Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I keep buying waxworms from the petshop but they die in a few days instead of eating the bedding. I heat up some honey, add some table bran and mixed baby cereal till it's crumbly, let it cool, and crumble it into the container. I think it may be that the petshop waxies have usually been there a while and are old and about to die. Most of them have a little black in them, those never make it. Is it because I'm buying old worms or is it the bedding?

I have had poor luck with the last purchases I have made from pet stores. Try ordering from one of the on-line feeder suppliers and see if they don't do better.

Also, check out the instructions at http://www.wormman.com/cat_wax.cfm

He suggests grating some bees wax into the mix which makes sense because the waxworms are called waxworms because they eat the bees wax thus destroying the hive.

Keep in mind that the waxworms will spin their cocoons in the substrate. The wax paper is for the moths to lay the eggs on. So don't through out the cocooning worms mistaking them for dead. Do get rid of the black ones though.
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Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html

The wax worms are old your buying, we raise all our feeder waxies and its not hard all you need is patience waiting for them to get going. We have a fool proof reciepe that we can pass on to you.

don't know why this picture posted, but it is a chilian dwarf tegu.