Silkworm cannibalism?

[Kali]

I just got in the "baby" silkworm cup from Mulberry yesterday and when I put a few in the feeder cup they all clumped together. Are they eating each other? How can I prevent this? Would putting some of the food from the cup be safe if my cham accidentally picks some up with her tongue?

Thanks!

 

[ChameleonsInMyHouse]

silkworms eat silkworm chow made from a mulberry leave suppliment. did mullberry farms not send you any with your order? did they not send any in the container of worms you bought?

on a side note, i didn know or havent heard or seen silkworms being cannibalistic. hornworms are a different story however.

 

[icegecko]

silkworms are not cannibalistic. hornsworms...well let's just say they don't have any qualms with devouring their siblings. nothing like finding a hornworm head or two in your hornworm enclosure. :/

 

[Kali]

Yes there is chow in the cup, but is it ok if m cham accidently eats some of the chow when feeding on the worms?

 

[icegecko]

I prefer to remove any chow/frass attached to the silkworms before feeding them off. Silkworms frass (feces) looks a bit like mulberry chow in ball form and you don't want to be giving that to your cham. A bit by accident won't hurt, but silkworms love to tie food and frass into their silk and tangle themselves in it...so just to be safe take off that silk, frass and food with your hands before feeding off the silkworms. Also, try tto only touch the silkworms you are going to be feeding off- silkworms have no immune system (byproduct of being domesticated) and will be killed easily by mold and/or bacteria that establishes itself in the food.

 

[Kali]

Thanks Ice!!

 

[ChameleonsInMyHouse]

why dont you just take the worms out of the container?? you dont put you chameleon in your cricket bins at feeding time do you? lol