Hornworm Egg Hatching Questions

[Tony_S]

Anyone buy and hatch hornworm eggs? I see that you can buy them from Mulberry farms http://www.mulberryfarms.com/fresh-hornworm-eggs-c52/

The reason I'm asking is that I've been buying the 12 count from josh's frogs, but about half of them get too large for my panther chameleon to eat and I end up killing them off.

Can you keep them in the fridge like silkworms and only take out a few at a time?

 

[Beman]

Just say no Tony lol. It is my understanding that they do not go through a diapause like silks do. So you end up ordering and hatching out all 100. Also they grow really really fast compared to hatching silks.

I am currently in silk hatching hell. Day 4 of the hostage situation. They are barely any bigger and are not being good babies. Keep getting them dying off because they insist on staying on the dried up food rather then moving to the fresh. So today I added huge chunks of fresh after having to move them to a new bin because the mesh sat too high in the other one and they were dying on the bottom not being able to get to the food. After 4 days they are barely 1/8 of an inch... I am using a toothpic to move from the petri dish to the bin. The struggle is real I will never do this again

 

[Tony_S]

Thanks Becca, I was hoping that I could raise only a few at a time, but sounds like that won’t work. I can’t get Ezekiel to eat silks, he won’t even eat a super worm either. The only worm he will eat is when I give him a hornworm once or twice a week. I also can’t find a store locally that sells them. They pretty much only sell crickets around my house for some reason.

 

[Beman]

Thanks Becca, I was hoping that I could raise only a few at a time, but sounds like that won’t work. I can’t get Ezekiel to eat silks, he won’t even eat a super worm either. The only worm he will eat is when I give him a hornworm once or twice a week. I also can’t find a store locally that sells them. They pretty much only sell crickets around my house for some reason.

Do you have a petco or petsmart near you? They get in the prepackage sealed containers of live hornworms. they are expensive $9 but if you can get them right when they get the order in they are very small and 4-5 to the container.

 

[Tony_S]

I do have a petco. They told me that they stopped getting them in a few years ago because they weren’t selling enough of them.

 

[Beman]

boo.. ok well heck I dunno.

I am pretty sure though that hornworm eggs cant be refrigerated. @jamest0o0 would know better then I. I may be wrong. It happens lol

 

[Tony_S]

I think you are right, I've found some old threads saying not to put them in the fridge and the eggs hatch in a few days anyways. So they would probably be hatching by the time I even receive them in the mail.

 

[Chameleomom]

@Beman Trick you just grate the food right over them. I use the smallest grate size and it works great and does not harm them. Use small amounts so you have no spoilage

 

[Beman]

@Beman Trick you just grate the food right over them. I use the smallest grate size and it works great and does not harm them. Use small amounts so you have no spoilage

I can't figure out how to grate it ?
Its like it is too moist but I am cooking it the way they say and adding the correct water... Honestly I am never doing this again

 

[Chameleomom]

I can't figure out how to grate it ?
Its like it is too moist but I am cooking it the way they say and adding the correct water... Honestly I am never doing this again

I order my silkworm chow from Coastal Silkworms and this works great for me.Sorry you are having such a hard time.I learned real quick to keep all the eggs in a small spot before they hatch makes things a lot easier when you feed.You can put food down below the gutter guard.Hope some of this helps

 

[Beman]

I order my silkworm chow from Coastal Silkworms and this works great for me.Sorry you are having such a hard time.I learned real quick to keep all the eggs in a small spot before they hatch makes things a lot easier when you feed.You can put food down below the gutter guard.Hope some of this helps

Yeah mine were glued to the dish. I can't put the food in the dish because if I put the lid back on it liquefies the glue that the eggs are hooked down with. Then the poor things get stuck to it. Its been interesting to say the least. Had about 50 more hatch out today too.

 

[Chameleomom]

I can't put the food in the dish because if I put the lid back on

They don't need a lid at all....in fact they do better without it after they all hatch. You don't have to feed until 48 hours after they hatch, then I just transferred them to a plastic shoe box. Just take the petri dish down to the bottom and knock it...does not hurt the babies at all

 

[Chameleomom]

Yeah mine were glued to the dish

If you ever try this again get the ones they send in a little test tube. I know where you are coming from I was scared at first but after you see how fast they grow you will relax. For sure it has been a learning experience