Reptile & Amphibian Forums

LOOK UP IN THE TREES..this is especially for hatchling to subadult chameleons....I think this is funny as well as informative:

Update on the winter-moth (inchworm) infestation: everyone EXCEPT HERPERS here are ducking for cover as caterpillars defoliate hardwood trees, cover cars and people with poop, and hang everywhere. You must first pick them out of your hair after coming inside. I put down a cup of tea for three minutes...Yuck!
However my 7-month old veiled chameleon and day geckos, are just gorging on these tasty little guys. no pesticides to worry about. Two weeks now they have been gobbling the 1/2 inch green worms.
PLEASE bring your herps to Cape COd and feed them as much as you can.......Everyone needs to do their part!...Save us!!!
or let me know if you want a truckload o' caterpillars (green inchworms) I shake 'em of the trees by hundreds. feed maple leaves or keep in fridge.
Peace, Ernie Luikart eluikart@capecod.net

Do you know anything about setting up a breeding colony of the things? Do you think I could just set up a (covered and with air holes) rubbermaid container with some branches and maple leaves? I suppose I could simply try to collect a bunch and hpe for the best...what kinds of moths do they pupate into?

I live in eastern Canada and they won't be hanging around for another month, but when they're here, they're abundant, even in the middle of the city! I live in Halifax, a very old city colonized hundreds of years ago, so there are 50-60' maples about every fifth tree making a huge canopy that's perfect for inchworms! (luckally for me theres a very pesticide-allergic woman a few houses down so there is a complete ban of any pesticide 100 feet in any direction! !)

Well, If you want to try raising them, I'd look up "winter Moth"
and find out what I could, I forget species name.
I think your challenges are: keeping them in fodder if they are on a non-seasonal schedule inside, and I bet they are on a pretty strong genetic program to go to ground and pupate, wait until about december, mabe november, then hatch out. I cant understand why this works (snow??) but in earl Dec you see millions of small brown moths, I think they hold their wings out to the sides. they are very small- good for real young lizards, or dart frogs maybe. IF you are successful, let me know!
good news is their diet is not very particular try collards for extra calcium? Good Luck! -Ernie
PS for pupation you might need a latyer of dirt or vermiculite or something for them to dive burrow down into.

I'll buy some off ya.. If you're willing to pack some and ship em.