My guide to breeding waxworms (with pics!)

[Sambee]

Originally Posted by fantapants

you are going to need MUCH finer netting on top of that......we used clingfilm and the little buggers still got out! they can also eat through cloth so you risk loosing them all. i have ended up with my colony in a massive 15 inch square high tupperware box with the lid on tight. i open it every day to let air in and they are doing fine, my waxies are about 1 cm long. i also made my substrate a little drier than yours to stop it going moldy. and 50 moths will probably need more space to fly and mate. but you will end up with loads ifyu do it right, but be VERY patient, my colony has been going for over 2 months and is still growing.

Great, thanks for the tips!

I still have the plastic lid for the tub so shall I put that back on but make some slits in it with a stanley knife?

As I said before, this is my first attempt so we'll see what happens

[Pliskens_Chains]

great idea, if it works i will have to give it a go too.

[fantapants]

Originally Posted by Pliskens_Chains

great idea, if it works i will have to give it a go too.

they are the easiest thing in the world to breed it just requires patience. i really cant believe how well ours have done. i will deffo be doing it again when i harvest this colony.

[garysumpter]

Originally Posted by fantapants

they are the easiest thing in the world to breed it just requires patience. i really cant believe how well ours have done. i will deffo be doing it again when i harvest this colony.

I too have tried this (not that we need to as we stock waxies), but I like trying these things for fun!

I have never had any decent results, usually just a tub with dead moths and mouldy weetabix mix! Maybe it was too wet!

[fantapants]

Originally Posted by garysumpter

I too have tried this (not that we need to as we stock waxies), but I like trying these things for fun!

I have never had any decent results, usually just a tub with dead moths and mouldy weetabix mix! Maybe it was too wet!

well i made my substrate so it was clumpy when you squish it but crumbles apart when you touch it. does that make sense?! i did try it moist and yes, it went moldy. but with a drier mix, kept somehwere warm like an airing cupboard, its great. i did worry that the worms wouldnt be able to eat the dry stuff but over the weeks it gets eaten into a network of tiny tunnels and caves. so it doesnt bother them at all.

[SleepyD]

used to breed thema few years ago for the birds ~ I used fine ground oats with honey as it stays a relatively dry and crumbly without going sweaty and corregated cardboard in small rolls for the moths to lay eggs in; container-wise I found the old style plastic sweet jars more suited.
Would advise care with any of the moths though ie: don't let them escape; as they are considered a real pest with beekeepers hives ~ they lay their eggs in the hives and the grubs decimate the bee's honeycombs and bee grubs

[drpjtaylor]

How long does it take after becoming moths before they start laying?
My frogs prefer the moths than the worms so I would be looking to harvest the moths rather than the worms.

[fantapants]

Originally Posted by drpjtaylor

How long does it take after becoming moths before they start laying?
My frogs prefer the moths than the worms so I would be looking to harvest the moths rather than the worms.

the moths werent alive for long.....maybe a week? but if you have a continuos colony then you could*possiby* have a steady supply of moths. but you must be very creful you dont accidenatlly release them into the wild as they kill bees nests.

[gazza1591]

any pics of your set up fatapants ?

[drpjtaylor]

Originally Posted by fantapants

the moths werent alive for long.....maybe a week? but if you have a continuos colony then you could*possiby* have a steady supply of moths. but you must be very creful you dont accidenatlly release them into the wild as they kill bees nests.

I have read that. Last year I bought some waxworms as a treat and they didn't really go for them, in the end I forgot about them. I went to throw the container away a couple of weeks later and found that they had turned to moths. I tried a couple in the tank and they went wild for them.