Hornworms

[Jhov2324]

Hey gals and gouls....i think i messed up, i got some hornworms from the LI reptile show which was on sunday...they were a pretty good size to feed my cham and last night i went to check and they are HUGE...like almost 3 times the size i got them...im guessing i was supposed to remove them from the container with the food and if thats the case how often should i put them back to eat....i planned on feeding like 2 hornworms a week but now i cant feed any cause they are so big... any help would be appreciated so i dont mess up on my next batch...

 

[Picasso123]

Where you located? If you got the from mulberry it states what to do on the container. I'm thinking your in a warm place and that'll make them reach full size in a week.

 

[Jhov2324]

crap i didnt think the temp wud be a factor....i put them next to my roach colony and there is a heater there...DOHHHH!!!!

 

[Jhov2324]

thanks picasso...it wud help if i read the intructions on the cap right hahahaahahahahaha...

 

[Maurer3D]

They grow fast as all heck, you can put them in the fridge for up to like 3 days, but then need to take them out for a day.

 

[Jhov2324]

how about removing them from the food source for a couple of days?

 

[sdheli420]

well at least now you know to buy them waaaay smaller than you would expect( i bought babies from mullberry, they where adults in like 2 weeks )..those things grow like they are genetically altered, lol

 

[jcal]

i heard that sometimes chameleons have a hard time digesting hornworms. anyone else hear this?

 

[JohnnyMurderus]

Ive always fed my veileds horned worms and have seen no problems with digestion or change in poop that i could see, ive never done any research into it tho

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

i heard that sometimes chameleons have a hard time digesting hornworms. anyone else hear this?

Nope, never heard that. They're so soft bodied and full of water I can't imagine why they'd have problems with hornworms and not other worms.

 

[carol5208]

i have never heard putting them in the fridge to slow down growth??! I just remove them from the food. When the worms get too big,(they kind of come transparent looking on their spine) put them in a small container of dirt. they will dig down and turn into a dark brown cocoon. They take quite awhile to hatch and by then your cham will have grown too! They hatch into a pretty good size moth, but much smaller than the hornworms themselves.

 

[Jhov2324]

I'm definetly going to put some in the dirt in one of the plants in the cage...that wud be cool...

 

[carol5208]

I'm definetly going to put some in the dirt in one of the plants in the cage...that wud be cool...

i would put them in a seperate container. the soil might get too wet. It should not be too dry but I think the soil in the cage plants too wet to house the cocoons. I just have a small tupperware container. I don't put a lid on it or anything.

 

[Dawniegirl]

i would put them in a seperate container. the soil might get too wet. It should not be too dry but I think the soil in the cage plants too wet to house the cocoons. I just have a small tupperware container. I don't put a lid on it or anything.

Do you think organic potting soil would work for this?

 

[Dawniegirl]

thanks picasso...it wud help if i read the intructions on the cap right hahahaahahahahaha...

Don't feel bad I read his post and thought... hummm instructions on the container . I never look either. You are so right about their fast growth. I bought babies from mulberry & thought oh no these are way too small but in a matter of not even 2 weeks I now thinking they may be getting too big. I can't believe how fast they grow.

 

[carol5208]

sure, as far as I know just any kind of soil. they just need something to burrow in to cocoon and it does work.

 

[Dawniegirl]

BTW what do you think about the grip they have? The larger they get the harder it is for me to pry them from that mesh in the cup! Diego tried to grab one from the tweezers & ripped the worm . Those suckers won't let go!

 

[carol5208]

I have never had anything like that happen! I just usually set them on a branch and so far my cham has been able to prevail!!!

 

[sdheli420]

BTW what do you think about the grip they have? The larger they get the harder it is for me to pry them from that mesh in the cup! Diego tried to grab one from the tweezers & ripped the worm . Those suckers won't let go!

ya they have some kind of alien muscles..they have such a grip that when my cham shot at one (full size) it held on to the branch even with a large chams toungue stuck to it..my cham had to walk to it to eat it..lol

 

[dagy24]

I got some at that show too and a few of mine are getting HUGE but a few are still moderate sized. I hope my female finishes laying soon so I can give her a big hornworm treat when she's done. Otherwise I'm gonna have some coccoons in a few days, haha!