Hornworms and superworms question(s)

[Sapphire]

My first question is regarding superworms: Why would they cannibalize another worm? I posted a week or so ago about an idea I had to separate out some worms at the beginning of the week into cups to make it easier to feed them off... Well, I did that this week--today was the last day/cup. Every cup had six worms to start with. Yesterday, I found a worm with its head chewn off in the cup. In today's cup, I found five worms and a little piece of a tail. I have some oatmeal and a piece of carrot in each cup, so they weren't without food.... Why would they eat each other?

My second question(s) are about hornworms. I bought my first hornworms yesterday at a reptile expo... I didn't notice until I got home, but they STINK. They smell worse than crickets! I didn't think that was possible! Why do they smell so bad? Is there anything I can do to control that smell?
Also, the "food" they have in there... what is it?
How fast do hornworms grow and are they okay kept at room temp?

EDIT: I read a little bit about them so I know they're okay kept at room temp. My other questions still need answers though.

 

[invictusrules]

I bought my first hornworms yesterday at a reptile expo... I didn't notice until I got home, but they STINK. They smell worse than crickets! I didn't think that was possible! Why do they smell so bad? Is there anything I can do to control that smell?Also, the "food" they have in there... what is it?

The smell is probably a combination of wet food and poop. It can get pretty rank if it's not cleaned. Store your container so the food is on the side or at the top, and the poops will fall to the bottom - much easier to clean. You'll need to clean out the poop every day. Just brush it out - the worms should grab onto whatever they're on so they don't fall out. If there are air holes of some kind, make sure that they're not blocked. Tilt the container to let air in if the holes are on the bottom.

The food is probably some kind of agar-gelled artificial diet made from a mind-bogglingly long list of ingredients. It's a pretty standard item. Think casserole-in-jello. Glad I don't have to eat it!