Hornworms worth the price?

[rmallory1991]

I'm trying to give my chameleon more to eat than just crickets.
Hornworms are more expensive then most other feeders, are they worth the price? Do they have some type of beneficial affect on my chameleon that other feeders won't have?
Thanks in advanced

 

[camimom]

They can help rehydrate.

 

[Ethen44]

I've found that hornworms are great for any cham that isn't hydrated, and won't eat or drink. They stimulate an appetite for picky chams, and the fact that they have no exoskeleton makes them very easily digested. However, keeping them consistently can put a hole in your wallet. IMO, silkworms are much easier, and a better staple (by staple I mean a max of 40% of the overall diet). They are also cheaper. You can buy 5000 silkworms eggs and hatch them out as you see fit, and I believe it's only about $25 for that much. Check out Small Pet Feeders (excellent service, I'm very satisfied with the site)

 

[kevarc]

Hornworms are a good, but your right they are $$$ try silkworms. Thats what i give my Cham and he loves them, not to mention there lighter on the wallet.

 

[sdheli420]

my chams are addicted to silkies and horns..i keep more silkworms for longer periods just for the fact they dont grow to gigantors in a week, but i keep all my worm feeders in my extra incubator set at 68 degrees, and they last quite awhile..as for nutrition value, silks are really good, but hornworms have a really high hydraition to them witch is great (my chams are still exra hydraited from thier three week horn worm availability, and they still have about 20 silkies left that im slowly feeding off)..i would say, as a rule of thumb, if you want healthy happy chameleons, dont be cheap on them (they are absolutly not a cheap reptile as well beeing an exotic) ied say spend the $, in the long run its worth it!

 

[Olimpia]

If money is tight then only get them every so often but I've actually always preferred hornworms to silks, don't know why. I guess because they don't die, and silks are pretty sensitive. At the very least they're still a good feeder option for variety. Mine would sell me into slavery if they could get an unlimited supply of hornworms and butterworms!

 

[Carlton]

Chams love green colored insects and flying insects. If you happen to end up with a picky wc, a fat green hornworn or a bunch of blue bottle flies can do wonders getting them interested in food. I've experimented with slowing down hornworm growth and had some success by limiting the amount of light the worms are exposed to. If you want them to grow up quick, put a light over them 24/7. If you want to slow them down, put them in a cooler area, only use a light on them a few hours a day and don't feed them as much.

They have their place in a varied diet. IDK if there is really a perfect feeder (in terms of size, nutrition, cost, space needed and ease of care, etc).

 

[sandrachameleon]

Do you think its worth it to take yourself out to a restaurant now and then, for a change from the normal stuff you cook at home?

Thats how I think of hornworms for chameleons.

Not worth it (or advisable) for daily use, but now and then its nice to give the chameleons something they dont get all that often. Its worth it to me that they get a little change for interest now and then.