Container Preparation

• 1
  A large candy jar makes a good wax worm breeding container.empty glass jar image by vadim kozlovsky from Fotolia.com
  
  Cut the muslin into a circle about two inches larger than the diameter of the jar and set it to one side. This will be the lid for your jar once everything is inside.
  
  
• 2). Crush the wheat breakfast cereal in the mixing bowl until it resembles a rough powder. If you use bran, it does not require this additional preparation. Stir in 1 tsp. of calcium and vitamin supplement.
  
  
• 3). Pour 1 tbsp. of honey onto the dry mixture and carefully blend the ingredients together with a fork. Add honey one spoonful at a time until the mixture is moist but still crumbly. This is the culture for your wax worm colony.
  
  
• 4). Transfer the culture to your jar until about two inches deep. The exact amount you need depends on the size of your jar. Keep any spare mixture in a lidded container and store it in a refrigerator because you will need it later.
  
  
• 5
  Paper egg containers provide places for your moths to lay eggs.paper egg container image by Alex White from Fotolia.com
  
  Tear the egg container into rough sections about two inches square, and drop them into the jar on top of the culture.
  
  

Wax Worm Colony

• 1
  A wax worm colony requires little maintenance.larva image by Zbigniew Nowak from Fotolia.com
  
  Add approximately 20 wax worms to the jar. The exact number is not important but do not over-populate your colony.
  
  
• 2). Place the muslin over the top of the jar and secure in place with an elastic band.
  
  
• 3). Stand the jar on top of a warm vivarium for 2 to 3 weeks. Add small amounts of culture to top up the wax worms' food source until all the larvae develop into hard brown pupae.
  
  
• 4). Maintain a secure environment once the moths hatch. They will mate and lay eggs within a week and after another week or two you should have an established colony of new wax worms.
  
  
• 5). Remove the moths once they are all dead. If you attempt to take them out as they die, ensure the others do not escape.
  
  
• 6). Harvest your wax worm colony and pack them into food tubs when they reach an appropriate size for your reptile. You can store the bugs in a refrigerator for three to four months.