Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i just ordered silk worms from California and i opened the box they were in and they were in a small mound of dirt and they werent moving. they are baby ones but they dont move at all
just wondering be4 i fed them to my beardie
thanx
Zach

You sure that is dirt? They usually ship them on silkworm chow, it does kind of look like dirt, but is really silkworm food.
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Judy

thanxs is it okay for my beardie to eat the food their in or should i take them out of it
thanx
zach

Feed only the silkworms to your dragon. If you sit the worms in a warm place they may move for you, silkworms don't crawl a lot anyway when they are small. You need to be sure your hands are washed and clean before you handle silkworms, human bacteria will kill the silkies.
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Judy

thanx ill do that
Zach

small silkworms are pretty fragile. If they are not moving they may not be alive. California Silkworms will replace your order if you call them. I just hatched my first batch of eggs--from moths we set aside this summer. They are VERY tiny--thinner than a hair--but they move!

Dead silkies will quickly turn to mush and darken. They shoud be moving--especially if you put some chow next to them!

The dark stuff you see with the worms is most likely frass---or droppings.

How long did it take for your shipment to arrive and was it exposed to cool temperatures?

I lost 2 orders from California Silkworms this summer...they replaced one...the other was the fault of my mail carrier..arggggg!

Good luck.
DM

Your right it could be silkworm droppings instead of chow "if" it took more than two days to deliver them and if they were exposed to cold....not good, they may be dead, but they will turn black and be limp if they are dead.
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Judy

I have nothing against silkworms, but there are other alternative feeders that are very good and easier to keep. Check out some of the DOCS under the help and support section.
James
www.blaberus.com