Waxworms, for or agin.

[Kleftiwallah]

Anyone got an opinion one way or the other ? Cheers, Tony.

[tcvarlh]

Hi Tony

Only ever used them as 'treats'. I found initially they made my two leopards (Eublepharis macularius) a little obese but they were always well liked and eagerly taken. So I should say a mild "for"
h

[captaincarot]

as a treat no problem, but too expensive to feed regularly and you can't breed them

[tcvarlh]

Cap'n maybe this will help : Breeding Waxworms

I followed this and got the 'treats', OK, 1st time was a failure but I did a Bruce and it always worked after that

h

[Harold Smith]

Originally Posted by tcvarlh

Hi Tony

Only ever used them as 'treats'. I found initially they made my two leopards (Eublepharis macularius) a little obese but they were always well liked and eagerly taken. So I should say a mild "for"
h

As the original post is in the Bird Forum I think the implied question is how birds would like them, not reptiles. Your Geckos may get a little fat but I suspect at this time of year, or even any other time of year, birds would be very glad of them with little chance of getting fat. The birds would be competing with each other to get at the Waxworms whereas you would be ‘hand’ feeding your captive Geckos. Also, I believe the metabolism of reptiles and birds are different so birds may assimilate the waxworms and other food differently to reptiles.

In response to the original question I really don't know as I have never fed Waxworms to birds. I usually provide mealworms which disappear very quickly, especially when the Starlings are about.

Harold.

Ps: The only ‘fat’ birds I have ever seen are Wood Pigeons who have stuffed themselves silly from the feeders they are unable to fly away.

[Kleftiwallah]

I'm sorry, I should have mentioned that they were for the wild birds. Got a bit of a start at the mention of leopards ! Thought it was those hairy things ! ! ! Cheers, Tony.

[tcvarlh]

Truly, the post is in the Bird Forum, however the title asks 'for or agin', in question with a food source applicable to more than merely birds. Waxworms are a handy nutritional food supply for insectivorous Mammals, Reptiles and Birds, so being given a way-pointer to my own parsnips is a little odd. I could offer the fat / protein / carb and nutritional values of Waxworms as a dietary ingredient but then I would be guilty of territorial incursion once again. Therefore, to answer the question again without being falsely situated, knowing others who have used Waxworms to feed birds I can state they will also produce obese effects, now before I'm taken to task again, I will say the birds in question were caged California Quail, (Callipepla californica)and therefore did not need to forage for their feed although granivorous they took Waxworms readily, indeed avidly. Reptilian and Avian metabolism is different, being as one group is Poikilothermic and the other Homeothermic. Reptiles feed differently, a sort of 'opportunistic on call' feeding. Birds need to fuel a far more active lifestyle. However, fat is fat and too much of a good thing is not healthy. Whether Waxworms would make an ideal supplement to wild-bird tables or not is a matter I have to date not thoroughly investigated, you can be assured this dereliction will be speedily rectified.
h

[Elizabeth B]

According to the Wiggly Wigglers website:

Waxworms (Galleria mellonella) are the larvae of the Greater Wax Moth and get their name because they are most commonly found in honeycombs of beeswax. Their soft body is easily digestible and very nutritious. They are rich in protein, moisture and fat, making them an even more juicy meal than mealworms.

[Kleftiwallah]

Originally Posted by tcvarlh

Cap'n maybe this will help : Breeding Waxworms

I followed this and got the 'treats', OK, 1st time was a failure but I did a Bruce and it always worked after that

h

Looked this web page up and I'm gonna give it a bash. Thanks. Cheers, Tony.