Here is a photo on how we gut load our feeders. We fed spaghetti squash, apples and mustard greens along with our home made feeder fuel dry mix healthy feeders= healthy chameleons IMO. https://readysrainforest.com/products/feeder-fuel-1-pound-bag
Crickets gut loading great on our feeder fuel / fruits and veggies šŖš¼.
- Thread starter Texas Ranger
- Start date
g0thicfairy08_
Member
Hi ! So Iām currently trying to figure out how to get my chammie to eat because sheās a baby and still new to her enclosure. I donāt want to leave the crickets inside In case they die , eat her, or get loose in my room. Is there a helpful video or maybe a demonstration you know that could help me 
Iām not a big bug person so i know not to hand feed her or tongue feed her .
Iām not a big bug person so i know not to hand feed her or tongue feed her .
Well they are insectivorous so you will have to offer her feeders either free range or in a feeder cup type system. As far as the feeders dying well technically that shouldnāt be an issue as you should be feeding healthy lively feeders to her that she will consume way before they die. As far as chewing on her do not put a lot in there just a few at a time and if there are a few left before lights out collect them or put a carrot or something in the bottom of the enclosure that the feeders would like to eat. Feeders getting loose is going to happen no matter how careful you are. There is almost always an escape artist bug that pops up.Hi ! So Iām currently trying to figure out how to get my chammie to eat because sheās a baby and still new to her enclosure. I donāt want to leave the crickets inside In case they die , eat her, or get loose in my room. Is there a helpful video or maybe a demonstration you know that could help me
g0thicfairy08_
Member
Yea but Im still gonna try to prevent it as much as possible. I just have little feeding dishes but I canāt hang them because theyre too big.
You could try make some sticks set a specific way to allow you to put the feeder dish in that spot of her enclosure
elizaann2
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hello @g0thicfairy08_ you could get a lunch log, feeder run or shooting gallery, this will help keep the crickets in one contained area. I also HATED touching the bugs when I first started. I found some bug catching kits for kids the dollar store and they had these scissor ball things to catch bugs with and I actually use these to get any left over crickets in my enclosure at the end of the day. Example of what I have below, I don't know if you can find them at the dollar store anymore but you can easily find similar things on Amazon.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I use the same ball scissor things that @elizaann2 used. Thanks to these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PNG5GJP/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_4?smid=A23BY812APN9IU&psc=1 I havenāt ever touched any of the adult roaches in the 4 years that Iāve had them.
Oh donāt be afraid of them they canāt do anything to you. they are just amazing creatures just like our chams.
Attachments
g0thicfairy08_
Member
Iāll try getting her some of these and the crickets but Iām so nervous if I put them in there she wonāt eat it then I have to catch it lol.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
They would give me a horrible case of the ickyās. I am very fond of my colony and do find them fascinatingā¦I just donāt want to touch the big ones.
g0thicfairy08_
Member
So I have to breed them in my room ?! This is frustrating because I donāt like bugs and holding them is not an options , letting them loose is not an optionā¦..what do I hold them in?
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
You donāt have to breed them at all if you donāt want to. You can buy them. I decided to have a colony of discoid roaches (dubia arenāt legal in FL) that I keep in a big bin in the garage. Iāve tried breeding a few other insects as well for the fun and experience of it. You do need to know though, that I have never liked and still donāt like insects. The only ones that I willingly and donāt mind touching are silkworms. However, insects are quite interesting and Iāve developed a respect for them and their buggy lives.
g0thicfairy08_
Member
Yea Iām concerned about how I am to get them out of the bin and in into her cage or feeding bowlā¦I would rather not have any escapers lol.
Sherbertsmysunshine
Chameleon Enthusiast
how much of this would I feed Dubia roaches and grasshoppers?
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I use regular tongs to move the bugs around from bin to feeding station.
That would be completely up to you and the quantity of feeders you have. With grasshoppers I put a small dish in there enclosure and they eat it here and there. With dubia I keep it full all the time because they eat a lot along with crickets and super worms they seem to consume and feed way more then grasshoppers do . The more they eat the better imo.
Sherbertsmysunshine
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thank you!
I have a few videos and pictures on instagram of some of the feeders eating but you can also use it as a gut load right before feeding off so you would put a reasonable amount so that all your feeders could consume it within a few hours before being feed off . Readysrainforest is our Instagram
Sherbertsmysunshine
Chameleon Enthusiast
thank you for all the information! I have been trying to find some good gut-loadings for my roaches. I will check this out
