Silkworms as a staple diet?

Wow what terrible service!! I'm so sorry you had to deal with that Shannon!

I ordered 500 ct of silkies and 5k eggs. When i get them i will take out about 500 eggs and start hatchling them right away. They shipped it today however (Thursday) So, i don't know. My shipping was 6 bucks too...so its ground?! I never got to pick my shipping...

We will see.

Originally Posted by ShannanD25

as an update to my dilema, 5 week dilema with reptile direct...
still no mealies... were sent out on monday 2 day....this is the fifth week i was promised mealies....guess what ups came and went....nothing.....i already placed my order, minus mealies, with sunshine.....so now I have to place a second order with them....and pay shipping a second time....sigh....reptiledirect promised they would get them out to me....I have no idea why they promised the previous weeks they were being shipped then they never showed up but guess what....same thing this week.....no mealies.....sigh....grrrrr.....

I seriously hope you paid via Visa. I would call Reptile Direct and give them an ultimatum that you WILL receive a shipment of LIVE MEALIES by _____day ___ or you are calling your credit card co and refusing the charges. I bet you will get service... also I would utilize the BOI if you haven't already.

I use http://www.mulberryfarms.com/ for my silks great customer service and prices are great as well.

Got my silkies today. Kinda dissappointed. They were packed real...well stupid. There was 250 silkies in a box. With holes. In this box was stacks of newspaper. Needless to say, we had to find all the little silkies in the between all the paper and such, and a few had climbed out of the box.

It also states on her site that all silkworms will be over 3/4'' and some barely made the 1/4" mark. I do believe i got much more than 500 however, more like 1000 :O Oh well, i paid pretty cheap for them. They are feasting heavily on mulberry leaves as of current, and i need to use up a bunch of crix before i will feed silks anyways.

I think however the shipping could have very easily been improved by putting the silks in those bug delis with the cheese cloth tops and fresh mulberry leaves, rather than a big box, with countless amounts of folded up or crinkled up newspaper and that chow which numerous worms died in, and then the frass and ewww. It was sick.

But that is just my .02 cents

Originally Posted by raiquee

Got my silkies today. Kinda dissappointed. They were packed real...well stupid. There was 250 silkies in a box. With holes. In this box was stacks of newspaper. Needless to say, we had to find all the little silkies in the between all the paper and such, and a few had climbed out of the box.

It also states on her site that all silkworms will be over 3/4'' and some barely made the 1/4" mark. I do believe i got much more than 500 however, more like 1000 :O Oh well, i paid pretty cheap for them. They are feasting heavily on mulberry leaves as of current, and i need to use up a bunch of crix before i will feed silks anyways.

I think however the shipping could have very easily been improved by putting the silks in those bug delis with the cheese cloth tops and fresh mulberry leaves, rather than a big box, with countless amounts of folded up or crinkled up newspaper and that chow which numerous worms died in, and then the frass and ewww. It was sick.

But that is just my .02 cents

I agree

I am going to try mulberry farms out for their worms, but i ordered 5 k eggs so i should be set for awhile. I need to ask a friend if he has some of those deli's with the cheese cloth tops (like for fruit flies) laying around for hatching the worms out in.

We go out and grab a grocery size bag FULL of mulberry leaves and then freeze them. Keeps them fresher longer. As we need them we pull it out, let it thaw out and then i dab them dry because some condensation can appear on the leaves and i don't want that to possibly start molding something and feed! Then when winter comes we will just slowly fill up a trash bag size, and freeze it and use it as long as we can through winter

I am going to go back to Silkworm Farm (when they get more of the sub silkies available). I have never had a problem with them, and their worms are always the right size and extremely healthy.

I didn't know that you can buy mulberry leaves at the grocery store. I am going to have to check my store, that is a great idea!

Thanks desire!!!

They are in the same isle as the Silkworms

At the grocery store ? Think you misread something (or i did LOL )

I think the post read something like: we fill up a grocery bag with leaves...not that they buy the leaves at the grocery store, but from a tree near them. In all fairness to silkworm wholesale...I have ordered twice and have another large order (40,000 eggs + chow) getting placed this week and I have always had my stuff shipped & packed about as well as anything I have ever ordered from anywhere and the service has always been friendly & timely. I am not sure if this was just a bad time for Pam & the company, could be "growing pains" as they are getting more business. I don't order live silkworms because they do not ship very well...they need lots of ventilation. Good luck with everyone and their geckos this year! I am guessing with so many breeders adding silkworms and roaches, there should be some great breeding seasons ahead!! I know my fingers are crossed...

hehe, thanks Ro i meant filling bags with leaves that we got off a tree near us, not at a grocery store

The eggs seemed fine, i was just unimpressed with the shipment of the worms. And maybe that is how it will be from no matter what company i order them from. Just my opinion.