WAXWORMS

Waxworms are the larvae of the Greater Wax Moth (Galleria mellonella). In nature, they infest beehives and cause significant damage. They are a nutritious food source for Anoles but are high in fat content and best used as a treat rather than a staple diet. They are great for fattening up underweight Anoles, though.

Enclosure

I have been successful using one of the small “shoe box” sized plastic storage containers that you can pick up for a dollar or so at most discount stores. The only preparation is to cut out the center section of the top and hot glue some screen to cover the opening just like you did with the cricket/roach enclosure. Make sure that the top is tight fitting since the adult moths are skilled escape artists!

Food

There are many different formulae for waxworms. Some of the more exotic ones use glycerine, honey, and wheat bran. Rather than complicate things unduly, I’ll tell you what I use. It is sort of like mixing cement. Simply put, it is wheat bran and honey mixed together. Put the wheat bran in a bowl and mix in the honey until the mixture is moist but not sticky. Spread it on the bottom of the enclosure and let it sit for a day before putting the waxworms in the enclosure. Joe Burgess gets credit for this formula. This serves as a combination food source and substrate. All you have to do is add waxworms to start the colony. You will sometimes have a bit of a problem getting the first lot of them to eat you homemade mixture. If that is the case, put a piece of wax honeycomb on top of the food/substrate. The second generation will avidly attack the food/substrate.
Once you have added the waxworms, cover the substrate with a paper towel. Waxworms actually do best in warm, poorly ventilated spaces.



Where to get your breeding stock

Simply order a container of waxworms from one of the online vendors or buy them at a reptile show (much cheaper). Dump the waxworms (at least 25 or so) on the food/substrate and cover with a paper towel as previously mentioned.

Notes

Let the waxworms mature. They will form cocoons with a pupa inside. If you can, provide somewhere for them to spin or they will cover the top of the enclosure. At this point, you can add some crumpled pieces of wax paper. This will entice the female moths to lay their eggs there. Once the moths emerge, they will mate and lay eggs, either on the optional wax paper or on the food/substrate itself. After all of the moths have emerged and died, remove all of the bodies from the enclosure. The larvae will begin to emerge from the eggs that the females have produced. In time, the substrate/food will be held together by a series of webs. This is normal. They do fine at room temperature but warmer temperatures up to about 80 degrees will accelerate the life cycle.