wax worms and spikes at home

[Dwayne Denison]

Does anyone on here raise there own wax worms or spikes? If so I have a few questions, as I would like to start doing this.

 

Thanks

Dwayne

[John C Watson]

Check out YouTube video's on this subject, that is how I got started.  I have been successful twice.  My last batch doesn't look like they survived to go into the pupa stage.  I have been waiting for moths but nothing in weeks.

 

John

[Dwayne Denison]

John, thanks very much. How long will they last?

[John C Watson]

Once you get the colony going, it can last several months.  The moths lay eggs at different times before dying so you will have wax worms in several sizes.  Just pick out the big ones to fish with and leave the small ones to grow.

[URL=http://s63.photobucket.com/albums/h127/jwatson34076/?action=view&current=WaxWormHarvest.mp4][IMG]http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h127/jwatson34076/th_WaxWormHarve...[/IMG][/URL]

It is better to have a shallow bin to dump them on to cull out the large ones as they can be a bit faster than expected.

 

John

 

[Dwayne Denison]

Do I need to start raising them now for summer? Can you use bait store wax worms to start with?

 

Thanks for all you help...Dwayne

[John C Watson]

Yea, I would start now cause it takes several weeks for them to go to pupa stage and then hatch out into moths.  Once the moths die they have laid their eggs and it takes about six weeks for the little ones to start showing up.  The time frame is a gustimate cause I neglected to keep records of when I started and when the stages occurred.  In fact I think it has a lot to due with how warm they are kept.

 

I started with about 50 worms in each container and had all I wanted until they ran out.

[Dwayne Denison]

Thanks John, They will be kept in heated garage, I keep it about 55 all the time.

[John C Watson]

I sent a friend request so I can email you a video of a harvest. Tried to load the video several times but it wouldn't work.

 

John

Go to this thread I have the video on there.

[Dwayne Denison]

John, did you order one of the onlie kits to start or just make things yourself?

[John C Watson]

I did my own.  I order worms from

Beaver Bait Co.
[phone]

 

bought the containers from Walmart and cut the tops and hot glued screen over the opening for them to get air.  The videos on Youtube gave me my start as well as reading what was available on line.  Not to hard to do.  I think my last batch I started were in too poor shape.  I had them for a couple of weeks in the fridge fishing with the ones I bought before I took some out to start a colony.  If nothing hatches in another week or so I will order another batch from Beaver bait and start a colony.

 

 

[John C Watson]

[gilinator]

"Thanks John, They will be kept in heated garage, I keep it about 55 all the time."


Way too cold. I kept my jar inside an aquarium on my entertainment center, used a heater pad for lizards on the bottom and kept it at least 90 degrees... maybe 95. They aren't worms they are caterpillars and they need warmth t grow. John is right, the youtube vids are what you want to refer to.

[gilinator]

I wouldn't do it that way. I had a few very small ones but most were the same size. I like them all to start out approximately at the same time so they finish up around the same time. It's easier to harvest them. Then I started another colony from moths.

Before I raised them I had no idea they were bee colony parasites.