Hornworms. yea or ne

We don't use any pesticides in the garden and have subsequently found ourselves with several honkin horn-worms. I have been advised to not feed these to the geckos, however, b/c the tomato belongs to the deadly nightshade family and the worms would be toxic to the cresties after having eaten the plant.

What are thoughts? I have heard that mulberry leaves are suggested food for silks, but what about tomato plants and horn-worms?

Definitely not for geckos!!!
First, hornworms can cause severe chemical burns around the mouth. Tough desert lizards and large chameleons seem to be able to handle them, but do not try them on a gecko.

Secondly, the tomato leaves that wild hornworms feed upon make them fairly toxic. Domestically raised hornworms are fed an artificial, tomato-free diet. Both the worms and the diet can be purchased from breeders. However, my first point still applies.

Silkworms do feed on mulberry leaves, and they are an excellent food for geckos. I frequently order silkworms, and grow them on mulberry leaves from my yard. They eat immense amounts of food, and grow rapidly. You can also order an artificial diet for them, but mulberry trees are like weeds just about everywhere.


Noelle