Is it possible to gutload waxworms? If so, what do I gutload them with?

Here's a link for the care and breeding/rearing of Wax Worms

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2131.html

Here is a quote from the text-they are a bit more complicated to gut load than other bugs
I usually only buy as many as I need to feed and I feed them the same day that I get them
Nice plump worms should be sufficiently get loaded and they don't really keep long anyway
Since they are fed mainly as treats- a culture doesn't need to be kept going as with other feeder insects and there should be no need to gut load them

Larvae in nature feed on pollen, honey and beeswax in honeybee combs. In cultures, granular dog meal is effective. Mix seven parts granular dog meal with one part water and then add two parts honey. Mix and allow to stand one day before using. Granules should be soft and not sticky. Once the culture has been established, no daily maintenance is required. Another formula consists of one box Gerber's Mixed Cereal, 100 ml honey and 100 ml glycerin. Mix honey and glycerin in a container and pour into cereal. Mix with a spoon until all cereal is moist

I hope that this helps

Sandy

I think there's a difference between feeding and gutloading, in which case I would say no, you can't really gutload waxworms in the same way you can gutload crickets and cockroaches. You can feed waxworms, and you can feed them things they ought to eat, but you can't "load their guts" with a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods (gutloading) like you can with opportunistic omnivorous insects (like crickets and cockroaches). You can feed waxworms nutritious foods, but the options are limited due to their diets, as Sandy pointed out.

"Gutloaded" waxworms would probably be healthier than just grabbing them and feeding them to your herp, but as Sandy also mentioned, they're more of a treat than anything else. They're way too high in fat to be a good staple species. As long as you're feeding other gutloaded insects, the occasional "unloaded" waxworm won't hurt.

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