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Cleef · Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 3:23 pm Post subject: Waxworm Culture

Hello all,

Just thought I would show you how a waxworm culture I started a couple of months is coming along.

I know it's not nothing special, I just found it quite interesting how simple it is to do and the amount of worms produced.

I found a guide on the internet of how to set it up. Basically it's just a sweet jar with a substrate of crushed weetabix, honey, and a bit of CGD for added goodies. Then rip up some cardboard pieces to place on top. Add some waxworms bought from the petshop, cover with some old tights and leave it for a month or two.

The worms obviously pupate, and hatch as their adult moth form. They then mate and lay their eggs on the cardboard. Worms eventually hatch and live off the mixture.

Here are some pictures, check out how warm the substrate gets, my room is very cool this time of year. However, the medium is actually very warm to touch, 90f in places! Must be all that respiration!
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Steve P

Cleef · Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 3:24 pm Post subject:

dunno why this one didn't attach:
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Steve P

Phil1988 · Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:25 pm Post subject:

Hey mate, did you not find that when the new waxies had hatched and started to climb about that they managed to climb right up to the tights and chew holes in them to escape? That's what mine did Shocked

mcfluffin · CaptiveBred Addict! Joined: 21 Mar 2007 Posts: 943

Going to try this myself I think...cool idea...never really thought of breeding more waxies funnily enough Smile

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PaulG · Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 7:55 pm Post subject:

That looks good! Wink

Where abouts can you get a sweet jar from?

Thanks for the idea Smile

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Regards, Paul.

:.Rhacodactylus.:.Eublepharis.:.Stenodactylus.:.Nephrurus.:

garysumpter · CaptiveBred Addict! Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 914

Great pics, I have one on the go too, but mine is in a plastic cereal dispenser Smile

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Cleef · Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 8:33 pm Post subject:

Phil1988 · Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 10:42 pm Post subject:

Thanks mate, I was planning on posting up a "How To Culture Waxworms" post myself - we must have started the cultures on near enough the same day. No worries though the forum can have two waxie how to threads Laughing

sam.b · Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 9:45 pm Post subject:

roughly how much wheatabix to honey do you use i tried a while ago but didn't have much luck????
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adriankidd · Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:28 am Post subject:

how productive is a wax worm culture, say i started with 250 wax worms, what would i be hoping to produce from that?