General Information: Wax worms are the soft bodied fat grubs of the Galleria mellonella moth. Waxworms are a popular feeder amongst reptiles, but they should only be feed as a treat. They can be great when trying to fatten up an underweight reptile, but to many can cause fatty liver disease.

Housing: Housing waxworms can be very simple. You can use a simple Cool-Whip container. Pour your homeade substrate, the waxworms, and a few crumpled wax paper balls.

Feeding: To make the substrate, you will mix bran and honey until it is well blended. Spread the mix on a cookie sheet to cool and harden. When the mix is cool, crumble it into the container. The mix may still be sticky, but that’s fine.

Temperature: Should be housed, between 55-65 degrees F (warmest section of your fridge) Also store them in low humidity.

Breeding:To breed your waxworms, keep them at room temperature, and eventually the waxworms will begin to spin cocoons. They will appear as bright orange ovals. Remove the cocoons into a separate container, that is also filled with wax paper balls and a small bottom layer of the substrate as bedding.

The waxworms will remain in the cocoons for about two weeks before moths will emerge.

Make sure to keep a lid on, because they do fly, and you probably don’t want moths flying about your home. The moths will mate and live for about a week or so.

They will lay their eggs in the crumpled waxpaper, so once they have died, wait a couple more weeks.

Then you will begin to notice tiny worms, which will grow very fast if kept at room temperature.

Once the worms are about half grown, you may want to put them in a container, with holes in the lid and bedding. Place the container in the refrigerator to stunt growth and reproduction rates.

Otherwise, if you leave them at room temperature, the worms will begin the cycle all over again.