Help!....

[bdalton]

Does anyone know what to feed hornworms? I only have one juvie dragon, and my local pet store only sells them in cups with food if you buy 20 of them, which I did once and ended up with about 15 GIANT dead hornworms, so I decided to buy 6 of them for my girl yesterday, thinking she would eat them before they starved, I'm not worried about them getting big because she bites her food off in pieces and chews them bite by bite, but they are already starting to turn black (which is what happened when they ran out of food before and eventually died) so I know if I don't give them something to eat soon it's going to be a waist, and at $1.50 a worm, I'd like to try to save them. They are only about an inch and a half right now and I don't want to kill them but can't find info anywhere on what to feed them. Everything I'm finding is people saying they came with food and the food mine came with before looked like a brownish/tan paste that was stuck to the top of the container and smelled AWFUL, I just don't know what it is. I called the store I got them and they don't even know what it is, just said they come in like that.


Helpppppp! lol

 

[Gail]

Unfortunately, they only thing you can feed them is horn or silkworm food. You can buy it from mulberryfarms.com

For now, clean you cup out really well and remove any black/squishy or other wise ill looking worms. Make sure they the container has good ventilation, too much moister will kill them quick.

 

[ShannyBeard]

I don't know! I know they eat tomato plant leaves but those are toxic to beardies, so you can't feed them that. If you are desperate and have no idea, try giving them the same greens you give your dragons. It's just a shot in the dark but it may work. You could even blend some greens up and put the worms on the blended greens.... :?:

 

[Gail]

I tried feeding them greens once, they died within a few hours.

 

[ShannyBeard]

I tried feeding them greens once, they died within a few hours.

OUCH! Okay so I am very glad I prefaced my idea with 'I don't know!'

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Hornworms are really hard to keep. We lose them pretty fast even with chow. :shock:

 

[AtlasStrike]

You can refrigerate them for 48 hours at a time. They slow down and don't eat when they are refrigerated, at least according to the Great Lakes Hornworm site.

 

[diamc]

Here's a caresheet for hornworms from the Mulberry site. They cannot be refrigerated because it is too cold. http://www.mulberryfarms.com/Care-Raising-Tips-FAQ-12.html

DO NOT REFRIGERATE hornworms because most refrigerators are between 35 and 40 degrees (too cold) which will kill them. The easiest way to extend their shelf life is to place the worm cup in an ice chest with refreezable ice packs (making sure the ice pack is not touching the hornworm cup!) and exchange the ice packs with fresh ones as needed to keep cool.

There is enough food in each cup to raise several hornworms to full size. If however you run short on food, they may become cannibalistic. Larger hornworms can eat ripe tomato, sliced potato or bell pepper, or you can purchase additional Hornworm food (silkworm/hornworm chow) from Mulberry Farms at http://www.MulberryFarms.com.

MOLD: If your cups develop mold in them, simply take a spoon and remove it. The main cause of mold forming in the cups is from too much humidity, and from the worm's frass coming into contact (and sticking) to the food. Also remove any worms if they die.

Moved here from General Discussion forum.

 

[ShannyBeard]

Here's a caresheet for hornworms from the Mulberry site. They cannot be refrigerated because it is too cold. http://www.mulberryfarms.com/Care-Raising-Tips-FAQ-12.html

DO NOT REFRIGERATE hornworms because most refrigerators are between 35 and 40 degrees (too cold) which will kill them. The easiest way to extend their shelf life is to place the worm cup in an ice chest with refreezable ice packs (making sure the ice pack is not touching the hornworm cup!) and exchange the ice packs with fresh ones as needed to keep cool.

There is enough food in each cup to raise several hornworms to full size. If however you run short on food, they may become cannibalistic. Larger hornworms can eat ripe tomato, sliced potato or bell pepper, or you can purchase additional Hornworm food (silkworm/hornworm chow) from Mulberry Farms at http://www.MulberryFarms.com.

MOLD: If your cups develop mold in them, simply take a spoon and remove it. The main cause of mold forming in the cups is from too much humidity, and from the worm's frass coming into contact (and sticking) to the food. Also remove any worms if they die.

Moved here from General Discussion forum.

You are correct on the no refrigeration. Same with the silkworms.

 

[bdalton]

Thank you!!!! I will order the food from mulberry farms and just slice a potato and try that until the food arives. Ill let ya know how it works out!

I just thought maybe someone knew how breeders make their food and try that, because someone told me they use instant potato flakes and mix it with another ingredient (cant remember what,may have been just water) and then add some sort of binding agent.
Sounds too complicated to me!

 

[ShannyBeard]

I cook the silkworm chow that mulberry farms sells. I use the microwave method.

 

[Gail]

The potato mix is for fruit flies. I know for silkworm chow it is powdered mulberry leaves plus a bunch of other stuff, I have no idea what the hornworm chow uses for a base. I fed silkworms grated carrot before, they did ok for about 3 days

 

[bdalton]

Geez, I had 6 left and put half a potato sliced into about 6 thin slices, and the 6 of them ate it within 2 hours! lol they've eaten about 2 whole potatoes in 2 days, but I have chow on its way

Thanks everyone!

 

[ShannyBeard]

Geez, I had 6 left and put half a potato sliced into about 6 thin slices, and the 6 of them ate it within 2 hours! lol they've eaten about 2 whole potatoes in 2 days, but I have chow on its way

Thanks everyone!

Interesting! :shock:

 

[DNADragons]

Hornworm diet is wheat germ based. I have not made it but the instructions I read one time said wheatgerm, yeast, multi vitamins crushed up, agar, and water. This is only off of the top.of my head. You can Google search it. Homemade manduca diet is what you are looking for. Good luck.q

 

[bdalton]

Thank you!!! I don't know what half of the ingredients are, but sure I can find them the potatoes actually worked really well, I have one left and he is still bright colored and getting huge. He eats a half a potato a day by himself! Crazy! Lol

Thanks everyone!