or better yet, get some old wool clothing that you don't want or need & leave it out for the moths to find! (I've got them fluttering all over my house thanks to having brought some wool down out of the attic! :blink:

sadly, Mulberry farms has not sold large silkies in months (almost a year). just small ones at best. I advise people who need them to now buy the baby cups and let them grow a week or two. you will have 50-60 in there so I hope you have a few reptiles to free up some space in the cup.

sadly, my friendy suplyer WONT send any insects durring the winter months because she has no idea how to ship in cold weather and now I have to buy from mulberry farms. she also sometimes will send me the silk cacoons so I get moths right away...

Harry

 

[warpdrive]

hummm crickets still take the poop for me! :lol:

my crickets DON'T SMELL. they live in a clean fishtank(s) and if you care for them properly, they will only smell like a salad.

the key is to not keep them in a large trash can or deep tub like most people do. overcrowding them is also no good.

I keep up to, but never over, 500 crickets per 10 gal fish tank. I add some cut up egg crates for them. also a tub of pestiside and ferilizer free soil for the females to lay their eggs in.

I then use a FLAT plastic (cut the top of a deli container into a square) to be used as the feeding dish...this feeding dish now serves TWO objectives. 1) to add food daily (well, duh! :stuart: ). 2) each day, when you replace your food, use the plastic square to scrape up some or most of the poop and castings. this alone will reduce any smell by 1000 times. it will also remove the gas it creates that will KILL off your crickets. it takes just 10 seconds to do this after you dump the day old food in the trash bag. this also doen't have to be done every day if you keep a lot less crickets in said fish tank.

I hope this helps Rebecca. I know I don't use big words like Phil. (we love you Phil :wub: )

Harry

 

[hibiscusmile]

yes we do love him! He is papa! or should say grandpapa to us!

I have mine in a 3.5' x 2' x 2" container and usually 1000 at a go, the only time they smell is when they die and I dont' take em out right away, and tks for info and tks for small words. I found out that when I learned to speed read, I also now speed type, and because of my limited time to do things, I can't be fixing mispelled words! (or using dict to find new ones) :tt2: oh , but i always have time for this guy :tt2:

 

[Colorcham427]

I'm going to get back into selling silk worms within the next month, so be on the look out! lol

I have horn worm pods now, the manduca sexta (hawk moth) is huge! only an adult dessicata, idolo, etc. could handle these moths!

I had a Violin female once take one down but these moth's wings are sooo strong! You really should cut a piece of their wings so they get weak.

Nothing beats dead super worms in my opinion!

 

[hibiscusmile]

I also have a person who sells the silk worms, it is Nick Barta, email me if u want his paypal

 

[GreenOasis]

Aww dang, you guys! I was thinking of selling them too! (Actually, been thinking about that for awhile!) I guess I *could* still.

I was just at Mulberry Farms' site last night and they ARE offering "medium" silkworms, which you'd only have to feed another week - 10 days before they start to spin. Unfortunately, this time of year it's a little expensive to raise them...you have to give them the "chow". :blink:

 

[JoeCapricorn]

Well, what I have the waxworms in now smells like a bowl of cereal. Of course it has what looks like giant white maggots in there, but the Violin wasted no time in eating. She caught a wiggly white waxworm wight away. It was wawesome, huwhwuhwuwuwuwuwuw! *snaps out of Elmer Fudd mode*

 

[warpdrive]

I also have a person who sells the silk worms, it is Nick Barta, email me if u want his paypal

I know Nick well. I forgot he sells silkworms. yet Brian is just one state over so a 2-3 day package sometimes makes it the next day for me. hurry bro, I just fed off my last silkie today.

Harry

 

[warpdrive]

Well, what I have the waxworms in now smells like a bowl of cereal. Of course it has what looks like giant white maggots in there, but the Violin wasted no time in eating. She caught a wiggly white waxworm wight away. It was wawesome, huwhwuhwuwuwuwuwuw! *snaps out of Elmer Fudd mode*

sooooo, tell us your ingrediants.

Harry