Liquid serrapeptase?

[oatmeal]

Hello, everyone! A while ago I made some changes to my elderly bearded dragon's feeding schedule, and she seems to be doing really well with it (she gets a lot of mixed, soft bodied worms, and refrigerated crickets). I had managed to find a place about 100km away that regularly stocks silkworms, and was able to get my spouse to pick them up as he drives a lot for work, but he recently quit his job, and now I have lost my silkworm fix! I thought about ordering them online, but with the amounts I'd have to order them in to offset the shipping, it would be so hard to keep that many worms alive!
With that in mind, my question is twofold:
1. Has anyone on here been able to keep silkworms alive for an extended period of time (2-3 weeks)? I've read about caring/breeding them online, but for me it seems like too much work considering how many critters I already have. If anyone has personal experience, I'd love to hear about it!
2. Is there anyone who has tried liquid serrapeptase supplement with bearded dragons? This is mostly why I was interested in including silkworms in their diets. My one girl is quite old, so who knows what kinds of aches and pains she has, and our new guy is still recovering from some serious neglect, so I figure some pain control couldn't be bad for him either. I found a place online that sells it:
http://bug-de-lite.com/Products%20Page.html
But I've never heard of it before. Any experience with this before I take the plunge?

Thanks in advance!

 

[AHBD]

Hi Oatmeal....I've never used it before, but there are definitely some members here that have. That website you listed is actually Tracie who I'm sure you may know as one of the mods. on this forum. [ username Drache613 ] so you can p.m her or ask her right here and she'll tell you all about serrapeptase.

 

[Taterbug]

I haven't found Silkworms too hard to rear. Slow, yes. I started accidentally when some of my original silks morphed and bred. I didn't expect the eggs to hatch (I just left them sitting out in the living room) but they did and I ended up with about 100 caterpillars and then more eggs. Those didn't hatch so I chilled them for 2 months, and I've been able to hatch out three batches so far. You can buy diapaused eggs (dormant, keep in the fridge) and just take out as many as you want to hatch at a time. I am still working it staggering them so I alwyas have the eighth size. I buy dry chow mix and prepare it one bag at a time - if you use cake decorating bags it stays fresh, sanitary and easy to dispense. I've done everything super simple - I use little tupperwares that sit on top of my cage where it's warmer. The slower you feed and the cooler you keep them the slower they grow.

Though, I'm not sure how much serrepetase the silks have typically - it's what they use to dissolve the cocoons so I'm not sure what levels are during the caterpillar stages.

 

[oatmeal]

Hi Oatmeal....I've never used it before, but there are definitely some members here that have. That website you listed is actually Tracie who I'm sure you may know as one of the mods. on this forum. [ username Drache613 ] so you can p.m her or ask her right here and she'll tell you all about serrapeptase.

Haha! Wow, the internet is a small place! Thanks so much! I'll PM her and get some info

 

[oatmeal]

I haven't found Silkworms too hard to rear. Slow, yes. I started accidentally when some of my original silks morphed and bred. I didn't expect the eggs to hatch (I just left them sitting out in the living room) but they did and I ended up with about 100 caterpillars and then more eggs. Those didn't hatch so I chilled them for 2 months, and I've been able to hatch out three batches so far. You can buy diapaused eggs (dormant, keep in the fridge) and just take out as many as you want to hatch at a time. I am still working it staggering them so I alwyas have the eighth size. I buy dry chow mix and prepare it one bag at a time - if you use cake decorating bags it stays fresh, sanitary and easy to dispense. I've done everything super simple - I use little tupperwares that sit on top of my cage where it's warmer. The slower you feed and the cooler you keep them the slower they grow.

Though, I'm not sure how much serrepetase the silks have typically - it's what they use to dissolve the cocoons so I'm not sure what levels are during the caterpillar stages.

That's a really good point about the serrapeptase levels. In that sense, it might be better to get the liquid supplement.. hmm.. If you don't mind my asking, why do you choose to feed silkworms to your animals if you're unsure about the serrapeptase levels? That seems to be why most people feed them. Getting eggs is a good idea! how long do they keep in the fridge? Even discounting the serrapeptase thing, it's still nice to be able to provide variety
What kind of enclosure do you keep your hatching silkworms in? I heard they need really good airflow or they're prone to fungal and bacterial infections :S

 

[Taterbug]

I feed them for variety and they are something I can rear at home, any serrepetase would be a bonus - plus, they are rather healthy and most of the critters like them. Our spider loves the moths and our mice like the little bitty caterpillars as treats. I give the silk to my mom who uses it for crafts.

I hatch them in a Tupperware (25-50 at a time is much more manageable) - I leave the lid turned to the side a little so it stays a little humid and still lets air in. I'd read that too about infections and being super delicate, so I didn't expect them to make it - I didn't even have enough fresh food left when they did hatch. Your mileage may vary though and I might just be really lucky so far.

 

[Taterbug]

I don't have any photos with the lid on but this is what I've hatched them in so far. The last time I flipped the tub over and used the lid as a tray, makes dumping the poop out easier...and man do they poop a lot. In the baggy are the patches of diapaused eggs I keep in the fridge. I'm not sure how long they last - I've read from 6ish months to 5 years? I guess the hatch rate just goes down as the eggs go bad... Can't say from experience yet.