From Mulberry Farms:



GOLIATH HORNWORM CARE SHEET



When your Hornworms arrive (leave the lid on) and if the worms are under an inch long then orient the cup so it is laying on it's side. Once they grow larger and become established you should orient the cup so the food is at the top and the lid is facing down on a table. (Be sure and prop up edge of lid about 1/4 inch for air flow.) The worms will grip the mesh and feed upward towards the food. If they don't - then go back to rasing the worms with the cup on it's side.



The worms can remain in the cup until they run out of food (or outgrow it). As the worms grow larger, you will need to discard their frass (waste) by gently opening the lid and allowing the frass to drop into the trash.



Try to keep the temperature between 70 and 85 degrees during their entire life if you want them to grow quickly. (Temperatures above 90 degrees can be fatal.) Once they reach about an inch long, they grow astonishingly fast. They can grow from 1 inch to between 3 and 4 inches in 4 to 7 days (if kept warm).



There should be enough food in the cup to raise at least 10 worms to full size. If however you run short on food, they may become cannibalistic. Larger worms can eat bell pepper or you can purchase additional Hornworm food from Mulberry Farms at (760) 731-6088) or at www.MulberryFarms.com. CAUTION: DO NOT FEED TOMATO OR TOBACCO LEAVES TO HORNWORMS BECAUSE THEY ARE TOXIC TO REPTILES!!!



Also, like superworms, Hornworms are able to bite. (Some pet owners choose to remove their jaws with fingernail clippers before feeding the huge worms to their animals.)



MOLD: If your cups develop mold in them, simply take a spoon and remove it. The main cause of mold forming in the cups is from too much humidity and from the worms frass coming into contact (and sticking) to the food.



In less than 2 weeks from the time they hatched (when they are between 3 and 4 inches long) they will stop eating (and let go of the mesh in the cup) and drop to the bottom of the cup. If you look carefully you will notice their color will fade and they will have developed a brownish purple color down the length of their back where their pulsating heartbeat is visible. At this point they stop eating and become restless and begin looking for a place to bury themselves (to pupate). They now are ready to change into a pupa and eventually a moth. At this stage they will either pupate or die - so you better hurry and feed them to your hungry Herps!



If you want them to pupate, place them in a cup containing damp peat-moss or dirt and they will dig down about 4 inches deep and then they will usually pupate within about 2 weeks. The moths can emerge between 2 weeks and several months later.



CAUTION: Do not releasee the worms, pupa or moths into the wild because hornworms are considered pests and can damage crops.
-----
Lucien



1.0 Columbian Redtail Boa (BCI)

2.1 Leopard geckos (2 Blizzard and 1 het Blizzard)

0.1 Savannah Monitor

13 rats

12 Gerbils

2 Dogs

3 cats

1 Albino Corey (fish)

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