Cricket alternative ?

[chamowner101]

Is there any insect I can use as an alternative of crickets ?
Can I feed him darkling beetles each day ?

 

[Simon1986]

I used to use crickets but the smell just drove me insane I'm currently using 5th and adult locusts and silkworms. I tried dubais but my 2 weren't interested

 

[chamowner101]

I used to use crickets but the smell just drove me insane I'm currently using 5th and adult locusts and silkworms. I tried dubais but my 2 weren't interested

Exactly like me, I got a can of crickets last week and then when I opened the can the smell was all over the house. I instantly got rid of it !

 

[chamowner101]

I used to use crickets but the smell just drove me insane I'm currently using 5th and adult locusts and silkworms. I tried dubais but my 2 weren't interested

My veiled chameleon is about a month old and I wonder when it will grow into a subadult ? He is a male

 

[vgaines]

I too use to hate having crickets because of the smell. I solved that problem by getting a LARGE Rubbermaid container, cutting a large hole in the lid and covering it with screen. I give them lots of egg crate and toilet paper/paper towel rolls to climb on and I clean every two to three days. (I have a second rubbermaid container that I move the crickets to when cleaning then I just use the same lid on both containers. That way i always have a clean container waiting on cleaning day). I also only put in enough wet food (fruits, veggies) for two days. I always have dry gut load (Bug Burger) available. This has really cut down on not only the smell but dead loss.

 

[Sticktongue]

... few months

 

[xbrokenbabydoll]

I've never had any issues with Dubia Roaches, sometimes Mealworms and the occasional Cricket, but Crickets stink so much! Dubias are a GREAT alternative as long as your Chameleon will eat them

 

[DanSB]

Darkling beetles and mealworms aren't the best for a young chameleon. They aren't very full of nutrients and are super crunchy.

Look for banded crickets in particular, in my experience they are easier to keep alive and are less smelly than other cricket species. They don't get as big as other commercially available species though.

For young or small chams phoenix worms (black soldier fly larvae) ate fantastic, they move a lot, are soft, and full of nutrients. Also roaches, silkworms, mantids, stickbugs, and hornworms are all good feeders. It is best to mix it up and make no single feeder more than 40 - 50% of total diet.

 

[Ctg]

My panther seems to love dubias but not much else. I wish I could get him to eat phoenix worms because my chinese water dragon loves them. It'd be nice if they ate the same things, but my CWD hates dubias!

 

[xbrokenbabydoll]

My panther seems to love dubias but not much else. I wish I could get him to eat phoenix worms because my chinese water dragon loves them. It'd be nice if they ate the same things, but my CWD hates dubias!

Yah my 2 year old Veiled won't eat crickets anymore, even if I put them in his cage, they go un-touched but his cup of Dubias slowly disappears lol

 

[shameeleon]

can a chameleon live on mostly silkworms?

 

[Ninkylou]

I feed dubias, super worms and occasional butterworms. Every few weeks I get 6 crickets and give 4 to Golden and 2 to Marshawn. I hate that the crickets escape.

I am going to get some Green Banana Roaches from Nick next month and try to raise them.

 

[jdanielson69]

My 7 month old veiled has given up eating crickets and super worms. Now I give him reptiworms, horn worms and silk worms.