Phoenix worms?

Anyone use them? In theory they sound pretty nice, but I'm wondering what kind of hazard they can be. I hear they can cause enteric myiasis in humans if consumed accidentally (internal infestation).

I did try them once alot of my leo's didnt like them, they were small and they are not cheap.

I had my leos try them and they spit them out and looked at me like I had fed them soap.lol They are maggots though, the larvae of the Black Soldier Fly. I haven't heard of too many people liking them as feeders, I know some people will only recommend them to people that have leos with metabolic bone disease because of their high calcium content.

Originally Posted by houdini1

I had my leos try them and they spit them out and looked at me like I had fed them soap.

lol yup thats what I got $8.00 bucks down the drain

I have used them several times, all of my leos seemed to love them. They work well with little ones too because of the calcium levels, good for bone growth and such. But i will agree they are small and expensive, i would only use them as a treat and thats if your leos even like them. 8 bucks isn't alot if you want to try them out for yourself...

In the beginning my guys liked them, but bored of them quickly. Everyone from my bearded to my pacman(yes, it's true) wouldn't touch them.

Haha, knew it sounded too good to be true. They actually kinda creep me out, reminds me of botflies.

Like i said not a staple lol but the occasional treat is ok lol just like waxies except these are healthier lmao.

What other bugs are high in Calcium???

Silkworms are a great replacement to the Pheonix worms. They are high in calcium, and at least out of the 40 something odd geckos I have, I only had one or two (sweared cricket eaters) Turn them down! They gobble them up! They are a little touchy, they don't have an immune system so make sure to wear gloves or wash your hands really well. Otherwise they start dieing off. And they also have a rather difficult diet, of mulberry.

However a few places (www.mulberryfarms.com) sells them in "pods" which include the food. Good alternative if you don't have a lot of leos I like giving the silkies to my hatchlings, as they are such a good feeder! However they -are- more expensive than mealies.