questions on hornworms

[buppiboyo12]

Hi all!

I just had a few questions about hornworms as I was reccommenede to offer them to my leopard gecko. I'm hoping I can get some answers and get the ball rolling on buying some as soon as possible.

1) How should I store hornworms?
- I did read something about hornworm guidelines, and how you're supposed to keep them in a cooler, but would it be any different than keeping them in the fridge?

2) How long does it take them to fully grow?
- I heard that within just a couple of days of being exposed to room temperature conditions, they can get massive. Is there any way to avoid that?

3) How many should I give my Leo?
- He has recently been going off feed. I'm suspecting that it's maybe just the time of the year, since he seems to be looking healthy (tail, nose, etc.) and he has access to food, a moist (warm) hide, warm hide, and cool hide. I just want to have a variety of different insects to offer him in the case that he may not be eating due to a health related issue, etc.

Thanks for your help!
-Brooke

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hi Brooke ~

Thanks for returning to forum posts.

1) How should I store hornworms?
Follow the Hornworm Guidelines exactly! The refrigerator is too cool for them.

[- I did read something about hornworm guidelines, and how you're supposed to keep them in a cooler, but would it be any different than keeping them in the fridge?]

2) How long does it take them to fully grow?
Some pet stores sell hornworms individually. Maybe PetSmart does.

By keeping hornworms @ 55*F they grow quite slowly. They grow massive just about overnight if kept at room temperature!

[- I heard that within just a couple of days of being exposed to room temperature conditions, they can get massive. Is there any way to avoid that?]

3) How many should I give my Leo?
Maybe a couple small ones 1 inch long.

[- He has recently been going off feed. I'm suspecting that it's maybe just the time of the year, since he seems to be looking healthy (tail, nose, etc.) and he has access to food, a moist (warm) hide, warm hide, and cool hide. I just want to have a variety of different insects to offer him in the case that he may not be eating due to a health related issue, etc.]

Please read this link thoroughly: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...es-/68585-hornworm-guidelines.html#post391397

 

[buppiboyo12]

Elizabeth,

Thanks for the info. Would you recommend buying a couple boxes of individual hornworms or one of those cup looking things that comes with - I would guess around 10?

Also, I would assume, but would like some clarification. Will hornworms bite?

Thanks,
-Brooke

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Elizabeth,

Thanks for the info. Would you recommend buying a couple boxes of individual hornworms or one of those cup looking things that comes with - I would guess around 10?

Also, I would assume, but would like some clarification. Will hornworms bite?

Thanks,
-Brooke

IF the cup contains hornworms under 1 inch long and also the special food they eat + you have worked out the picnic cooler stuff, then get the cup of 10. Otherwise get a couple small individual ones.

Hornworms never bit me.

 

[buppiboyo12]

Elizabeth,

I'm actually planning on going to the pet store tomorrow.

By hornworms biting, I meant will they bite Alan and cause little sores like crickets can?

Thanks

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Elizabeth,

I'm actually planning on going to the pet store tomorrow.

By hornworms biting, I meant will they bite Alan and cause little sores like crickets can?

Thanks

I highly doubt they'd bite Alan.

They are quite juicy. Clean up any juice right away. Otherwise it's difficult to remove.

• Approximate nutritional content of hornworms (source Mulberry Farms)
  • Protein: 9%
  • Fat: 3%
  • Calcium: 46.4mg/100mg
  • Calcium : phosphorus ratio is 1:3 [Phosphorus impairs calcium absorption. Lightly dust hornworms with plain calcium carbonate to rebalance the calcium and phosphorus to a better ratio.]
  • Moisture: 85%

 

[buppiboyo12]

I highly doubt they'd bite Alan.

They are quite juicy. Clean up any juice right away. Otherwise it's difficult to remove.

Okay, do you mean the juice in his enclosure, in the hornworm enclosure, or both?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Okay, do you mean the juice in his enclosure, in the hornworm enclosure, or both?

Any juice in your leo's enclosure that oozes from the worm as your leo bites it.

Not all stores carry hornworms.

 

[GeckoFanboy]

I just bought hornworms for the first time lastweek. I ordered them from RainbowMealworms.com and they arrived in about 3 days. Fast service. I ordered a cup of 25 of them. They come in a plastic cup with lots of holes in the lid. The cup is lined with a black netting that the worms cling to. The bottom of their cup is filled with a gelatinous food.

When my worms arrived I want to say they were just a little over 1/2". About one week later, they are now about 1" long. They are growing, slowly but surely. I have stunted their growth by keeping them in a spare room that has the door closed and the heat turned off...so the room is kinda cold. Anyway, my gecko loves these things, but he's probably not going to finish them all.

Speaking of which, Elizabeth, how big of a hornworm do you think my 8 month-old leo can eat? What would be too big for him? If the hornworms grow too big, I'm thinking of taking them down to the reptile shop and giving them to the owner there. I hate to waste them, but I don't think my gecko can eat them fast enough. I've got all kinds of bugs for him right now.

 

[GeckoFanboy]

So what do you think, Elizabeth? How big is too big of a hornworm for a juvenile gecko?

 

[buppiboyo12]

So what do you think, Elizabeth? How big is too big of a hornworm for a juvenile gecko?

Well I know that I have a hornworm that I would estimate to be about an inch, and it seems just right (if not a bit big!) for my Leo. With an 8 mo. old, I would guess maybe 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch. This is my first time giving my Leo hornworms and I got him as an adult so unfortunately I have no experience with juvenile Leos, but thats just my two cents. Try looking up youtube videos of people feeding their juvies hornworms and try to determine how big they are and maybe that can give you some insight.

Hope I could help!
-Brooke

 

[GeckoFanboy]

Well, he ate the two biggest hornworms in the cup tonight. Both over 1" long...I'm just wondering how much bigger he can handle without choking him. I read somewhere to never feed it anything bigger than its head.

 

[buppiboyo12]

Yeah, I would say that 1” would be a bit large for a juvie. I know that the ones bearded dragons eat are usually around 3” long for comparison. I think 1” is comfortable for an adult (1.5” max) and anything above that can be pretty risky. Just stick w/ the 1 inchers and below.