BSFL eat everything

[CryptKeeper]

So I haven’t had BSFL in a few weeks just got some and put a bunch in his dish. Just got an order of everything so threw some super worms in there and a couple horned worms. Well I learned the hard way the BSFL will eat the horned worms. They were in a dish overnight in cage and I woke up to one eaten from the inside out with like 3 BSFL inside its head and body hollowed out. Was pretty gruesome. They don’t touch the roaches or super worms I guess their shells are too hard.

Coincidentally the one super worm shed its skin and was completely white it was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. I though at first the BSFL ate that too then saw the shell of the worm in dish too

 

[elizaann2]

So I haven’t had BSFL in a few weeks just got some and put a bunch in his dish. Just got an order of everything so threw some super worms in there and a couple horned worms. Well I learned the hard way the BSFL will eat the horned worms. They were in a dish overnight in cage and I woke up to one eaten from the inside out with like 3 BSFL inside its head and body hollowed out. Was pretty gruesome. They don’t touch the roaches or super worms I guess their shells are too hard.

Coincidentally the one super worm shed its skin and was completely white it was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. I though at first the BSFL ate that too then saw the shell of the worm in dish too

Oh no!!!!

 

[CryptKeeper]

Oh no!!!!

Yeah was quite morbid. Always thought all maggots only ate rotting flesh. Not these guys. Yuck

 

[Beppo]

Yeah I’m always fascinated at how fast the eat through their gut load. That’s both really gross and also a little fascinating as well

 

[elizaann2]

Yeah I’m always fascinated at how fast the eat through their gut load. That’s both really gross and also a little fascinating as well

Agreed.

 

[MissSkittles]

This thread is most definitely not at all what I thought it would be about.

 

[nightanole]

Spoiler alert, horn worms will eat horn worms...

 

[Steve A]

So I haven’t had BSFL in a few weeks just got some and put a bunch in his dish. Just got an order of everything so threw some super worms in there and a couple horned worms. Well I learned the hard way the BSFL will eat the horned worms. They were in a dish overnight in cage and I woke up to one eaten from the inside out with like 3 BSFL inside its head and body hollowed out. Was pretty gruesome. They don’t touch the roaches or super worms I guess their shells are too hard.

Coincidentally the one super worm shed its skin and was completely white it was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. I though at first the BSFL ate that too then saw the shell of the worm in dish too

Wait, does everyone put their food in the night before!? I personally feed Spike every morning before he wakes up in the morning(but after his last misting). I do this because if I leave bugs in overnight, they'll get misted, which means the BSFL will just climb out of the dish and get all over. And the crickets will get their dusting washed off.

I am feeding BSFL, crickets, and silkworms. I use the window feeder for the crickets, and a dish for the BSFL and silkworms together. I haven't experienced any of these bugs eating other. So if it's possible, maybe feeding in the morning could be a solution for you for this?

I kinda wish there was a way for me to feed him at night so I had less to do in the morning before work

 

[elizaann2]

Wait, does everyone put their food in the night before!? I personally feed Spike every morning before he wakes up in the morning(but after his last misting). I do this because if I leave bugs in overnight, they'll get misted, which means the BSFL will just climb out of the dish and get all over. And the crickets will get their dusting washed off.

I am feeding BSFL, crickets, and silkworms. I use the window feeder for the crickets, and a dish for the BSFL and silkworms together. I haven't experienced any of these bugs eating other. So if it's possible, maybe feeding in the morning could be a solution for you for this?

I kinda wish there was a way for me to feed him at night so I had less to do in the morning before work

I do the exact same thing you do.

 

[Steve A]

I do the exact same thing you do.

 

[MissSkittles]

I do the exact same thing you do.

Almost the same here, except I only hand feed silkworms.

 

[Steve A]

Almost the same here, except I only hand feed silkworms.

Spike is......'learning' and when I am able to try feeding him on the weekends, he does this thing where he just sits there, doesn't get "fired up" anymore.... like he's content with me being there, but refuses to eat. The moment I drop the silkworms into the dish, he starts eating

And he's eaten from me before. He's a sassy little guy. Still gets fired up at times too, but lately it's kinda been like this. Unfortunately, during the week I have to leave by 6:40am before his lights come on at 7am. So I can't hand feed him anything during the week

 

[snitz427]

So I haven’t had BSFL in a few weeks just got some and put a bunch in his dish. Just got an order of everything so threw some super worms in there and a couple horned worms. Well I learned the hard way the BSFL will eat the horned worms. They were in a dish overnight in cage and I woke up to one eaten from the inside out with like 3 BSFL inside its head and body hollowed out. Was pretty gruesome. They don’t touch the roaches or super worms I guess their shells are too hard.

Coincidentally the one super worm shed its skin and was completely white it was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. I though at first the BSFL ate that too then saw the shell of the worm in dish too

Oh they’ll eat dubia, too! I’ve had them eat sub-adult dubia overnight. Makes me a bit hesitant to feed them as larva after seeing that! Good thing the chams tend to chew them up well.

 

[elizaann2]

Spike is......'learning' and when I am able to try feeding him on the weekends, he does this thing where he just sits there, doesn't get "fired up" anymore.... like he's content with me being there, but refuses to eat. The moment I drop the silkworms into the dish, he starts eating

And he's eaten from me before. He's a sassy little guy. Still gets fired up at times too, but lately it's kinda been like this. Unfortunately, during the week I have to leave by 6:40am before his lights come on at 7am. So I can't hand feed him anything during the week

Darn. Just keep working on it. It sounds like you are already making progress with him

 

[Steve A]

Darn. Just keep working on it. It sounds like you are already making progress with him

I definitely have. He seems to have a certain comfortability around me. Especially if I move slow. If I try to back my hand away too fast he will open his mouth and get fired up lol. But before he would do that even while I was putting his BSFL/silkworm cup in the enclosure. Now he will stand right next to it and be totally cool with me putting it in there -slowly- lol.

Sometimes I feel like I've taken steps back because he really hasn't been eating by hand for weeks and weeks now. But I know it will all likely take me longer to do this simply because I can't hang out with him for long periods of time. And I can only work on this on the weekends. We'll get there!

 

[Andrew1283]

I mistakenly put some super worms in my BSFL cup and the super worms destroyed the larvae. I mean…it wasn’t the worst thing because neither of my chams will touch BSFL so then I fed them those super worms. Maybe my new high calcium superworm gutload!

Oh and also, does anyone else get so giddy when they see a white superworm that’s just recently shed and is super soft? Yoink! It’s your turn to be eaten buddy!

 

[Steve A]

I mistakenly put some super worms in my BSFL cup and the super worms destroyed the larvae. I mean…it wasn’t the worst thing because neither of my chams will touch BSFL so then I fed them those super worms. Maybe my new high calcium superworm gutload!

Oh and also, does anyone else get so giddy when they see a white superworm that’s just recently shed and is super soft? Yoink! It’s your turn to be eaten buddy!

lol no!! Any time I've tried superworms, both of my chameleons adamantly refused to eat them. So they didn't last and I had to destroy them, unfortunately. I think they were too big tbh (not physically when I fed them.... but I think preference wise for both chameleons).

I had no idea they did that though. Interesting! As Spike gets bigger I may try to re-introduce them.

 

[Andrew1283]

lol no!! Any time I've tried superworms, both of my chameleons adamantly refused to eat them. So they didn't last and I had to destroy them, unfortunately. I think they were too big tbh (not physically when I fed them.... but I think preference wise for both chameleons).

I had no idea they did that though. Interesting! As Spike gets bigger I may try to re-introduce them.

I wonder if there’s any added nutritional value to feeding BSFL to superworms and then feeding the super worms to the chameleons.

 

[Steve A]

I wonder if there’s any added nutritional value to feeding BSFL to superworms and then feeding the super worms to the chameleons.

I feel that as long as the are consumed shortly after eating, they surely would. I don't see how not. But that may depend on how superworms break down their food internally. I wondered about this with some other bugs but I quickly got away from thinking about it because I told myself "if it were like this then it would probably already be a thing" lol.

Because I was thinking of feeding some bugs to each other that he wont eat, to get him to eat the ones that he will eat and still get that same nutrition. I think he seems to be doing well though on BSFL (+ hatched flies... he LOVES these lol), silkworms, crickets.

 

[Andrew1283]

I feel that as long as the are consumed shortly after eating, they surely would. I don't see how not. But that may depend on how superworms break down their food internally. I wondered about this with some other bugs but I quickly got away from thinking about it because I told myself "if it were like this then it would probably already be a thing" lol.

Because I was thinking of feeding some bugs to each other that he wont eat, to get him to eat the ones that he will eat and still get that same nutrition. I think he seems to be doing well though on BSFL (+ hatched flies... he LOVES these lol), silkworms, crickets.

My veiled chameleon is a pain in the butt with eating. While I was on a fall vacation, I had our sitter feed him horn worms, which he loves. For the past two weeks he’s been on a hunger strike, except for horn worms. What a stinker.