# Silkworms- how many for bearded dragons??



## Ambersnake (Jun 6, 2010)

Hi All,

I am at the latter stages of raising a batch of 230 silkworms and wondering how many a day to feed my beardies! Both are absolute ganets and would eat as many as I put in front of them so I don't wish to overfeed!
I was surprised how easy they were to hatch and raise, you just need to keep everthing sterile and clean them out regularly. I use a sterile bamboo skewer to carfully lift them out of their container then clean out and sterilize with alcohol before replacing the silkworms! 
Try 'Tom' at  - Home Page if you fancy a go! Beware though, they are quite 'cute' so you may have 'issues' when it comes to beardie feeding time!


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## woodrott (Sep 14, 2008)

Ambersnake said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I am at the latter stages of raising a batch of 230 silkworms and wondering how many a day to feed my beardies! Both are absolute ganets and would eat as many as I put in front of them so I don't wish to overfeed!
> I was surprised how easy they were to hatch and raise, you just need to keep everthing sterile and clean them out regularly. I use a sterile bamboo skewer to carfully lift them out of their container then clean out and sterilize with alcohol before replacing the silkworms!
> Try 'Tom' at - Home Page if you fancy a go! Beware though, they are quite 'cute' so you may have 'issues' when it comes to beardie feeding time!


 
silk worms are a good food the best balanced too

my dragons get what they will eat if its one or twenty 

don't worry they will stop when there full


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## Ambersnake (Jun 6, 2010)

Thanks woodrot, think the greedy buggers would end up like rugby balls if I let them decide on when enough is enough LOL, was thinking about 5 a day each, what do you think?????


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## woodrott (Sep 14, 2008)

Ambersnake said:


> Thanks woodrot, think the greedy buggers would end up like rugby balls if I let them decide on when enough is enough LOL, was thinking about 5 a day each, what do you think?????


 
five a day would be fine
i would get the next batch going

I'm always running out
i use about 100 a week


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## Ambersnake (Jun 6, 2010)

Think this batch is going to be ready next week. Trouble is i've lavished such care on the little guys i've kinda got a little attached to them. Going to have a big guilt trip when the're sacrificed to the 'monsters'!:gasp:


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## Ambersnake (Jun 6, 2010)

*Update*

Silkworms now ready!! Ran out of 'chow' a week ago but fortunately I own a specimen tree company and have mulberry trees on my nursery so have been feeding them the real thing for a week!
Bit of a 'guilt trip' feeding the little guys to the monsters after spending so much time raising the from eggs! My daughter and I have been naming each little guy before feeding them to the beardies, buy-buy 'Robert', buy-buy 'Jeremy' LOL!
I do have to recommend it though, it's quite fullfilling, and quite fascinating project! If any of you want to give it a go contact Thomas at the silkwormstore.co.uk, he is a nice guy and very helpfull!
Beardies have gone 'nuts' over the silkworms! 'Eddy' launched himself off the very top branch in the viv when he saw the silkies arrive this morning! They are very rich in protein, low in fat and have a good calcium content! I now have 3-4 weeks supply for a modest initial outlay! Next batch will cost around £5 for 250 eggs, from the last batch of eggs (250) I have managed to raise 210-220 2.5-3 inch fat, juicy silkworms- Think of the cost if you had to buy them 'ready grown'!
If anybody needs some advise on cultural techniques I would be pleased to pass on any knowledge!


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## lee young (Oct 14, 2009)

I've never considered Silkworms as a feeder, but now I'm seriously considering them as a staple, been breeding a few locusts, but they are time and labour intensive and take up a fair bit of room. Could these be used as a staple instead with odd locusts/roaches every now and again?

Also, do silkworms need light to grow, or could they be kept in a cupboard? Im thinking of using a compartmentalised plastic tub, with a ventillated lid, with two smaller compartments for petri dishes of eggs, and two/three larger compartments, one for new hatchlings for the first few weeks, one for older silkworms for fattening up, and a spare compartment for rotation to make cleaning them out a bit easier.

A small heatmat on a stat underneath the tub to keep it at about 80F and I think I could be on to a winner.....any thoughts from people who have had successes?


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## Ambersnake (Jun 6, 2010)

Lee,
Yes silkworms are probably one of the very best staple foods, low in fat , high in protein and packed full of nutrition and vitamins.
Care is a little fiddly, however fairly straight forward! I have 2 large containers and also collected the containers that pre-packed locusts and crickets come in! 
Once hatched and grown a little split the batch up into 2 or 3, the less crowded the easier to keep and the less fatalities! Every 3rd day remove all worms carefully, I use a bamboo barbie skewer, (sterilized). Silkworms have little claspers at their rear end, (a bit like a lobster tail). Just gentle touch their tail and it will raise then put the point of the skewer there, they will latch on to it and then can be lifted out easily!
Once the container is empty I clean out and spray with Alcohol rinse (e-bay) to sterilize and return the worms to their container!
Each week using the smaller pre-pack containers I take 10 of the largest silkworms out and put in a seperate container!
Cleanliness is the key, do not handle with your fingers and keep everything as sterile as possible! Sounds alot of hastle but its really simple and quite rewarding knowing your rep is getting the vey best and its produced by you!:2thumb:


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## SonyaH (Jul 1, 2010)

Hi,

Just wondering what is the best website to buy silkworms. My Beardie only eats waxworms or morios I want to give him something that he will eat and not stomp on that will be alot more better for him.


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## Ambersnake (Jun 6, 2010)

SonyaH said:


> Hi,
> 
> Just wondering what is the best website to buy silkworms. My Beardie only eats waxworms or morios I want to give him something that he will eat and not stomp on that will be alot more better for him.



Hi Sonya,

Contact Thomas at  - Home Page , nice guy!


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## Ambersnake (Jun 6, 2010)

Oh P.S- Beardies are so ravenous for silkworms that my 10 year old daughter went to stroke one of them this morning, (just after they had been fed) then Eddy, (now christened Evil Eddy), mistook her little pinkie for a big fat silkie worm and tried to munch! A big squeal and a few tears but all o.k! Quite funny really!:lol2:


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