Wax worms turning color?

[mnhunter2]

The first time I bought 2 tubs of wax worms this year some of them started to turn gray, I thought they could have gotten a little cold so I dismissed it. Now the next batch of wax worms is also having some of them turning gray, they have been stored around 45-50 degrees. I have kept them for long periods of time without any problems before. I have heard that some of the wax worms have a disease this year, anyone know much about it?

[RonWBasser]

I've heard of the disease story too but don't know anything about it. I would say to warm them up to see if the gray ones are alive. If not, chuck them out. Your temp should be ok but freezing them at all will usually kill them off.

[Beege]

what i have noticed when they start turning gray is that they are dying or dead. Next step is black and totally useless then

[PiedmontAngler]

I lost all of mine the same way this year. And rather quickly too boot.

[sparcebag]

Get some bran--put it & them a box wood preferably with air vents screened,stick em in your basement,they'll pupate turn to black beetles,lay eggs and by next year you'll have too many for your self,they'll eat the bran so watch it and replentish when needed. the waxies are larval stage of the beetle

[RonWBasser]

Waxworms are the larval stage of the greater wax moth.

Meal worms turn into beetles.

[sparcebag]

Galleria mellonella moth. Yep I got the wrong worms! Bad info. Cant remember the ice worms we raised when I was young? But they turned into a black beetle bout 3/4 - 1 inch long.

[jigginjim]

I lost several this year also. Bought a 100 count, normal season would last about a month maybe more. This year 2-3 weeks they were all died.