Calling all waxworm experts!!

[nats]

Ya know how waxies slowly turn black, shrivel up and die?
I always pick out the nice white ones and avoid the ones that are turning grey when feeding my leos.
I even throw out the ones that are turning grey.
So, does anyone know WHY they turn black and die? Do they just have a really short lifespan?
Is it okay to feed my leos the ones that are turning black but still alive?

I know if you put them in the refrigerator (at about 48F), they will not turn black and die (or it seriously slows down the process).

Any thoughts?
Am I just too paranoid? :main_huh:

 

[RepBex]

They dont die they turn into Moths

 

[nats]

They dont die they turn into Moths

Wow! you mean when they turn all black and nasty looking they are actually STILL ALIVE?? :main_huh:

 

[RepBex]

i assume so we use loads at college and they turn like brown and hard then they turn into moths that chams love

 

[Superior]

Kind of like caterpillars turning into butterflys

 

[RepBex]

yes

they are just grub stage of a lifecycle

 

[bubblez825]

no. they are soft and squishy n disgusting looking. not a cycle, its dead :main_laugh:

 

[GeckoGathering]

We all Die

Ya know how waxies slowly turn black, shrivel up and die?
I always pick out the nice white ones and avoid the ones that are turning grey when feeding my leos.
I even throw out the ones that are turning grey.
So, does anyone know WHY they turn black and die? Do they just have a really short lifespan?
Is it okay to feed my leos the ones that are turning black but still alive?

I know if you put them in the refrigerator (at about 48F), they will not turn black and die (or it seriously slows down the process).

Any thoughts?
Am I just too paranoid? :main_huh:

Sure some die....The black ones are dead or going in that direction. The brownish are going into the cocoon stage and will be turning into a moth............The moth mates (with another moth)
lays eggs, eggs hatch into tiny worms...........
Mine will eat whites, the brownish too. You really gotta have HUNGRY geckos to eat dead black ones. The moths will be eaten by some, but I've only seen that once here. And after she jumped in mid air to catch it....
.....I thought she was going to gag.......I don't think she knew
what they tasted like. It woke her up with all the fluttering
and her reaction was to grab it..........Face looked like she bit into a lemon........Wax worms also call the bee moth. Enemy of the bee hive.....will destroy them.......They raise them on Honey and bran. Thats why
they are so tasty to the gecko.....like a glazed donut....I feed them
but do it along with meal worms. If my geckos don't eat
their greens(meals).....they don't get their treats.......
They can get hooked on wax and refuse other stuff.....but only til
they get hungry enough.........They are great for getting
the females up in weight when they are dropping 7 grams after
a clutch of eggs........
To keep them very long you need to control (50 -- 60 )temp. and low humidity..They say the adult worm will not eat but I find that is a false statement.....I remove them to a grain and carrot/orange peel mix
after receiving them in the wood chips. Since I started this I get
more usage from the worms and cocoon stage... Take care.. HJ

 

[nats]

Thanks for all the info :main_yes:

Yeah, I keep them around only as treats, and you are right, they can get spoiled on them fast!!

 

[hoppslover]

I had actually brought some home from fishing this summer. I had fed a few to my leos, but don't like to feed them too many. I had forgot that I had them until I was doing some cleaning a few weeks later. I kept seeing something moving around in the containers, and I knew it wasn't the bee moths. They had actually turned into the moths. First time I had ever seen that happen.