Not eating hornworms

K.Endless

K.Endless

New member
I bought a bunch of hornworms for my leo thinking she would eat them but she doesn't now I'm stuck with them and I don't know what to do with them and they were eating each other so I gave them a piece of tomatoe.....how should I dispose them lol
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
It is somewhat unusual for a leo not to love hornworms.

The hornworms I've purchased come with their custom food. It is important to keep them at about 55 F to slow down their growth.

What are your cage temperatures? How close are you to these as measured by a digital thermometer with a probe:

Temperatures for all leos regardless of size:
88-93 F (31-34 C) ground temp at warm end inside the warm dry hide
no greater than 85 F (29.5 C) air temp - 4 inches above ground on the warm end
no greater than 75 F (24.5) air temp - 4 inches above ground on the cool end

Leave the UTH on 24/7. Can turn off overhead heating at night.
 
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K.Endless

K.Endless

New member
actually pretty spot on, I don't use a UTH I'm using Exo terra infrared basking light and Exo terra night heat lamp,
temperature is reading fine, I also use a infrared thermometer to double check, I check just about everyday to make sure it's right. As for the hornworms I dont know why she's not eating them she eats mealworms just fine, can I put the hornworms in the fridge? Also could it be that they're too big? my leo's just about about 6" give or take.
 
XoVictoryXo

XoVictoryXo

New member
yes they might have gotten too big if they werent kept at proper temp - Xena refused them when they got too big but Rex didnt mind,
 
K.Endless

K.Endless

New member
I don't know what to do with them now, I don't know anyone else around me owning a gecko only a ball python lol, all they are doing now is eating a pooping making the place smell and freaking out my sister and girlfriend
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
K.Endless said:
...... As for the hornworms I dont know why she's not eating them she eats mealworms just fine, can I put the hornworms in the fridge? Also could it be that they're too big? my leo's just about about 6" give or take.
Click to expand...

Now you can freeze the hornworms.

The hornworms may be too large just like you are thinking. My 9 inch leo likes hornworms about 1.5 inches long.

Hornworms make a good feeder for variety. Storing hornworms in a refrigerator will be too cool. Read here for ideas how to keep them alive for a month past purchase:


Hornworm Guidelines
These guys were kept alive for nearly one month using the cooler and ice pack method: 23 hornworms for one 78 gram leo.

Size fed: 1.5+ inches to my 78 gram/9 inch female leo

Tobacco hornworms (Manduca sexta) are teal or green soft-bodied worms that grow rapidly when kept at room temperature. They are high in calcium. French hornworms go by: vers de goliath. These worms look like mini turquoise candy canes .

Partial hornworm analysis
Protein: 9%
Fat: 3.07%
Calcium: 46.4mg/100mg
Moisture: 85%

Until I get a wine cooler, a medium Playmate cooler fills the bill and keeps the hornworms between 52-64 F.

Place the hornworms in a cooler to lessen rapid growth
Turn the hornworm container upside down with their food on the top and the lid as the new "base"
Place the container on a couple pencils for ventilation
Don't let worm container touch the ice pack
Empty the hornie poop once a day
Replace the lego-like solid ice pack twice daily
Serve the hornworms plain or very lightly dusted with plain calcium to further balance the calcium to phosphorus ratio

For more hornworm info:
http://www.mulberryfarms.com/Live-Hornworms-c51/

http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...feeding-issues/68585-hornworm-guidelines.html
 
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Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
K.Endless said:
I bought a bunch of hornworms for my leo thinking she would eat them but she doesn't now I'm stuck with them and I don't know what to do with them and they were eating each other so I gave them a piece of tomatoe.....how should I dispose them lol
Click to expand...

Just a caution from Great Lakes Hornworms. (I do realize you wish to gid rid of your hornworms.)

http://www.greatlakeshornworm.com/faq:
Are these the things I see on my tomato plant?
Yes, but you can not feed the ones that were on your tomato plants to your animals, worms that eat the tomato plant have toxins in their body that will kill your animals.

So don't feed those hornworms that you have fed tomatoes back to the leos :-(.
 
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K.Endless

K.Endless

New member
Elizabeth Freer said:
Just a caution from Great Lakes Hornworms. (I do realize you wish to gid rid of your hornworms.)

http://www.greatlakeshornworm.com/faq:
Are these the things I see on my tomato plant?
Yes, but you can not feed the ones that were on your tomato plants to your animals, worms that eat the tomato plant have toxins in their body that will kill your animals.

So don't feed those hornworms that you have fed tomatoes back to the leos :-(.
Click to expand...

yea I wasn't planning on feeding them to her, I read that online somewhere and they were saying they can eat tomatoes but not the leaves?? any ways yea I'm definitly not feeding them to her....so how should I dispose them? flush...feed pigeons...
 
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Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
K.Endless said:
yea I wasn't planning on feeding them to her, I read that online somewhere and they were saying they can eat tomatoes but not the leaves?? any ways yea I'm definitly not feeding them to her....so how should I dispose them? flush...feed pigeons...
Click to expand...

Freeze the hornworms or flush them. Don't know whether pigeons eat them.
 
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