Hornworms as a staple

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Soozn79

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I've looked high and low for info on how many hornworms to feed a BD if you're feeding them as a staple but can't find anything. I know a lot of people say they use them as treats bc they're pricey but they're a fantastic source of nutrition. We've been using crickets as our beardie's staple insect for the two wks we've had him but wanted to switch it up. Will try dubias soon but I ordered a cup of hornworms to try - and I'm unsure how many will fill him up/give him what he needs. (I'm pretty sure he'd eat the whole container if we let him! Lol)

Can anyone weigh in on this? Our little guy is about 15" long, kinda on the thin side, don't know how old he is. Suggestions?

eta: I see in another section that someone says they are are low in protein so they are best paired with another feeder. Gave him the last 8 of our large crickets tonight to top him off after his 3 hornworms. Hope that's plenty. Probably pick up some more crickets tmrw.
 

kyleena29

Sub-Adult Member
Yes hornworms are fine once in a while. They don't take long to grow so I always order the smallest and keep them warm for a day or two and they are a lot bigger by then for feeding. Dubias are a great staple. You can also give silkworms, these are probably the best for staples. They can be difficult to find as they sell out very fast. You will probably want to check out several sites to find who is in stock. Most of them usually have eggs available so if you want to research about that then you can try that route. These also grow very quickly. You will want to buy extra feeding chow for them if you plan on keeping them more than a couple of days, they eat a lot.
 

Soozn79

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I'm still kinda confused as to why I keep seeing Hornworms on feeder lists listed as a staple and yet they're low in protein and too expensive (?) to buy regularly. Also very little feeding info.
I'm not interested in raising my own feeders, I just wanna buy them. I have enough pets. Lol
I was also interested in trying some Phoenix worms but haven't been able to find any. Same with dubias. Crickets and hornworms are the only things I've found easily and affordably in stores and online. I think I'm just going to have to rely on my own judgement with this hornworm thing.
 

Taterbug

BD.org Addict
Soozn79":22sj7zce said:
I'm still kinda confused as to why I keep seeing Hornworms on feeder lists listed as a staple and yet they're low in protein and too expensive (?) to buy regularly. Also very little feeding info.
I'm not interested in raising my own feeders, I just wanna buy them. I have enough pets. Lol
I was also interested in trying some Phoenix worms but haven't been able to find any. Same with dubias. Crickets and hornworms are the only things I've found easily and affordably in stores and online. I think I'm just going to have to rely on my own judgement with this hornworm thing.

Usually sites trying to sell things will make claims like that. Also, many people just repeat things around and who knows where the info came from

Hornworms aren't good staples since you cannot gutload them, they lack any "crunch" to the exoskeleton for dental health and they become exponentially fattier the older and larger they are.
 

Soozn79

Member
Original Poster
I've looked at loads of sites - mostly purely informative (or attempting to be) - and I continue to run across hornworms listed as a staple. So weird. But now I know. We're adding some crickets to his diet for as long as the hornworms last and I've just ordered a batch of BSFL.
Would you happen to have a recommendation as to how many a BD (15" long) may require per day? I ordered the large ones so I'm expecting them to be 3/4" - 1". Is that also "as many as they can eat in 10-15 mins"?
 

CooperDragon

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Hornworms are very hydrating and fairly healthy. I keep them on regular rotation along with silk worms and black soldier fly larvae. I continue to use dubia roaches as a staple though due to gutloading ability and the hard shell is good for dental health as Taterbug mentioned. Offering a variety of items on rotation helps build a healthy diet so I encourage that. I only offer 1 or 2 hornworms at a feeding. They can go through a ton of black soldier fly larvae in a sitting because they are so small. I usually offer anywhere from a couple to several dozen depending on how interested he is. I try to offer them one at a time though so they are chewed properly (and not passed through undigested) which can be time consuming. My guy loves chasing after the flies when they hatch too. With roaches (the staple) I offer as many as he wants in about 10 min. He usually goes to town but loses interest after 8-10 of them but it varies.
 

Soozn79

Member
Original Poster
CooperDragon":16nw5qe8 said:
I only offer 1 or 2 hornworms at a feeding. They can go through a ton of black soldier fly larvae in a sitting because they are so small. I usually offer anywhere from a couple to several dozen depending on how interested he is. I try to offer them one at a time though so they are chewed properly (and not passed through undigested) which can be time consuming. My guy loves chasing after the flies when they hatch too. With roaches (the staple) I offer as many as he wants in about 10 min. He usually goes to town but loses interest after 8-10 of them but it varies.

Got it, thank you for the info. Gives me a good starting point!
 

w8n4vacay

Member
I too give hornworms as much as a staple as I can regarding the 80/20 ratio in meals. They have corrected my beardies constipation too. They are just so darn expensive. My beardie is about the same size..maybe a little bigger. I give 6 to 8 fat ones one day, 5 the next. Also give with cooked acorn squash, or mustard greens, sometimes kale. Prob 10 days a month when i dont have hornworms I give crickets. I get my hornworms at Goliath Farms on line through Amazon. Know anywhere cheaper. I get 75 for about $40. I dont know if hornworms eat each other enroute or the seller goes by weight because I do not get 75 of them. Pls let me know if you know where to get them cheaper. My beardie loves them.
( I really do not want to raise hornworms...keeping and caring for 1000 crickets on top of my other animals is work enough).
Thank you.
 

Soozn79

Member
Original Poster
I got my hornworms from Josh's Frogs on Amazon. They were 25 for $15. Free shipping. They sent closer to 30 to compensate for any that may have died (which weren't many). They had plenty of food in the cup to keep them eating constantly and growing bigger everyday. There were no problems with them bothering one another. I was very impressed with the service and shipping by Josh's Frogs.
 

w8n4vacay

Member
Thank you Snoozn79. Will give Josh's Frogs a try. I hope Im lucky and get 30 also in each one. I will order 2 of them. This might be a dumb question, but when I recd the hornworms in the past, in the plastic container the worms are on "brown dirt". What is this? Is it okay for my beardie to ingest it. I usually try to rub it off the worms but sometimes it doesnt all come off. I know the food I make for the worms is white. I assume these worms dont bite. I havent been bit yet. I used to feed superworms. Those hurt and are mean when you pick them up. I dont feed with tweezers cause Im afraid my beardie might stab herself. Sometimes she goes after the worms like she is starving and I know shes not.
Thanks
 

Soozn79

Member
Original Poster
I'm not sure about the brown dirt. Mine came with a glob of goop stuck to the end of the cup and they climbed up to eat it. There was only mesh inside the cup for them to climb on to get to the food. The ones I bought from the pet store were in the same set up. No dirt or substrate or anything like that. And they don't bite, I don't think. They do grab your finger with their teeny tiny little caterpillar feet though which I find a little creepy but they're pretty and kinda cute so I don't mind so much. And my beardie practically attacks the hornworms, he loves them so much. I think he'd eat the whole shebang in one go if I let him.
I do use tweezers but only to grab the worms from the cup and then drop them into the tank. My beardie is a little too imprecise and aggressive in his movements to eat from the tongs. I think he would hurt himself.
 

kyleena29

Sub-Adult Member
Would you be referring to the little kernel things? That would be their poo. Just shake it out onto a paper towel in case worms fall out.
 
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