Leos eat silkworms?

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bambichik39

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I found on here awhile back that hornworms were an okay feeder, but cant find anything on silkworms. Are they alright to feed to leopard geckos? Do they seem to like them? Thanks in advance
 

Hilde

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Perfectly okay for leopards, and they tend to really like them too.

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bambichik39

New member
Thanks so much! I was going to order a cup for my beardie ,but he cant eat them all before they run out of food, so it helps if i can feed them to my leo as well. thanks again!
 

Hilde

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She's Cleo, a Tremper albino, and a special needs leo. She had a cleft palate, so she could only eat soft food which meant silkworms were perfect for her.

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Leos can also eat silkmoths. The moths aren't particularly nutritious since they don't eat once they eclose, but they sure work well as treats.

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XoVictoryXo

New member
I wish the pet stores near me sold silkworms... :(
can you order them online?
we only have waxworms, superworms, mealworms and crickets available near me.

Hilde: Your trember albino is so beautiful love her face! Thank you for posting her morph I have been confused thinking I had 2 Albino rainwaters, but thought they had just different patterns! Your pictures are great! :)
 

Aimless

Super Moderator
yeah, I've gotten them from Mulberry Farms. I'm sure there are other sources, too. I've only bought them on a handful of occasions so haven't comparison-shopped but they're definitely out there.
 

Hilde

Administrator
Staff member
Order the eggs online, they're not hard to hatch. It takes a bit of TLC to get the worms past the first week, they're rather fragile. They grow very fast, you'll have feeder size in a week or two, depending on the size you need.
I always save some worms to pupate so the leos and fatties can have moths as a treat.
 

Speckles

New member
These photos are amazing! We received silk worms today and some are quite large. I was wondering if we could feed them and it looks like we can! Anyone have advice on how many to feed at one time? I'm assuming just as couple?
 

cwatkins

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So silkworms are okay to use as a staple? My gecko doesn't seem to like crickets very much I dont think.. When he first sees them he gets very excited, tries to catch them a couple of times, misses and then looses complete interest.. What size should these be? I want to see if he will like these better.
 

Hilde

Administrator
Staff member
So silkworms are okay to use as a staple?
I wouldn't feed them as a sole food, variety is always best. Silkworms are quite nutritious, and unlike typical insect and larvae we use, they're a good source of Vitamin A (retinol).
In the case of Cleo, the cleft palate leo, her diet was about 50 - 60% silkworms, but there was a limit to what she could safely eat. She thrived on that diet, never showed signs of problems. I wouldn't say to go ahead and feed mostly silkworms, but from my experience in this case, it worked out okay.
The other leos get them once every 3 or 4 feedings in summer, less in winter, and never seemed to get tired of them.
 

scm133

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lindasgonebuggie.com is also a good supplier for silkworms and other feeders. I have used her many times. Very happy with her products. Coastal Silkworm also is good, when they are in stock.
 

cwatkins

New member
I wouldn't feed them as a sole food, variety is always best. Silkworms are quite nutritious, and unlike typical insect and larvae we use, they're a good source of Vitamin A (retinol).
In the case of Cleo, the cleft palate leo, her diet was about 50 - 60% silkworms, but there was a limit to what she could safely eat. She thrived on that diet, never showed signs of problems. I wouldn't say to go ahead and feed mostly silkworms, but from my experience in this case, it worked out okay.
The other leos get them once every 3 or 4 feedings in summer, less in winter, and never seemed to get tired of them.

Okay! Thanks! He accepts butterworms sometimes too, so I will also put those in and keep on trying to feed him crickets. He also apparently loves superworms(according to his previous owner that didn't seem to be the greatest one) but I've been to afraid of them biting him to give them to him... But maybe I could try those too?
I am thinking since he hasn't actually hunted for almost a month now he may have grown lazy if this is possible? I was just thinking this because it was after he missed a few times that he gave up.
What size silkworms would you recommend ordering?
 
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