# Possible new Frog food?



## mockachild (Apr 19, 2011)

I found this worm/moth in my pantry and want to know if anyone has seen it or can identify it. It is really easy to culture. I have thumbnails and this worm is way too big but maybe for a dendrobate? I also want to know if anyone in the NYC area is willining to try and feed it to their frogs. Please let me know if anyone is interested?

Looks like a small waxworm?


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## wesleybrouwer (Apr 17, 2010)

Maybe a lesser waxmoth or perhaps an indian meal moth.
Found some of those meal moths inside my merci chocalate one time,
cultured them on chocolate sprinkles for a while, but they turned up in my food so i threw them all out


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

they're just gonna be like waxworms. good occasionally but have too high fat content for day to day consuption


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

They look delicious.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

They are very invasive into food stuffs... You'll want to be very careful on how you remove the caterpillars to prevent them from escaping into the house. 
They are probably Indian meal moths. 

Ed


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## mockachild (Apr 19, 2011)

I would like to know if they're any goodfor frog food. Anyone have any ideas on how to test it?


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

hmmmmm.... maybe you should feed it to a frog?


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## mockachild (Apr 19, 2011)

are you offering? I have variabilis and nom imitator. Mine are just too small.


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

sorry my leucs are too small


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## Scoobs (Nov 15, 2010)

Are you trying to culture them?


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## Scoobs (Nov 15, 2010)

mockachild said:


> I would like to know if they're any goodfor frog food. Anyone have any ideas on how to test it?


I was wondering the same, is there any good info out there about feeding these worms? I can't find any


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Scoobs said:


> I was wondering the same, is there any good info out there about feeding these worms? I can't find any


You need to be able to harvest them at the right size, make sure they don't escape the tank (since they may be able to find food and complete thier life cycle) and prevent adult moths from establishing in the house. Most people try them a few times and give up on it. 

Ed


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## Scoobs (Nov 15, 2010)

Yeah I did that with these little black flies that liked to eat wet dead crickets, (forget the name right now), but I would a bunch in a clear fish bag like you get at the LFS and the flies would breed in there soon filling with maggots, once they would pupate I would seal the bag until the flies hatched then would cool them down for a minute in the fridge and dump them into my dart frog and baby anole cages. But breeding crickets is easier and yield more offspring so I don't have to deal with these running flies anymore


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Scoobs said:


> Yeah I did that with these little black flies that liked to eat wet dead crickets, (forget the name right now), but I would a bunch in a clear fish bag like you get at the LFS and the flies would breed in there soon filling with maggots, once they would pupate I would seal the bag until the flies hatched then would cool them down for a minute in the fridge and dump them into my dart frog and baby anole cages. But breeding crickets is easier and yield more offspring so I don't have to deal with these running flies anymore


 
Phorid flies.. In my experience the frogs do not readily accept them but they are happy to parasitize wounds, egg masses and many other organic biological systems.... plus I'm not thrilled by little flies running over my food while I try to eat. 

Ed


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## mockachild (Apr 19, 2011)

They are really easy to culture and I found them only in one food. It was a nut and there were other open containers in the pantry and nothing else had it. I just wanted to see if anyone in the NYC area would help by seeing if their frogs will eat it. if they turn out to be a viable food sourse I would culture them and sell them...


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

mockachild said:


> They are really easy to culture and I found them only in one food. It was a nut and there were other open containers in the pantry and nothing else had it. I just wanted to see if anyone in the NYC area would help by seeing if their frogs will eat it. if they turn out to be a viable food sourse I would culture them and sell them...


They won't stay in that one type of food.... They will get into many things if you are not careful. There have been several booms and busts in the popularity of those as a feeder (usually until a lot of people have them in thier cereal, fruit fly media, dog or cat food, crackers, and many other food stuffs). They can be very hard to eradicate once established even if you use the traps for them. 

Ed


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