Hornworm Breeding

[squeekz1992]

How do I breed hornworms?

I have 2 left and I wanna see how successful I am at breeding them haha

 

[JackP308]

youtube it or google it more than likely youll get a nice tutorial or be linked back here lol.


You probably want to start with more than 2 as well. Since your odds are 50/50 to even get a male a female moth.

Run down though. Let them get so large they drop usually and you can see a line that pulates down them actually. They are then ready to be put in a cup or jar of moist substrate I use coco fiber. Then then burrow and pupate into moths over time. Moths mate lay egss and circle of life continues.

There is a bunch of in between but that is it in a nutshell

You need ligthing screen cages tomatoe plants or leaves "they usually lay on them" as well chow to feed your babies since they cant eat the leaves.

 

[squeekz1992]

youtube it or google it more than likely youll get a nice tutorial or be linked back here lol.


You probably want to start with more than 2 as well. Since your odds are 50/50 to even get a male a female moth.

Run down though. Let them get so large they drop usually and you can see a line that pulates down them actually. They are then ready to be put in a cup or jar of moist substrate I use coco fiber. Then then burrow and pupate into moths over time. Moths mate lay egss and circle of life continues.

There is a bunch of in between but that is it in a nutshell

You need ligthing screen cages tomatoe plants or leaves "they usually lay on them" as well chow to feed your babies since they cant eat the leaves.

Okay, I will do that thanks! wait.. i thought tomato plants are toxic to chams??

 

[reptoman]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/hornworm-egg-update-72760/

You don't want the eggs to hatch on the tomato plant. Just get the eggs off of the leaves as they are laid each day and put them in a deli cup with chow and some plastic grid for the worms to climb. The tomato is only to trigger a breeding response from the moths after they emerge.

 

[squeekz1992]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/hornworm-egg-update-72760/

You don't want the eggs to hatch on the tomato plant. Just get the eggs off of the leaves as they are laid each day and put them in a deli cup with chow and some plastic grid for the worms to climb. The tomato is only to trigger a breeding response from the moths after they emerge.

Ohhh okay that makes more sense haha. Thanks!

 

[buddy912]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/hornworm-egg-update-72760/

You don't want the eggs to hatch on the tomato plant. Just get the eggs off of the leaves as they are laid each day and put them in a deli cup with chow and some plastic grid for the worms to climb. The tomato is only to trigger a breeding response from the moths after they emerge.

Im glad this was posted THANK YOU !! i am doing all my own feeders for my chams n im working on the horn worms now. i was just wondering one thing tho???? about the tomato plant, what if u cant get one in the winter or cooler months. other than the obvious growing my own tom plant in house, is there any other kinda leaves they will n can lay there eggs on?? sorry if this is a dumb question i just am trying to do this all right here, we r working on open a cham n other similar reptiles store here so i wanna start these off on a good note! Thank U!!! Renee!

 

[reptoman]

Im glad this was posted THANK YOU !! i am doing all my own feeders for my chams n im working on the horn worms now. i was just wondering one thing tho???? about the tomato plant, what if u cant get one in the winter or cooler months. other than the obvious growing my own tom plant in house, is there any other kinda leaves they will n can lay there eggs on?? sorry if this is a dumb question i just am trying to do this all right here, we r working on open a cham n other similar reptiles store here so i wanna start these off on a good note! Thank U!!! Renee!

I really don't know since I have only tried with a small tomato plant or 2 myself. I have heard that egg plant will work and I have also heard that they will breed and lay eggs without the tomato so does not hurt to try something else and experiment

 

[d3s5]

Im glad this was posted THANK YOU !! i am doing all my own feeders for my chams n im working on the horn worms now. i was just wondering one thing tho???? about the tomato plant, what if u cant get one in the winter or cooler months. other than the obvious growing my own tom plant in house, is there any other kinda leaves they will n can lay there eggs on?? sorry if this is a dumb question i just am trying to do this all right here, we r working on open a cham n other similar reptiles store here so i wanna start these off on a good note! Thank U!!! Renee!

When I bred my hornworms, I just had a couple tomatoes in the cage. I never had any real plants, just fake ones. When they laid their eggs, they laid them all over the hummingbird feeder!

 

[buddy912]

When I bred my hornworms, I just had a couple tomatoes in the cage. I never had any real plants, just fake ones. When they laid their eggs, they laid them all over the hummingbird feeder!

thank u both im gonna play around with these guys n see what happens here will keep ya posted on that.

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

You'll be able to sex them once they pupate,




http://insected.arizona.edu/manduca/mand_male_female.html


from this site..

http://insected.arizona.edu/manduca/mand_pupa.html


good luck

 

[Thezillaman21]

youtube it or google it more than likely youll get a nice tutorial or be linked back here lol.


You probably want to start with more than 2 as well. Since your odds are 50/50 to even get a male a female moth.

Run down though. Let them get so large they drop usually and you can see a line that pulates down them actually. They are then ready to be put in a cup or jar of moist substrate I use coco fiber. Then then burrow and pupate into moths over time. Moths mate lay egss and circle of life continues.

There is a bunch of in between but that is it in a nutshell

You need ligthing screen cages tomatoe plants or leaves "they usually lay on them" as well chow to feed your babies since they cant eat the leaves.[/QUOTE]
the colored part is bad info. dont let them come into contact with the tomato. put the plant on the outside of the cage on the inside put an unbrella plant or a small grape vine.

 

[pssh]

Why is that bad info?


Also, you can try using grape leaves as a host plant to lay the eggs on, but I'm not sure how much they like them as a host.

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

I believe the tomato plant(outside) tricks them to thinking that the grape vine(inside) is the tomato plant.

 

[squeekz1992]

Thank you, I will try that and let you know what my results are, it will be a while, ordering fresh worms, gave the huge 2 to the beardie

 

[JackP308]

I said things that are typically needed in breeding hornworms , Which is correct. Tomato plants are usually something most use that breed them that I know.

 

[squeekz1992]

I said things that are typically needed in breeding hornworms , Which is correct. Tomato plants are usually something most use that breed them that I know.

We have a tomato plant in the backyear so I'll try it both ways