Setting Up A Calci Worm / Phoenix Worm Breeding Colony!

[@flohkru]

I'm all for breeding feeders... but anything that could fly is a definite nope for me 😂

[@leopardgeckotalk]

haha yeah they are a bit more of a pain, than darkling beetles lol

[@vpanda6248]

Saturns Rings ikr im currently breeding mealworms but i tried wax worms i kind of gave up and left the case in the backyard for like 3 months then i came back and saw that they had bred i never fed it vegetables or anything

[@rellewilson7814]

@@vpanda6248 I was thinking of breeding waxworms for my Dragons...Any tips?

[@sugar_cube_tootsies1136]

@@vpanda6248 lmao that's gonna be me as soon as I start.

[@JayBay813]

Especially roaches 😂

[@AngellusBlack]

Pro-tip: When handling flies or other flying feeders, pop them in the freezer for about a minute / minute and a half, not over 2 minutes. This will slow them down and they won't be able to fly. They will just crawl slowly. Some might look dead, but they're just stunned from the cold. Once you take them out you have to work fast as they get back to room temperature they will be able to fly again. I learned this recently when I had to start feeding flies to my Orchid Mantis nymph.

[@leopardgeckotalk]

yeah i totally should have done that lol

[@rdnkenki]

I have found bsf in my window this winter 😂

[@flatlineuk83]

How did this go? Did they breed?

[@johnsonandson7772]

Put the adults in the fridge for 45 min until they stop moving and go to sleep. Then simply poor them into the enclosure and watch them come to life when they thaw out.. you will have roughly 3 minutes to secure the enclosure b4 they start flying around.

[@emmykillergaming5657]

Did they end up breeding? I wanted to try this. To produce a small about of larvae for my reptiles.

[@aaliyahhare6957]

How are you going to get the worms out without letting the flies loose?

[@leopardgeckotalk]

once the flies have mated and laid their eggs they will probably soon die. Once they're all dead I simply take out the box at the bottom, put it into a new container and wait for them to hatch.

[@EricBrossard]

Usely BSF larva get out of the mass when the are ready tout Harvest. They are great composter.

[@rellewilson7814]

@@leopardgeckotalk If you cut a small hole in the side and stick a cut water bottle or tube in there they will self-harvest into a seperate container for u and the flys wont bother it cause they rather be ontop

[@Anon_E_Muss]

@@rellewilson7814 that's super smart! Thanks.

[@wa5780]

I live in Australia and have a compost pile in the backyard. When I mix the dirt up there are thousands of the black soldier fly lavas.

[@leopardgeckotalk]

omg! haha :')

[@danibug267]

I am so excited for the update video on these!!

[@leopardgeckotalk]

haha hopefully they're successful :')

[@meggo]

I'm terrified of soldier flies. They laid eggs in my basement and they were everywhere down there. My washer/dryer was in the basement so I didn't do laundry for weeks! Watching this video is giving me the chills but I love watching reptile/insect videos so here I am 😂lol Found your channel through the Sea Monkey series. I had 2 bearded dragons and also breaded crickets for them at times. Love your channel ❤️

[@justolivia7450]

I'm getting a baby leopard gecko from my cousins and I can't wait and I have watched vids about care for them!

[@leopardgeckotalk]

aww brilliant :D

[@nigelmrodgers]

1. Put a teaspoon of flour and a twice as much water in a small container like a medicine cup and place the cup in your little nest. The smell of fermentation will tell them it's a good place to lay their eggs. 2. Put some straw or corrugated cardboard over the "nest". The BSF (Black soldier flies) like to lay eggs in little cracks/crevices like the holes in straw or cardboard. 3. Mix a teaspoon of sugar (pref brown) with 1 cup (125 ml) water and pour in a saucer to keep them hydrated. place a small cloth in the saucer so that they don't drown. Add more water to keep the cloth damp. 4. Place the flies somewhere where theres a few rays of direct sunlight. Sunlight stimulates them to mate. Especially late afternoon I've heard. 5. I doubt your eggs hatched but if they did those 3 pieces of cellery were hardly a good start. they need high energy foods when they're starting out. The best are rotting (fermented) grains like flour, rice, oats etc. then after about 2 days you can start giving random food scraps. 6. Don't let the eggs come into contact with moisture or they'll all die. 7. Next time research first. In 30 min you'll know everything you need to get them to mate and hatch.

[@bitethebrownie562]

thank you so much for the info! but quick question, i live in a primarily cloudy place, (barely any sun) is there any way to mimic the effects of the sun using bulbs or an LED?

[@channeldead6340]

people that dislike the videos don't watch them and by the way great video

[@evelvex8709]

Levi Walters or they hate bugs lol I love bugs

[@JoshuaDoong]

Levi Walters SO TRUE

[@leopardgeckotalk]

haha yep :')

[@monsterkajiu1912]

those dislikes are probably by those fllies

[@ohdearinpubs417]

Your videos are fantastic! I breed geckos now, and I've had tons of people asking questions. I feel like people aren't watching your older videos on the care, so I think you should make some more care videos 😃 Like, someone actually asked me if they should feed some frogs they found outside to a leopard gecko. They also want to buy one, and from the videos they've sent me, they want to house it in a 12in x 12in x 18inc tank, and that's what you'd use for a smaller arboreal species! I've told them I won't sell to them because they're not ready, so anything you can do will help. I'd make my own videos but I'm too busy at the moment. Thanks, and keep up the good work!

[@leopardgeckotalk]

yeah its crazy that some people are too lazy to just look back at older video - like their answers are right there! lol. Thank you! :D

[@ohdearinpubs417]

Leopard Gecko Exactly! They just said they know what they're doing and sent a picture of the tank. It had frogs jumping around inside...

[@Rafa-yn9sg]

Thank you to all the people who answered my previous comment about my female leopard gecko.She is finally eating!

[@martonbognar9762]

Rafael Pacheco Yay! I'm glad she made it :)

[@novadwihartanto2621]

you need a mesh cage/insectarium with at least 2 meters heights (w/direct sunlight) in order to breed them. Hermetia illucens/BSF does their mating dance in the air, the female will drop herself in the air, and the male will catches his mate in the air during the mating

[@timofermin]

i love how you tried to grab the ones flying out xD HAHA

[@leopardgeckotalk]

i caught one hahaa :')

[@degu44]

Did you manage to get any calci worms from your flies?

[@virtu9l906]

I'm thinking about getting a gecko and I love your videos they help me sooo much ‼️

[@ilyskyj4068]

Magical. Snow I suggest it watch her vids and do it correct you will not regret geckos are so fun to have

[@leopardgeckotalk]

aw thank you :)

[@lol-fb7ps]

Thank you I've been watching your Vida for a bit over a year now and just want to say good job!!!

[@lol-fb7ps]

Also congrats on 78000 subs

[@leopardgeckotalk]

thank you! :D

[@julissagonzalez3985]

What do you feed the worms?

[@sheldanthorpe2071]

How's the set up doing now can you do a review of it

[@Zuxeh]

I'll be very interested to see how this one works out, good luck ! The flies actually do not have functioning 'mouths' however, so anything they appear to be eating they are merely attempting to extract moisture from, try to offer them some way of drinking, a shallow lid of water for example.

[@leopardgeckotalk]

oh right, i put in a lettuce leaf and it completely disappear within 24 hours :') i dont know what happened there haha

[@Zuxeh]

Makes no sense to me !

[@JTBReptiles]

I didn't think that black soldier flies had mouths? Lol nice vid

[@leopardgeckotalk]

apparently they dont, but i put some lettuce in with them the other day, and it disappeared :O

[@JTBReptiles]

Leopard Gecko 0.o Now that needs some investigating! Maybe try filming them with a macro lens to see what's going on!

[@sofiavelasco8177]

i love your vids never stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@leopardgeckotalk]

thank you :)

[@kars8796]

But how are you going to get the Phoenix worms out of there??😂

[@flohkru]

Ikr 😳😂

[@leopardgeckotalk]

once the flies have mated and laid their eggs they will probably soon die. Once they're all dead I simply take out the box at the bottom, put it into a new container and wait for them to hatch.

[@pipocatheunicorn3554]

Leopard Gecko Is it working out okay?

[@onyxi.x5777]

Kars Bos Magic

[@mrskatt69]

@@lukewheeler2361 🤣🤣 but true...

[@fallenangelglassrose7287]

I wish I had ur confidence for being next to bugs and insects

[@leopardgeckotalk]

lol, i'm just used to it now :)

[@alisontriggs2162]

Did this work out? I'm considering having a go and you've inspired me!

[@igris6128]

I love these kind of videos

[@leopardgeckotalk]

thank you :)

[@arsemcscratch6908]

If you need to move fast moving insects it's a good idea to put them in the fridge for a couple of hours beforehand . This makes them torpid and easier to deal with. Nice video

[@leopardgeckotalk]

oooh yeah, should have thought of that :') oops

[@LTK87]

Got a few mealworms about to become darkling beetles which isn't what I was hoping for because I only use them as a treat for my beardie the worms not the beetles but the calci worms are a nightmare to breed mine just kept dying not sure why I've only had 4 that have lived which is ridiculous when you think I had around 25 flies so if you have any tips I'd really appreciate it thank you

[@grindmodelizard6343]

Awesome video. I would try this.

[@bellasarao14]

Totally random, but my bestie and I love your channel and we are so lucky to find it! We are getting leopard geckos next month and we know so much from your vids. Thank you and please keep making vids!

[@leopardgeckotalk]

aww thank you :D good luck with both of your geckos :D

[@mrsgroovus]

Don't worry about them getting out in the "wild". They are a natural composting critter and already in the "wild".

[@emptychair4036]

Thanks for videos there very good and helpful:)

[@leopardgeckotalk]

thank you :)

[@JaYfizz0]

Any update on this colony?

[@kathleenleach7658]

This is cool! I don't have any pets that need feeder insects, but I enjoyed this video! They kinda look like fireflies/lightning bugs. 🤔

[@leopardgeckotalk]

thank you! :D

[@Luckymune]

how are you going to get the worms out?

[@bongjamesbong00420]

Is there a follow-up on this

[@jeffbryannmontegrejo3035]

you could also flip your cage upside down and release them from the bottom, that way it's also easier to remove the bin to collect the worms.

[@jeffbryannmontegrejo3035]

Oh this was 3years ago. I hope your breeding was successful. 😉

[@hyunibee6721]

By the way, chickens and other birds love to eat the morio and mealworm beetles. I donate my beetles to a wildlife rehabber. And the black soldier fly larvae is a great composter - I find the flies and larvae in my compost naturally (but I don't feed those to my critters).

[@tessa1609]

can i use only eco earth for substrate for a crested gecko or do i need the mesh and hydro balls

[@leopardgeckotalk]

if its a natural tank, with plants, etc, you need a drainage layer, and more fertile substrate. if its got fake plants in, just eco earth is fine.

[@hyunibee6721]

You could have just chilled them before dumping them in. LOL!!!

[@4ngelic.V]

if you do live with your parents....do they mind you keeping all of these insects?

[@isabelalonso7090]

XxWolfGamerxX well she's 24, I'm pretty sure or at least in her 20s but idk if she does live with her parents

[@leopardgeckotalk]

Yeah unfortunately its almost impossible to move out atm, everything is so expensive. and to answer the first question, i just dont tell them tbh, they're kind of used to it all now.

[@plant2188]

Can I feed calci worms to baby geckos? Or are they hard to digest like wax worms?

[@nakkimo]

you need to add a source of water for the flies and also some cardboard pieces for them to lay their eggs.

[@folkishjester204]

i'm getting a crested gecko soon and i'm getting ready to by all of my supplies but i have a question do i need hydro balls if i am using eco earth?

[@leopardgeckotalk]

if its a fake tank, nope, just eco earth. if its a natural tank with plants, yes you need a drainage layer, and more fertile substrate than eco earth.

[@folkishjester204]

Leopard Gecko okay thank you so much

[@gorliaz]

😂😂😂 "OMG they are escaping OMG they are forever in my room"

[@leopardgeckotalk]

haha, i think/hope i got them all back in :')

[@dawbcat8839]

I want to breed my darkling beetles for mealworms, but my mom won't let me. When I move out though I'm sure these videos will come in handy! 😊😁

[@leopardgeckotalk]

ah its really simple, you just leave them in the box and they breed.

[@W.E.N.D.I.G.O]

a helpful find (as a bug catcher) is that flying insects always go up sooooo yeah

[@JoshuaDoong]

i just want to ask how do u get the worms out without letting the flies fly out when u want to feed the animals

[@leopardgeckotalk]

once the flies have mated and laid their eggs they will probably soon die. Once they're all dead I simply take out the box at the bottom, put it into a new container and wait for them to hatch.

[@JoshuaDoong]

Leopard Gecko oh ok thanks soo much

[@giantwarchicken1577]

What is the difference between silk worms and calci worms, like should calci worms also only be fed as a treat to. Idk

[@fionashepley478]

Gail Hart both of them are very healthy!

[@tonyswaterandagriculture6340]

you need a "Love Cage" with a tube opening on the side then you can put things in an out with out having a mass breakout. they like to fly up

[@nathanf6799]

Anyone have issues with Calci worms escaping? Don't know how they do it but they manage to squeeze themselves out the small gap between the lid and box.

[@anaoaaugehauq5093]

3:38 the sheer panic in your voice

[@lora7245]

Nice video! Even if I don't feed my geckos calcium worms, if I ever do it will be great to know what to do. ☺

[@leopardgeckotalk]

haha thanks :)

[@yorkysplorky4060]

have you ever tried breeding butterflies? like just for fun?

[@davidseverance4660]

Do those flies bite

[@jalenmckenzie9994]

My leopard gecko licks me is it trying to get minerals from my skin? I know they have calcium powder for them is it a must have?

[@fionashepley478]

You must dust insects with calcium and multivitamins. Without them, your Leo will get metabolic bone disease. Rebecca has a schedule :)

[@jalenmckenzie9994]

Fiona Shepley Thanks!

[@MegaMindyLou]

Making babies is hard work too. I know I enjoy a snack 'afterward' if you know what I mean. 😆 silliness aside, could you feed the flies to your geckos?

[@leopardgeckotalk]

lol, i imagine they'd be a pain to try to catch :') and not much of a pay off afterwards.

[@mountian_to_marsh_fishing]

what do i feed the adults

[@superspaniel100]

What do I do with a leopard gecko when I go on holiday for 2 weeks?

[@austinburton9247]

Great video! It'll be very interesting to see the outcome!

[@leopardgeckotalk]

thanks, yeah lets hope some eggs are laid :')

[@finnflips1217]

How many crickets a day do you feed your geckos

[@leopardgeckotalk]

watch my video that I linked in this video.... 'how much? how often?'

[@kennethyoung5936]

How do you get any out to feed your animals?

[@oxenbrigg513]

The flies die after they mate.

[@daetouidk8463]

can you feed the flies?

[@leopardgeckotalk]

feed them to geckos? meh I feel like the geckos would use a lot of energy for something thats not very nutritious

[@leahjvr3245]

What do I do if my Leo doesn't want meal worms? She loved them till one day she just wanted nothing to do will them. She still likes crickets! Pls answer!

[@oxenbrigg513]

They like variety, most of the time they'll still eat them but he/she might just want some different food for a change.

[@armedlorax7301]

3:33-3:38 i absolutely lost it

[@leopardgeckotalk]

haha :')

[@decotwins3032]

Leopard Gecko why did you buy them I found some in my house but I live in USA Califarnia

[@GhostAcez]

How well did this setup go as far as breeding them?

[@PeachyKichi]

I don't see a followup video for this, did it end up working for you?

[@satyp.t.8456]

I love ur vids!!! Ur geckos are sooo CUTE!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!! GECKOS!!!!! They're my favorite animal, but having them as a pet is illegal in Hawaii. You are truly an expert gecko keeper!!! GECKOS!!!

[@Monster-yw5od]

I know you have said that lights for leopard geckos are bad. However my leopard gecko loves her light. She lays in it and sleeps in the morning when the light is on. She used to have a tissue box as a hut and she would do "yoga". Basically she would stretch while sitting on the box. Is there something wrong with my leopard gecko? I know the breeders had lights in their set up. After I watched one of your videos about the light I turned it off. Then she came out looking for food. I don't if this is also due to a schedule because I had her for two years and whenever the light turned off I would feed her. What should I do? Please reply or something. I only want the best for my leo.

[@fionashepley478]

You don't need a light unless there's not enough light from a window. Do you have a heat mat? It's normal for Leos to sleep with their legs in strange positions :)

[@Jennahicidal]

can we get an update of this?

[@mosquito9085]

Sooo....they will deposit eggs into the substrate, but what the calci worms will actually eat ? The vegies ? :-)

[@fionashepley478]

Mosquito yes

[@dylan2minards581]

Vis it bad if I have one light of UVB and another of UVA

[@fionashepley478]

For Leos, it's fine. Just don't have any d3 in the supplements :)

[@leopardgeckotalk]

what? lol. doesn't your UVB light produce UVA too?

[@Gemishell25]

Don't the flies bite?

[@savage5857]

Off topic but you should get a Giant day gecko they're amazing

[@leopardgeckotalk]

no, i really wanted one, turns out they cant be handled, and they're really quick :(

[@maddyclarke8879]

Hi I have a question and I can't think of any other way to ask so hopefully you'll see this but for the last couple of months I've been really interested in buying a leopard gecko hence how I found your channel and it's been so helpful and I've got to the point where I've got a list of everything I need to buy and I've been looking at places to buy the gecko, I've got a few options but today I looked in a garden centre that sell reptiles and they had lots of leopard geckos and I spoke to one of the workers who actually said "they're not doing so well" and I was hoping to be able to show you a picture but basically they were very skinny and slow and just looked very weak and I know I should obviously pick a healthy gecko as my first one as I don't have any experience but it infact made me want to buy these unhealthy looking ones in hopes that I could nurse them back to health and almost save them in a way , I was hoping you could give me some advice as I would like to be able to help them

[@leopardgeckotalk]

yeah its a tough one, because as Samira said, in the end its putting money back into the company, but then if the animal dies, it will just be replaced too. But also sometimes when you get an animal that's been quite sick early on, and you don't know their genetics, they sometimes dont last as long, and have many health issues in the near future. Best thing to do is firstly take them to a good reptile vet to make sure they are clear of parasites, etc, because if they do have something and you dont know about it, you'll be fighting a losing battle.

[@reptilenoob588]

do you have a vid on how to breed meal worms:)

[@leopardgeckotalk]

yes, look in my live food playlist, or search 'mealworms' on my channel.

[@reptilenoob588]

Leopard Gecko thank you!!! love your vids

[@cmoriche3829]

Hey I was wondering if you could help me, my leopard gecko needs to be force fed but she will not open her mouth. I've tried a bunch of methods but every one that works she catches on to, do you have any tips or anything that can help me?

[@cmoriche3829]

Samira Noor It's a really long story but to sum it up she's sick, and no she's not new. She pretty smart and catches on to our tricks to open her mouth pretty quick

[@leopardgeckotalk]

have you taken her to the vets?

[@cmoriche3829]

Leopard Gecko yes, she's sick and I took her to the vet and she's on medication, I have to force feed her the medicine but she will not open her mouth

[@stuntthotyt1914]

If I get these,I'm definitely designing something more efficient than open it up and hope they do t fly out lol, good video though.

[@leopardgeckotalk]

yes! haha

[@petergreen1750]

You are smart I should try this

[@leopardgeckotalk]

haha thanks :)

[@autumnleaves1355]

My dad rescued a house gecko and he eats and drinks normally but his back is deformed and his sheddings can't be removed because he is so small....P.S I love your channel and the great advice you give

[@tawnykittiegalloway9472]

How did this work out for you? I've tried going through the comments but there's loads!

[@sawyer8242]

I need help. I am so scared to hold my crested gecko because knowing me, I would freak out and drop the gecko if it flinched or jumped even a little. He is a baby and I have had him for almost a month and am terrified to hold him. He is pretty jumpy. I need tips!

[@leopardgeckotalk]

scoop him up, and hold him in his tank, so if he does jump or fall, he's in his tank and he'll be fine.

[@sawyer8242]

Leopard Gecko how can I scoop him up? Like from under his chin, or his stomach?

[@kittenfish5116]

Try putting your hand in front of them and lightly tapping their back, it works with mine when he doesn't jump right onto my hand. If you can you can gently try to get his front feet to stick to your finger or scoop him up by his belly. Those all work for my baby.

[@meepthebunny]

Can you still feed them the flies?

[@starsleif]

the ppl that disliked obviously had their screen upside down!

[@connorc2252]

Do the flies bite?

[@ink1929]

Animals R Life no

[@connorc2252]

Ok thanks. I am going to try to breed them but wanted to make sure

[@enbrat5859]

They look like wasps do they sting?

[@fionashepley478]

The One true commie no.

[@enbrat5859]

Fiona Shepley ok thanks I know that was a dumb question but eh

[@sandrapowell2735]

What was the brown product you put in the container? BTW, I enjoyed your video. Full of just the right amount of information done in a timely manner. Thank you.

[@Ineffectivemeasures]

i heard that they need meat wont that smell bad? and a tip if you want to collect the worms cool them down in the freezer for 1 minute then they all will sleep

[@leopardgeckotalk]

nah im not giving them meat lol

[@Ineffectivemeasures]

Leopard Gecko oh I heard that they need meat or wet cat/dog food and I also heard someone mention me on a live instagram video (he also called me handsome)

[@elmaghrabi9866]

We need longer vids pls p.s i love your voice

[@leopardgeckotalk]

haha thank you :)

[@elmaghrabi9866]

you are welcome

[@franklinmichael671]

Adults don't actually have mouth parts so they don't eat or bite

[@ranger4468]

I was wondering if you get your leopard gecko at PetSmart and if it's a good idea because that's all that's around me

[@fionashepley478]

Some petsmarts abuse their animals, but not all of them, mines great. If yours treat their animals properly, go for it :)

[@ranger4468]

thank i look they treated them good so i got on she is a mack snow i think

[@SophieBuckle]

Please keep up updated on this!

[@charlemagne29]

My gecko eats the fly itself

[@evankhurana7618]

can baby leos eat super worms and calci worms

[@EvDog-wg3cp]

Leopard my mealworms are being eaten by the crickets so my gecko can't get them I keep them in a bowl in my cage maybe like 5

[@leopardgeckotalk]

dont feed crickets and mealworms at the same time! lol

[@EvDog-wg3cp]

Leopard Gecko holly crap u replied thank u, I learned to get a cage for the crickets instead of just putting them in cage. Also so should I hold the cricket in my hand and wait for geo to eat it? Also I'm getting Eco Earth bc u told me it's one of the best but my gecko has been in sand for a while so will I have to do anything to make sure he adapts to the Eco?

[@kittenfish5116]

If it's an adult I don't think it would be too bothered if you just put it on the eco-earth, but if you're really worried just slowly introduce it to your gecko. And since it was on sand I make sure he wasn't impacted at all just to be sure.

[@EvDog-wg3cp]

Thank u for all the replies u have helped me a lot

[@decotwins3032]

catching this in pomona. why do you buy them when you could catch them yourself

[@vogelkonigin3303]

They will last longer as worms if you put them in the fridge. and when moving the flies put them in the fridge for 1 minute or till they all drop to the bottom. it temporarily stuns them long enough to move them without any escaping. It's how many people go about fruit flies for feedings. easier to deal with when they are acting dead from the cold. Trust me this does not harm them it only stuns them for a short time.

[@meganphillips2379]

can you try the new repashy banana cream pie food ?? love your vids xxxx

[@leopardgeckotalk]

ah im focusing on pangea and trying some other food atm, so i dont really wanna mix it up anymore . thanks!

[@meganphillips2379]

Leopard Gecko ok xx nvm