Are Silkworms Worth Feeding?
Silkworms are a common feeder among reptile keepers. Here's an honest look at whether they earn their place in your feeding routine.
For the full picture on keeping them, see our silkworm care guide.
Quick answer: Worth feeding occasionally, yes. Worth building your whole feeding schedule around, probably not — the higher cost, short shelf life, and seasonal availability, make them a more inconvenient feeder to use as your main staple.
What Silkworms Do Well
Their calcium-to-phosphorus balance is hard to beat, they're gentle on digestion thanks to a soft, low-chitin body, and their slow movement makes them easy to handle and catch. For hatchlings and fussy eaters especially, they're worth using.
Silkworm Downsides
Silkworms only lasts a week or two from when you purchase them before moving past their useful window and cocooning. They also need to be fed only mulberry leaves or a specific mulberry chow. For both of these reasons, options like woodies or superworms are usually better low maintenance, long-lived options.
Comparing the Cost
Per animal, silkworms typically run several times the price of woodies, crickets or mealworms, and supply isn't always consistent. Feeding them daily the way you might a staple insect can add up fast. You also need to reorder them more frequently then you might woodies or superworms/mealworms due to their shorter shelf life.
Our Take
Silkworms are worth feeding as an occasional addition, but for most keepers, they aren't an ideal staple. Keep a staple like Woodies in regular rotation and bring silkworms in periodically for the extra variety and calcium boost.
Getting Started
Here at Reptifauna, we don't currently offer silkworms, but we do offer a wide variety of other feeder insects with weekly shipping across Australia (excl. WA & TAS):
Browse the wider range in our Live Feeder Insects collection.
Final Thoughts
Silkworms deliver a lot of nutritional value, but they ask a lot in return — careful diet, quick use, and a higher price. For most keepers, that trade-off makes silkworms more of an occasional extra than for everyday use.
For full day-to-day care, see our silkworm care guide, or browse the complete guide to feeder insects in Australia.