hornworm breeding

[strhunter2]

hey guys and girls im new here and i want to start breeding hornworms

yes i have red some of the breeding posts on here but they did not answer my questions

correct me if im wrong please


1.feed untill they become wanderers
2.let them bury in the dirt and make a cocoon or wrap them in a paper towel and place in a dry dark place
3.put the moths in a flight chamber
4. put in some sugar water or humming bird food
5.let them lay eggs on leaves
6.then repeat

#2 is there any kind of dirt that i should use or do u suggest another method
for # 3 how big does the flight chamber have to be is a 100gal flexarium too big or should i go smaller
and for # 5 can i use fake leaves or do they have to be real?

if there is any thing i am forgetting or any tips you could give it would be grately appreciated

EDIT*** has any 1 made a flight chamber if you have what size of screen mesh did you use
EDIT #2*** if you do get the moths to lay eggs on the leaves how do you get the eggs off

thanks
strhunter2

 

[gulum]

I've never attempted breeding hornworms but I'm sure that the eggs would need to be laid on real leaves as the newly hatched caterpillars start eating straight away, and many moth/butterfly species only lay on very specific leaves so I don't think they would recognise a fake plant as a place to do so.

 

[Honda99300ex]

they will lay their eggs any and everywhere. as long as they can smell a tomato plant. when I have moths I dont even put the tomato plant in the enclosure, its on the outside of the screen. you will find eggs all over, walls, floor, feeder, ceiling....everywhere

 

[forum1983]

they will lay their eggs any and everywhere. as long as they can smell a tomato plant. when I have moths I dont even put the tomato plant in the enclosure, its on the outside of the screen. you will find eggs all over, walls, floor, feeder, ceiling....everywhere

This would have been good to know before I started my project :wink:
Oh well. Where do you buy those flex enclosures made for raising butterflies and moths?