Gracemc0809
New member
At what age can I start feeding my leopard gecko wax worms? As of right now she's a little over a month old.
Wax worms
- Thread starter Gracemc0809
- Start date
I guess you could feed them to your gecko any time. But why bother? They are fatty and sometimes geckos get addicted to them. Here's something else no one ever mentions (but I found it out the hard way): after a short time (it seemed to me) waxworms pupate and then they turn into WAXMOTHS! They fly! Do you want that in your house?
Aliza
Aliza
Elizabeth Freer
Well-known member
Hi ~
This feeder chart is a combination of Mark Finke's insect data + DubiaRoaches.com.
/\ click to enlarge
This feeder chart is a combination of Mark Finke's insect data + DubiaRoaches.com.
/\ click to enlarge
It's basically like giving candy or ice cream to a kid in gecko form. They won't want anything else besides that in some cases. I personally would rather not risk it because you don't want to cause a problem of them withholding other (healthier) insects for waxworms. If you would like to give it as a "treat" don't do it often or in a "large portion". Rather be safe than sorry, you know?
Best of luck with your gecko!
P.S. If you need any other insect help feel free to ask.
Best of luck with your gecko!
P.S. If you need any other insect help feel free to ask.
Zux
New member
Hi there,
This is another of the many slightly misconstrued pieces of information which has subsequently been passed around on the internet.
While there is to truth in saying that Waxmoth larvae are high in fat relative to other species, they are also a very good source of vitamin C for example among other minerals and micro-nutrient content.
It is my feeling that we would be doing our reptiles a disservice by deciding to remove the Waxworm from the diet entirely. I believe it has a valid place as part of a varied diet and can be offered in low numbers as often as weekly, particularly so to individuals who may require gaining of weight due to illness.
Being soft bodied and evidently relished by Reptiles and Amphibians alike, if we regularly overfeed these larvae our pets are often intelligent enough to hold out for more of these rather than take less tasty prey we may then offer.
Make no mistake however, this is keeper error and not anything to do with the Waxworm having addictive properties, which to clarify - it does not.
Also worth noting is that dietary Fat should not be viewed with the same abhorrence as we might view adding more of the overabundant phosphorous to the captive diet. It does have value and it is worthy of inclusion, particularly for those of us who may go to great lengths to feed otherwise less fatty prey such as Silkworms and Crickets a great majority of the time.
In short - You may feed these at any age, but ensure you do so sparingly and no more than once per week. This way you can include the species in the diet, offer your pet the enjoyment of a relished prey item and avoid any risks of their reluctance to take other prey thereafter.
Hope that helped.
This is another of the many slightly misconstrued pieces of information which has subsequently been passed around on the internet.
While there is to truth in saying that Waxmoth larvae are high in fat relative to other species, they are also a very good source of vitamin C for example among other minerals and micro-nutrient content.
It is my feeling that we would be doing our reptiles a disservice by deciding to remove the Waxworm from the diet entirely. I believe it has a valid place as part of a varied diet and can be offered in low numbers as often as weekly, particularly so to individuals who may require gaining of weight due to illness.
Being soft bodied and evidently relished by Reptiles and Amphibians alike, if we regularly overfeed these larvae our pets are often intelligent enough to hold out for more of these rather than take less tasty prey we may then offer.
Make no mistake however, this is keeper error and not anything to do with the Waxworm having addictive properties, which to clarify - it does not.
Also worth noting is that dietary Fat should not be viewed with the same abhorrence as we might view adding more of the overabundant phosphorous to the captive diet. It does have value and it is worthy of inclusion, particularly for those of us who may go to great lengths to feed otherwise less fatty prey such as Silkworms and Crickets a great majority of the time.
In short - You may feed these at any age, but ensure you do so sparingly and no more than once per week. This way you can include the species in the diet, offer your pet the enjoyment of a relished prey item and avoid any risks of their reluctance to take other prey thereafter.
Hope that helped.
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