waxworms?

[nicoleroxs73]

i just got a baby gecko a few days ago and the guy at the pet store told me to feed it waxworms and crickets, which i thought was weird because i read that waxworms should be given as a treat and not as a daily diet. i thought i was supposed to feed him mealworms instead? oh and what is a butter worm? theyre more expensive than waxworms and but like are they better for them or something? what would be best to feed my new gecko?

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Feed your gecko mealworms and crickets, and hold the waxworms for an occasional treat.

 

[GECKOFREAK]

Feed your gecko mealworms and crickets, and hold the waxworms for an occasional treat.

:main_yes: Waxworms are like 'M&Ms' for geckos

 

[NaughtyDawg]

And they cause lots of squables...

 

[nicoleroxs73]

squables?? whats that?

 

[gecko_man2]

Number one rule to the herp hobby........Never ask a pet store for info......Lesson learned by many..!

 

[ReptileMan27]

Only feed waxworms as a treat once in awhile for a treat because they are very fattening and addicting. Feed mainly cricks and mealies

 

[Dottie]

Sometimes when I have a stubborn eater, I give a waxworm and then the mealworms and it usually tricks them into a good feed of mealies. I used to have to do that for Papa gecko every time he was ready for a feed. He's better about just eating mealies now. The other day he grabbed a big mealie and was holding it in his mouth like a dog with a bone just wandering around the enclosure. I had tears running down my face I was laughing so hard. Couldn't get to the camera in time.
Dorcas

 

[NaughtyDawg]

squables?? whats that?

Fights....every time I feed them waxworms a fight usually breaks out over the worms.

 

[nicoleroxs73]

oh.. but i only have one gecko

 

[Coachfrickle]

Wow mine not liking waxworms are like not liking chocolate! My leo doesn't like waxies.

 

[Melody]

I pulled a young female out of a tank with 2 other juvies because they were hogging the food, and I wanted her to fatten up a bit. I put her in her own separate 10-gal tank, and fed her 2 waxworms to entice her appetite. Two days later I fed her one more waxworm. Now she won't eat anything else. She ignores the mealies and the crickets and looks at me like "where are you hiding the good stuff?" Other than that, she acts fine, not sick. I've created a monster - what do I do? Give her a waxworm every other day or so, or make her go cold turkey till she eats the other stuff??

 

[nicoleroxs73]

mines doing to same thing too now

 

[Scott&Nikki]

I pulled a young female out of a tank with 2 other juvies because they were hogging the food, and I wanted her to fatten up a bit. I put her in her own separate 10-gal tank, and fed her 2 waxworms to entice her appetite. Two days later I fed her one more waxworm. Now she won't eat anything else. She ignores the mealies and the crickets and looks at me like "where are you hiding the good stuff?" Other than that, she acts fine, not sick. I've created a monster - what do I do? Give her a waxworm every other day or so, or make her go cold turkey till she eats the other stuff??

That's why I don't even want to try giving waxworms...

 

[Stitch]

What your geckos are doing is called a hunger strike.

If your gecko has a nice fat tail (as thick as the neck), you can offer crix or mealies for about a week. If they havent come around by then, you may have to give in and feed them 1-2 wax worms.

Another way to go about it is to squeeze out some of the wax worm guts/juice and cover the meal worms with it. The gecko should smell the wax worm on the mealie and then eat the mealie.

I haven't fed mine any wax worms in about 4 months. I find mealies do a good job themself fattening up leos. For my chameleons I always fed them crix first and then 1 wax worm on occasion. I tried to get them in the thought process of eating their regular food first and then they'd get their treat.

 

[Val]

That's why I don't even want to try giving waxworms...

That's exactly why we don't feed wax worms at all. Our geckos are absolutely huge, and the best way for them to put on weight is through well gutloaded, healthy feeders. Melody and Nicole, what weight are both of your geckos? Like Stitch said, if they have nice fat tails they should be fine until they will eat something other than a waxworm. Stitch has a decent plan, but I'd work your way down to not having to coat them in wax worm guts at all. Maybe coat the first one, then use less and less until they will just take mealworms. After that, I wouldn't let either gecko have another waxworm ever again.

 

[Melody]

When I put the three juvies together in Oct two were about the same size, one was tiny. Now three months later, the "tiny one" (SHTCT - f) is now a piggy 38 gms, one (RedStripe - m) is 27 gms, and this blizzard (f) is stuck on 19 (she had gone up to 21, then back down to 19 while the now-biggest one kept getting huger and huger).

This little blizzard has a decent size tail for her weight (it is NOT a pencil tail but isn't huge - it is plump in the middle), looks fine, acts fine, poops fine every other day or so (maybe she is sneaking food in on the side) - just a little on the small side.

A month ago I had pulled out the one who now is at 27 because she was the smallest (and had lost 2 gms also) and put her by herself -- she beefed up within a week and rejoined the other two, so I thought I had discovered a great technique. But this little blizzard has pulled a hunger strike on me. She has been by herself over a week, and other than the waxworms, hasn't touched a mealie or cricket that I can tell. She hasn't lost weight (still 18.5-19)and looks perfectly fine - just ticked off that there have been no more waxworms forthcoming. Actually I'm out of them anyway.

I just placed another mealie/cricket order and got more waxworms, I'll try the mealie-frosting technique. How can these little stinkers be so stubborn?

 

[Val]

I can see a few things that raise a bit of a red flag. You really should get that male seperated from the females, because if he hasn't already realized he's a male, he will soon and he will breed with your females who at that weight can not withstand the vigors of egg laying.

Leos really do a lot better off alone. You can tell just by the weights of your geckos that one is dominant and bullying the others. That could be a big reason why they're not eating and you needed to feed her waxworms to put more weight on her. If you want three happy, healthy leos the best thing for them is seperate enclosures. You won't believe the difference you'll see in their growth and eating habits.

 

[Melody]

Val - I totally agree about the separate cages. Unfortunately I did not know this at the time! Nor did I know about this site when I got my geckos and though I thought I had done a thorough research, the reptile stores and books all proclaimed the ease of keeping a "harem" of females/or juvies together. So within a few months' time I had acquired 13 geckos. I kept each male in a separate tank (I just last week realized the RS was a male, it was supposed to be a female!) but was keeping girls in pairs together, except for these 3 juvies.

I now have 8 tanks set up and just got two more, which I will do this weekend. I would like to set fire to those books!!!!!! Each tank has cost me over $100 with the tank, lid, UTH, red-light, cool-moist-hot hidies, dishes etc. - LOL. This was supposed to be fun - LOL!!!!! It takes me more time to take care of the geckos than my 50 birds!

 

[Val]

I'd really like to meet the people who write those books and kick them in the shins for all the bad info they give. Same goes for the pet stores! You'd think they'd at least know what they're talking about, but obviously that's too much to ask for!! I'm glad you found this place and that they're all being seperated. Keeping females together apparently can be done, but in all the times we've tried to pair our females to make it easier for breeding season, they always end up fighting. Apparently female geckos and human females are similar in at least that way! :main_rolleyes:

I can't believe you have 50 birds!!! I have one and most days I would like to ring his neck for never shutting up.