Can You Feed Crested Geckos Waxworms?
By: Jason
Last Updated: February 23, 2023
Crested geckos eat a wide variety of insects, but not all insects are good for them. What about waxworms? Can crested geckos eat waxworms safely?
Crested geckos can eat waxworms as a treat once or twice a month. Waxworms are very high in fat compared to other feeders.
You likely have some questions. Do I gut-load and dust them? Are they difficult to store? Keep reading to learn everything you need to know!
Species Overview
Waxworms are the caterpillar larvae of one of two species of wax moth (Achroia grisella or Galleria mellonella).
Life cycle
Like other moths and butterflies, the wax moth has four stages; egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Female wax moths lay hundreds of eggs at a time. At warmer temperatures, the eggs can hatch in as little as three days. In colder weather, it can take up to a month.
A waxworm’s growth depends on how warm or cold it is. In warmer conditions, the worms can become fully grown in three weeks, but it can take up to five months when it is cooler.
Once fully grown, they find a place to pupate and form a silk cocoon. Soon after, an adult wax moth emerges.
Diet
In the wild, waxworms are parasites in bee colonies. They eat the wax used by the bees to build honeycombs, which is how they got their name. In addition to beeswax, waxworms eat the shed skins of bees, pollen, and cocoons.
Waxworms raised as feeders eat a mix of bran, grains, and honey. When kept in cool temps, waxworms can go a long time without eating, so many pet lizard owners never need to feed them.
Other Notes
Waxworms are very soft, much softer than any other feeder insect we’ve reviewed. They need to be handled gently and are easy for reptiles having difficulty chewing or digesting food.
The wax moth doesn’t eat for the 2-3 weeks it is alive. It uses the fat it built up while in its larval stage.
Nutritional Value
It is vital to look closely at the nutritional value of any food you give to your pet.
These numbers change based on what the insect was fed, which helps explain why there is such a range of values reported for live feeder insects.
Waxworm
- Protein – 14.1%
- Fat – 24.9%
- Fiber – 3.4%
- Moisture – 58.5%
- Minerals – 1%
- Calcium – 243 mg/kg
- Phosphorous – 1950 mg/kg
Waxworms are very fatty- second only to butter worms which are 30% fat! High-fat foods are often tasty but not healthy to eat too often. Their fat content alone pushes waxworms into the ‘treats’ category.
Their protein is a little low compared to other feeder insects, but it isn’t bad.
Like most other foods, waxworms have a poor Calcium (Ca) – Phosphorous (P) ratio. They need dusting before getting served to your pet.
Feeding Instructions
Size
Crested geckos should eat insects shorter than the distance between their eyes.
Waxworms get to be 3/4″ to 1″ long (19-25 mm).
While their soft bodies don’t create the same choking issues as hard-shelled insects, take care when giving them to smaller cresties. Size still matters.
Compared to many other insects, waxworms “hold their size” longer. Why does this matter? You don’t need to worry about them outgrowing your pet.
Gut loading
Much of the nutritional value of a feeder insect comes from what is in the insect’s stomach when your pet eats it.
Unfortunately, the foods that waxworms want to eat (beeswax) don’t help the pet lizards who eat them. Since they don’t want to eat the foods that are good for our pet lizards, we don’t worry about gut-loading waxworms.
Without gut-loading, the larvae don’t have a lot of nutrients, keeping them solidly in the ‘treat’ category.
Dusting
Before serving waxworms to your crested gecko, you’ll need to dust them with calcium. The ultrafine powder sticks better to the soft skin of waxworms.
To coat, first, place the worms in a small container. Then, sprinkle some powder on them. Gently swirl the cup to get an even coat on the bugs. Now they are ready!
Don’t apply powder to worms you are not using right away. The powder will fall off over time, reducing the Ca your pet gets.
Where do I feed the waxworms to my crestie?
There are two ways to give the waxworms to your crestie.
Many keepers put insects directly into the enclosure with their crested gecko in an escape-proof bowl. (Waxworms will crawl out of short-walled cups and hide in the substrate or under the paper.) This approach lets your pet eat as they like.
The other option is to hand-feed them with tongs or tweezers.
How often can I serve them?
Limit waxworms to no more than twice a month. They should not be the only live feeder insect fed to a crested gecko.
Ideally, your pet should mostly eat powdered gecko food with a few live feeder insects and a rare bit of fruit. This mix will give them all the vitamins and minerals they need.
Serve a range of foods for the best health. Waxworms are a treat!
How many should I give my pet?
Waxworms are a snack and not a meal. One worm for a smaller gecko or two worms for a larger one will keep them from overindulging.
Dead or alive?
Most crested geckos prefer eating live insects over dead, freeze-dried, or canned ones.
Dried and canned wax worms are available and used as treats for other animal species. The “dead” versions of these insects don’t improve their nutritional value for pet crested geckos.
Your pet may love these crunchy little treats but try to use live ones when you can.
Buying & Storing
Price range
Waxworms are not expensive, costing a couple of pennies per worm.
Prices from online retailers start at $0.08 a bug and go down to $0.04 each when bought in 250+ counts.
Since waxworms can be refrigerated to last longer, bulk purchases work better for most keepers.
Where can I buy the best waxworms?
Several great companies sell waxworms online.
How do I keep them?
Waxworms are easy to keep. They come in plastic cups made to be their home until you feed them to your pet. In addition to the larvae, the cup has a sawdust media.
Place the container in the door of a fridge to keep them dormant. Waxworms can go a long time without eating when kept cool; they do not need any food.
Remove the dead wax worms when they turn black and hard.
How long do they live?
Waxworms stay in the larval form for as short as three weeks and as long as five months.
A constant, cool temp (55-60 degrees F) keeps them dormant and extends their life the longest.
Do All Crested Geckos Like Waxworms?
Just like with us, each crested gecko has preferences. Not every person likes to eat the same things, nor does every crestie.
If your pet isn’t interested in eating waxworms, no problem. There are plenty of other options to try instead.
Conclusion
Waxworms make a tasty crested gecko snack. Feed them up to once every few weeks.
One of the best things about waxworms is how easy they are. They stay in their original container. Keep them in the fridge, and they will last for months without any upkeep. They are quiet and don’t smell. It doesn’t get much easier than that for fresh food.
There is tension with waxworms. They are cheap and take little effort but aren’t healthy enough to be anything but a treat.
Our solution? We purchase a small batch every once in a while for something different. Some of our cresties love them, and others don’t.
What about other insects? Can Crested Geckos Eat Black Soldier Fly Larvae?