How to keep hornworms alive
The short answer: keep them in the cup they arrive in, store the cup upside down, and keep them cool to slow their famously fast growth. Warm hornworms outgrow your pet in days; cool hornworms can stretch a cup to about two weeks.
The cup: upside down, ventilated
Hornworms arrive in a habitat cup with their food already inside — you don't need to add water or extra nutrients. Store the cup upside down, with the food at the top, so the worms climb up to eat and their waste pellets fall to the bottom, where you can clean them out. Keep the cup where air can circulate (a wire rack works well) and don't seal off the ventilation.
Temperature is the growth dial
| Temperature | What happens |
|---|---|
| 75-82°F | Fast growth — worms can reach full size in about a week |
| 55-60°F | Slowed metabolism — growth stretches out, cup lasts longer |
| Below 55°F for long | Can be fatal — don't leave them cold indefinitely |
The practical trick, from Josh's Frogs' care guidance: to slow growth, keep the cup in the fridge (around 45°F) for 2 days, then take it out for 1 day, and repeat. Kept cool this way, a pod can last up to about two weeks. Don't leave hornworms in the fridge for more than a day or two at a stretch.
Food: don't let them run out
Hornworms die within about a day of running out of food, so watch the food level. They ship at roughly 1/2 inch and, with food, can grow to about 4 inches. If the food is nearly gone and the worms are still small, you can buy extra hornworm food — or simply feed them off before they outgrow your pet.
Feeding them to your pet
Hornworms are a hydrating treat, not a staple: soft-bodied, easy to digest, and popular with bearded dragons, geckos, chameleons, and frogs. Dust them with calcium before feeding, and offer a size your pet can swallow comfortably. Feed them off while they're the right size — a worm that outgrows your pet is a wasted worm.
Order the feeders in this guide
Hornworms - 25 ct habitat cup
$22.99
Josh's Frogs · Shipping calculated at checkout
Bright green, soft-bodied hornworms that arrive in a habitat cup with food included. A hydrating treat lizards go crazy for — feed them off ...
You order here; we place your order with the breeder, and the breeder ships direct to you in the breeder's packaging and branding. Live arrival is covered within the supplying breeder's window — see our live arrival policy. General keeper guidance only, not veterinary advice: if your animal is sick, not eating, or losing weight, see a reptile or aquatic vet.