What is a Tomato Hornworm?
A: Tomato hornworms are larvae of the Sphinx or Hawkmoth.
Are these the things I see on my tomato plant?
A: Yes, but you can not feed the ones that were on your tomato plant to your animals because worms that eat the tomato plant have toxins in their body from the plant that will kill your animals. Same thing goes if you find these worms anywhere else in the wild. DO NOT FEED WILD CAUGHT TOMATO WORMS.
How big do they get?
A: 3"-4" and an average of 10g, but have been know to hit 12g.
Are they healthy for my animal?
A: They are extremely healthy. They are high in calcium, low in fat, have no chitin or exoskeleton so your animal will not have trouble digesting them. All this provides more usable nutrition for your animals.
Calcium - 46.4mg/100g
Fat - 3.07%
What do you feed them and how do you keep the cups?
A: They are fed food that is specifically formulated for their optimum growth and nutrition. Keep the cups propped up so they can get plenty of ventilation.
Do they smell?
A: No, as long as you empty their feces out of the cup you will not have smelly worms.
How long do they live?
A: Their normal life cycle lasts around three weeks at 75°F and as little as two weeks at 85°F. If for some reason you have extra large hornworms and no one to feed them to, you can put them in the refrigerator (40°F-42°F) and it will extend their life for a few days.
Do they have dark juices squirt out of them when my animal bites them?
A: No, there food is tan in color so there gut contents are tan. When your animal bites into them, if anything squirts out, it will be clear or slightly tan.
Can the horn on the end of them hurt them?
A: No, it is just a piece of skin and nothing more, completely harmless.
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