Freezing/storing wax worms and other insects?

Hello guys

I've had Cho for around 2-3 months now and he is fed on crickets + mealworms + dandelion greens and butternut squash. I'd heard of wax worms and had looked them up in pet stores around our area but only 1 store sold them (not very often either) so I thought I would stick to crix/mealies for now. Well I was helping out my dad with hives (he's a beekeeper) and there were some of these wax worms crawling in there. :idea: That's when i figured why they were called wax worms... cause they live in hives... :shock: So i managed to bag a few and Cho LOVES them Do you guys know if I could refrigerate or freeze them so i can feed every so often and store them for a period of time instead of having to breed/keep them live in a container? Also wandering if this would work for other insects since it would be good for when I'm not here and the pet sitters take care of Cho :mrgreen: they don't really like the crickets hopping everywhere.

thanks

I think you'd just have to try and see. If it's not a huge/main part of the diet I don't see why not. I'm not sure how well insects thaw though (if I had to guess I'd think the waxworms would get floppy and gooey) and if Cho will accept dead insects.

Does your dad treat his hives for pests/disease with chemicals?

Taterbug":3tcz07oz said:

I think you'd just have to try and see. If it's not a huge/main part of the diet I don't see why not. I'm not sure how well insects thaw though (if I had to guess I'd think the waxworms would get floppy and gooey) and if Cho will accept dead insects.

Does your dad treat his hives for pests/disease with chemicals?

Click to expand...

thanks for your reply I think i will try it on a few different insects he eats. Oh and no my dad gets rid of the wax worms by putting the hives in the refrigerator but I would have collected them before they were freezed. Thanks

Hi there....I just wanted to mention the waxworms can be stored in the fridge, but not in the coldest areas. If you keep them on the inside of the door they will last for a little while. If you can just pluck the fresh ones out of the hive, though then you have them ready to eat. By the way, a side point....raw honey is one of the best things you can put on a wound if your beardie ever got cut or developed a sore because it's a natural antimicrobial. If you Google it, there's loads of info about it. Some hospitals + vets are using it now because it can kill even deadly MRSA that is resistant to antibiotics. I've even used it directly in a beardie's eye for an infection which cleared up within days. On the body it can go undiluted, in the eye you mix with 3 parts water + apply with a Q-tip.