Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is there a certain age or something to start giving your leo the occasional waxworm? My leo is about 2 1/2 months, and she's been primarily eating mealworms.

About how big is a waxworm? I never see a size listed on the online sites.

Thanks

I don't see a problem giving some waxworms as treat since the waxies have a soft body so they can digest it easily. Waxworms are small, they are not as long as mealies but with a fatter body. Go to http://www.southerncricket.com/supplies.html for a pic.

Thanks.

I forgot to ask before, is it too much to feed my leo waxworms once a week? I've read about waxworm addiction and such, so I don't want to overdo it. Also, when you feed them, how many do you give them at a time?

I would give her 1-2 at most once a week. They do get addicted to it and wouldn't want other food if fed too much.

Hi, What makes waxworms addictive? and would feeding them more often be an absolute no no?
I'm thinking of trying waxworms cause my gecko won't eat mealies anymore and only eats the occational cricket. To be frank, he's so underweight its scarey and despite seeing the vet and being put on an antibiotic there hasn't been much improvement. I'm kinda at my wits end here, his fecal tests came back negative and the vet couldn't find anything wrong. Everything about the cage is setup correctly too (ie. temps are good).

Beyond waxies i dont' know what else to do. Any input is greatly appreciated
Red

The reason why you don't want to feed too much waxworms is because they are very low in nutritional value (they aren't the easiest worms to gutload) yet very high in fat. They are basically junk food but good as treats once in a while. However, if your leo is low in weight, waxies are a good way to fatten him up. Have you tried feeding him silkworms? Silkworms are very good staple, easy to digest and high in calcium. Or you can try superworms but make sure the supers aren't too big and it might be a good idea to cut off the supers' head first so it won't bite your leo.

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly

No i haven't tried silkworms, the only items i've fed are crickets and mealworms. Tonight he ate one cricket and now he's in one of the caves so at least he will eat, just not that much.

Thankyou for explaining waxworms......low in weight is an understatement for sure. He's nine grams and at least 5 inches long. I'll try the silkworms first and if thats not successful i'll go with the waxworms.

Thanks again
Red

I have a 3-week-old hatchling who scarfed a tiny waxworm as her first meal. She didn't seem to notice the crickets or mealworms, but as soon as I dropped that waxie in there she knew exactly what to do with it. After that meal she started to notice all the other food. She still has bad aim, but she keeps trying.

You can start giving her a couple a week because they are a great treat because of their high fat content. However, they are addictive if you give the leo too many, so limit your use to maybe a few waxworms a week now, and up it to a small meal of waxworms once a week for sub-adults and adults.

Cleo
1:1 leos (6 eggs cooking)