Common Name(s): Butterworm, Sweet Worm, Tebo Worm

Size: 10-20mm (Small) 25mm+ (Large)

Description: Butterworms are imported from Chile into Canada for distribution as fishing bait and feeder insects. Their bright colour and fruity smell they emit are assets for both. The colour and smell are both attractants for all kinds of animals. This makes butterworms great for stubborn or picky eaters.

In addition to their colour and smell, butterworms have at least twice as much calcium as any other feeder insect (measuring calcium as a percentage of body mass). This is a great asset to your pets, especially to growing young and pregnant females.

Butterworms can survive for 1-4 months if cared for properly. Store the butterworms in a refrigerator at 5-10C approximately, and keep them dry. If their substrate becomes damp change it with any organic absorbent such as oatmeal, wheat bran or corn meal. Check the worms an hour after changing the substrate. They should be webbing the substrate together to hide under. If the worms are not doing this, change the substrate immediately. Dispose of any damp substrate and do not use it as a gutload. Moisture can lead to mould, and mouldy food has been linked to many problems and deaths in otherwise healthy animals.

The best benefit from feeding butterworms to your pets is that while storing them they do not require any food. By keeping them cold and dry the metabolism of the butterworms slows down. This means the butterworms use up very little of their reserves, providing them with a long shelf life. In the wild butterworms eat the tebo bush.

Additional Comments: Butterworms are one of the best options to feed your pet on a regular basis. Each pet has their own likes and dislikes though, and they may not enjoy butterworms as much as other possible food items. Try to sneak a few into their diet and see if it catches on. If it does your pets will have a great source of naturally occurring calcium included in their varied diet, suitable to be used as a staple. No pet should be fed a diet consisting of only one type of feeder insect. Please note that butterworms should still be dusted with calcium and vitamins as per your veterinarian's recommendations.

Butterworms are irradiated before being shipped from Chile. This is done to kill off any bacteria living in their digestive tract as well as to prevent the butterworm from ever pupating into a moth. As such, butterworms cannot be cultured at home.

*All sizes and shelf lives are approximate.

Prices: (Large 25mm+, Small 10-20mm, approx. 1"+ and 1/2")