Wax worm information.

[Ritzie/Admin]

Here some information from the website:
www.icomm.ca/dragon/waxworms.htm.

Keeping and breeding wax worms
1. Best way to start raising waxworms is to go to the pet store and buy a few.
2. Prepare an escape proof container for them ie 3 to 5 gallon tank with screened lid (tape it on later).
3. You will also need a substrate- get some bran and honey- mix it together in a double boiler until it is well blended. Remove the mix from the double boiler- spread it out on a cookie sheet to cool and harden, when the mix is cool crumble it into the tank. Yes the mix may still be sticky.
4. Put the wax worms in the container with the substrate.
5. Add a few crumpled balls of wax paper as well.
6. Keep the wax worms at room temp. eventually the waxworms will begin to spin cocoons. They will remain in their cocoons for approx two weeks- then moths will emerge.
7. The moths will mate and live for about a week or so- they will lay their eggs in the wax paper.
8. A couple of weeks after the moths have died you will see lots of tiny worms. They grow fast if they are kept at room temp- so once they are half grown you may want to store them in the fridge in a container with small air holes and some of the honey and bran mix. If you leave them at room temp the cycle will begin again.
9. The reason that I suggest taping the screen lid on is that the wax worms can climb glass and they can also crawl through the screen if they are small enough, also when they are in the moth stage they fly around so you will want a secure lid to keep them in the container.

Enjoy- it's quite easy- but if they escape you may find that your house is full of them!

[Ritzie/Admin]

Some more information from the website of the University of Kentucky, www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/misc/ef011.htm.

REARING WAXWORMS
by Lee Townsend, Extension Entomologist
University of Kentucky Department of Entomology

Waxworms may be raised for fish bait or for use in classroom biology studies. They can be obtained from bait companies, biological supply houses, or from infested bee hives where they are destructive pests of honeycombs. In addition to waxworms to start the colony, rearing cages, food, and a suitable environment for growth are the remaining key elements.

Rearing Facilities
A minimum of two containers are needed- one in which to rear the developing larvae and one in which the adults can mate and lay eggs. A widemouth glass gallon jar is good for rearing the caterpillars, pint jars are ideal for the adults. Metal containers can be used but wood should be avoided because the larvae can chew through it. Lids or covers should be made with 20-mesh screen to allow some ventilation. After production is underway it will be best to keep several rearing containers going.

Boil the containers and lids in water to sterilize them before starting the colonies and clean and boil them again between uses. This will help to keep down mold growth and kill diseases which can infect the insects and kill the entire colony. As the first mature larvae begin to spin cocoons, pieces of folded paper towel or rolls of corrugated cardboard should be placed in the container. The larvae will move in these materials and spin their cocoons.

Food
Waxworms infest honey bee colonies where they feed on pollen, honey, and bits of cast larval skins incorporated into comb wax. They can be reared much more easily and economically on an artificial diet.


Diet 1 is made using 7 parts dry dog food mixed with 1 part water followed by 2 parts honey. Mix the ingredients and let them stand for 1 day. The granules should be soft but not sticky.
Diet 2 is made using 1 box of Gerber's Mixed Cereal, 7 tablesthingys of honey and 7 tablesthingys of glycerin and 3-ln tablesthingys of water. Moisten the cereal with the liquid mixture to mold a ball that crumbles easily.
Try both diets to determine which is best for your situation. About 1-l/2 pounds of diet are needed to produce about 500 usable mature larvae. Waxworms thrive in dark, warm (about 85° F), poorly-ventilated areas. A colony can produce larvae year-round.

Life Stages
There are four stages of development of this insect- egg, larva (waxworm), pupa, and adult or moth.

A single female can lay as many as 1,600 eggs. The eggs hatch in about 4 days and the larvae feed for about a month. The milky white to light tan larvae molt or shed their outer covering 7 times. Most of the growth and size increase occurs during the last 2 stages. The process takes about 6 to 7 weeks at 85° to 90° F and high humidity. Full grown larvae spin a cocoon in which the pupal stage is passed.

Mature larvae can be harvested at 3-day intervals when they begin to spin cocoons. They readily crawl into pieces of folded paper towels or rolls of corrugated cardboard and spin their silken cocoons. Placing these items in the rearing containers will make it easy to collect and store full grown larvae. They can be safely stored for 2 to 3 months at 60° F and 60% humidity. The temperature in a typical refrigerator is too cold.

The silken cocoons can be removed from mature larvae by agitating them for about 20 minutes in diluted commercial bleach (1 part 5.25% sodium hypochlorite to 5 parts water). After the silk dissolves, the larvae should be rinsed with tap water and dried on toweling before being placed in storage.

A few pupae should be kept at 85° for adult emergence to keep the colony thriving. Place these pupae in a pint container with a strip of dark paper or a strip of wax paper folded like a fan and held with a paper clip. Females will lay their eggs on these strips. The egg papers can be transferred to rearing containers. About 1,000 eggs placed with about 1-1/2 pounds of diet should yield about 500 mature larvae.

The adult will emerge from the pupa. A look at the shape of the rear margin of the wing will allow you to distinguish between males and females. The female has a relatively straight margin while it is indented or scalloped in males. After mating, the females will their eggs and the cycle will begin again.

Proper cleaning and sterilization of cages will help to reduce disease problem as well as growth of bacteria and fungi. The media can become over grown with these organisms or may become infested with stored product pests such as grain mites. Parasites or diseases may kill developing larvae. Keeping several, rather than one colony, will allow you to discard any in which problems develop without shutting down production. It is best to discard containers with these serious problems rather than attempting to salvage them.

Information in this fact sheet was adapted from a publication by Dr. W. F. Lyon, Extension Entomologist at the Ohio State University, and from How to Keep Bees and Sell Honey by Walter T. Kelley.

CAUTION! Pesticide recommendations in this publication are registered for use in Kentucky, USA ONLY! The use of some products may not be legal in your state or country. Please check with your local county agent or regulatory official before using any pesticide mentioned in this publication.

Of course, ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS FOR SAFE USE OF ANY PESTICIDE!

[andrea]

We ordered some more waxworms the other day ready for our female while she is nursing. She loves them and I think it helps her get the extra fat she needs when nursing pups.

I ordered form these people I found they are very good and I think they deal with most of the world.

www.globallivefood.com/store/customer/

Andrea

[Ritzie/Admin]

I will ask the pet shop where I buy my mealworms if they have waxworms too!