Crickets are holding me back from getting a Chameleon!!!

[Iceface2]

My parents are not letting me get a chameleon because of what they eat!!! Please give me some firepower against these comments they said

1. They are loud were are you going to keep them?

2. They stink

3. Were not making multiple stops to the pet store to get food for your chameleon

4. Cant they jump out of the cage when your feeding your chameleon (The cage is in my room so that would not be good)

 

[Lathis]

100% honesty, it's hard to get fully away from crickets.

1. The adult males can be loud. Buy medium crickets to extend the time until the males grow their chirping wings. If you can keep your cricket bin in a heated garage, that will cut down on the noise issue.
2. They do stink. OMG crickets stink. Wiping out the bin every day or every other day will cut down on the smell but there is always a faint "eau de cricket".
3. A trip every week or two would be expected, depending on how many crickets you keep in the house. Alternately, you can buy them on the internet, but in huge quantities that are silly for one chameleon.
4. They will escape. No matter how careful you are, there will at some point be a cricket loose in the house ... or 100 crickets loose in the house. Do you have a cat? That would keep any loose crickets under control, lol.

You can (and should) supplement in dubia roaches, superworms, silkworms, hornworms and other insects. Some you can buy at local pet stores; others you will have to order from the internet.

Do your parents have any issues with dubia roaches? No stink, no sound, very easy to care for... but they are technically roaches. You could potentially use dubia to mostly replace crickets.

 

[Craigwyatt]

Crickets do stink. No way getting around that.
So hears an argument for you. You could raise up silk worms from eggs. Get several thousand. I know it sounds like a lot but if your luck is like mine they won't all live. That will save a bunch of trips to the pet store.
Also you could raise dubia roaches. They don't really smell at all. They can't climb walls so they won't escape. And they are easy to breed.
Hope this helps atleast a little.

 

[jpowell86]

Crickets are just great because they are so easily gut loaded. But don't feel like they are your only option. As Lathis said, get them a little younger before that annoying chirping begins. I have all of my feeders delivered to my doorstep. But just like previously mentioned, silkies, hornworms, and dubias are great feeder options. I love dubias, mine have absolutely no odor. If your parents are against roaches, call them large roly polys.....HA

 

[Lathis]

If your parents are against roaches, call them large roly polys.....HA

"Eastern log beetles"

 

[jpowell86]

"Eastern log beetles"

"Pill Bugs"

 

[raven1139]

Get a dubia roach colony going, I couldn't stand having crickets!! More nutritious, don't stink, aren't noisy, easy to keep and breed....the perfect feeder in my opinion! Don't have to spend money on feeders anymore!!

 

[gotwqqd]

Do the roaches get to a size too big for adult chameleons?

 

[jpowell86]

Depends on the chameleon

 

[Iceface2]

100% honesty, it's hard to get fully away from crickets.

1. The adult males can be loud. Buy medium crickets to extend the time until the males grow their chirping wings. If you can keep your cricket bin in a heated garage, that will cut down on the noise issue.
2. They do stink. OMG crickets stink. Wiping out the bin every day or every other day will cut down on the smell but there is always a faint "eau de cricket".
3. A trip every week or two would be expected, depending on how many crickets you keep in the house. Alternately, you can buy them on the internet, but in huge quantities that are silly for one chameleon.
4. They will escape. No matter how careful you are, there will at some point be a cricket loose in the house ... or 100 crickets loose in the house. Do you have a cat? That would keep any loose crickets under control, lol.

You can (and should) supplement in dubia roaches, superworms, silkworms, hornworms and other insects. Some you can buy at local pet stores; others you will have to order from the internet.

Do your parents have any issues with dubia roaches? No stink, no sound, very easy to care for... but they are technically roaches. You could potentially use dubia to mostly replace crickets.

are Dubai roaches too big for a 3 month old chameleon?

 

[jpowell86]

are Dubai roaches too big for a 3 month old chameleon?

When you buy dubia you have the option to buy them at various sizes...from nymph to adult. Dubia nymph can be perfect feeders for a 3 month old cham. Lathis I took this one because you were offline.

 

[Iceface2]

When you buy dubia you have the option to buy them at various sizes...from nymph to adult. Dubia nymph can be perfect feeders for a 3 month old cham. Lathis I took this one because you were offline.

Thank you I greatly appreciate any information and also is it true my chameleons diet should be very varied from food choices?

 

[jpowell86]

Thank you I greatly appreciate any information and also is it true my chameleons diet should be very varied from food choices?

You're welcome. Yes, variety is a great thing. I feed my chams crickets, hornworms, silkworms, superworms, katydids, hawkmoths and mantids. This variety keep them happy and decreases the chance of them getting feeder picky.

 

[Lathis]

Lathis I took this one because you were offline.

I can't have all the fun

 

[gotwqqd]

Why are these roaches so expensive? They seem like they would be much easier to breed in the long run.

 

[Lathis]

Probably because they expect you to breed them for yourself.

 

[Dro B]

Silkworms are easy and they don't stink or run away from thier food.

 

[NERVOUS]

Yep, Dubia roaches are the answer to your parental perception problem(s). Start yourself a breeding colony!

NOTE: You'd better call them "dubias" though... Because I'm guessing the word "roach" will be a non-starter for your parents too - Laugh!