wax worms

[Dunnigan]

is there a trick to keeping them alive? or do the just have a really short shelf life? i buy mine locally and the guy sells them by the "dozen" and i wind up getting like 24 or maybe more. He only charges $1 for the "dozen"

I feed my guy about 4-6 on the high side once a weekish and i can only keep the uneaten ones alive for about 2 weeks then they all turn black and die!

I store the uneaten ones in the fridge. Am i doing something wrong?

 

[hallenhe]

I sometimes feel they can be very temperature sensitive - was having trouble keeping them alive in one fridge, so put the next batch in another fridge and they've been good for over a month. It helps if they're good to start out with - my store will pour them out at time of purchase, remove any blackening ones and replace them with fresh.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Your fridge may be too cold.
Try keeping them in a cold basement or garage instead.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

My waxworms stay in a box under the cham's tank, and after maybe 2-3 weeks they go into their cocoons, which then go into the tank so he can try a moth or two. Do you have food in with them whilst you are storing them?

 

[Dunnigan]

In florida the garages get to be 80 or 90 (even in winter, which is basically non existant, today i wore shorts and flip-flops ) and no i dont keep any food in with them, they some in some sort of wood shaving and thats what i keep them in, should i put some dry oatmeal in or something?

 

[WelshOneEmma]

I read somewhere that you can feed them bee pollen to sweeten them up, but i also have some apple slices in with them. Not sure if that's right but they seem to eat some, as well as the pollen and like it.

 

[sandrachameleon]

In florida the garages get to be 80 or 90 (even in winter, which is basically non existant, today i wore shorts and flip-flops ) and no i dont keep any food in with them, they some in some sort of wood shaving and thats what i keep them in, should i put some dry oatmeal in or something?

Your garage in Winter sounds like my mid-summer day. LOL

 

[kenya]

To feed them (and they will make a little bit of silk when full and happy), mix up some honey and wheat cereal (like wheatabix) until it is kind of crumbly but cohesive. They will burrow around in it and be happy and fat.

More info: http://www.wormman.com/cat_wax.cfm

I don't put mine in the fridge often- I usually just leave them out. My chams also like the cocoons and the moths.