Large lesser waxworms from biscuit-based medium

[caleb]

A couple of months ago, I found that someone had dumped an opened packet of cheap bourbon biscuits in my front garden. Rather than throw them away, I made them into a medium for lesser waxworms by grinding them up in a blender and mixing with honey & glycerine.

To my surprise, the resulting waxworms were much larger than those from my usual cultures (made with oats, flour, yeast, honey & glycerine). The picture the largest one from the biscuit culture alongside the largest one from a normal culture- the biscuit one is over 2cm.

I wonder if this was due to extra sugar- there must have been an awful lot in the biscuit-based medium.

 

[juraj]

What an invention ! You have developed brand new diet, congrats !
j.

 

[evut]

I've had them grow this big on their normal diet of crushed weetabix type biscuits and honey. Sometimes they just grow twice the normal size. I don't keep track of how much honey I use or the temperatures so I can't say what causes it but you're probably right about the extra sugar.

 

[caleb]

That's interesting Eva, it's never happened with mine- they are nearly always about 1.5cm max.

I guess I ought to try the biscuits again to see if it was a one-off...