Dubia Roaches vs Mealworms

[revengeveronica]

I normally feed my chameleon (male, 6mons, veiled) the dubia roaches. I will keep them in the cage with him and he can graze as he pleases. But when I take him out of his cage I offer him meal worms. I notice that he seems to prefer the meal worms more than the roaches. Is that okay? Or is just a preference for him?

Thanks!

 

[IAmCarl]

From what I know, and I'm no expert, the meal worms should only be offered as a treat. They are high in fat and there exo skeleton in not easily digested. I'm sure others will chime in.

Dubias are a great source of protein and can be used as a staple.

 

[Montium]

Superworms are like candy for chameleons and can be good to get a tough eater back on track but they should not be your staple feeder. As for leaving them in the enclosure with the cham, that hasn't worked out well for many folks. Roaches will try to chew on your cham night and that adds stress and can also lead to infection. Now if you are feeding meal worms, that's your call but they are not a good feeder imo the benefits of the dubia are far greater than most feeders. Variety is the key or you may end up with a cham hunger strike on your hands. Silkworms, Hornworms, Butterworms all make a nice change of pace from time to time.

 

[SaintJimmy]

Superworms are like candy for chameleons and can be good to get a tough eater back on track but they should not be your staple feeder. As for leaving them in the enclosure with the cham, that hasn't worked out well for many folks. Roaches will try to chew on your cham night and that adds stress and can also lead to infection. Now if you are feeding meal worms, that's your call but they are not a good feeder imo the benefits of the dubia are far greater than most feeders. Variety is the key or you may end up with a cham hunger strike on your hands. Silkworms, Hornworms, Butterworms all make a nice change of pace from time to time.

Actually, this is one of the reasons roaches are better than crickets, is because usually they DON'T eat your chameleon. At least that's what I've seen... everywhere.

So I doubt leaving them in does any harm, but putting any feeder in a cup is prob a better idea

 

[Montium]

Well the roaches down here will eat just about anything so I don't take the chance lol

 

[revengeveronica]

For the roaches I keep in a feeder cup and they can't get to him unless he gets into the cup. But I'll try to get him to snack on them out of the cage. When I do give him the meal worms I do dust them, I'll slow down how much I give him. He's pretty easy to feed from hand so it shouldn't be too hard.

 

[Hibiscusmile]

I usually use a sharp pair of sissors to cut right under their head about 1/4 into it, this way they run around, but don't live long enough to hurt anything.

 

[camimom]

I usually use a sharp pair of sissors to cut right under their head about 1/4 into it, this way they run around, but don't live long enough to hurt anything.

for mealworms?

this isnt needed.

 

[Hibiscusmile]

no, roaches, superworms, crickets! Anything that can bite.

 

[fluxlizard]

Just from experience I don't think roaches will ever bite a living lizard.

One of the perks of roaches over crickets.

 

[Hibiscusmile]

I agree, but I worry to about them getting loose in the house and hubby would then bite me if he awoke to one on his pillow!

 

[fluxlizard]

i agree, but i worry to about them getting loose in the house and hubby would then bite me if he awoke to one on his pillow!

:d :d :d :d :d

 

[nightanole]

Not to horrify anyone, but i have woken up to having a male dubia in my hand...

It was really odd that i knew exactly what it was, and to close hand and then put it in the bin, at 3am...

As for which is better, why choose? The meal worms will gut load on completly different items. So you have a dubia for a high protein source, and the meal worms for a high fat source. You need both to live.

 

[Hibiscusmile]

wordy!

 

[Olimpia]

To answer the OP's question, he's probably going crazy for the mealworms because it's something new and exciting. Chameleons (like all animals) love variety so if they eat the same thing every day and suddenly get a new feeder, even if it's not a super great/nutritious feeder, they're going to get wide-eyed and excited (usually.)

I think mealworms are fine now and then. I like superworms a lot more, personally, as they seem meatier, more active, and last forever when you buy them in bulk. But even though roaches are great feeders he's still going to appreciate some variety weekly, so I'd look into a few other feeder choices that might be available to you to order occasionally.

More is better, in the case of feeder selection

 

[l0u1ss]

Not to horrify anyone, but i have woken up to having a male dubia in my hand...

It was really odd that i knew exactly what it was, and to close hand and then put it in the bin, at 3am...

As for which is better, why choose? The meal worms will gut load on completly different items. So you have a dubia for a high protein source, and the meal worms for a high fat source. You need both to live.

This is why with dubias, I put them on the screen and don't take my eyes off them until they're eaten. If my gf ever saw one of these, it probably wouldn't end well, never mind it crawling on her.

 

[Hibiscusmile]

I heard that and feel the same, haven't touched one yet!

 

[sandrachameleon]

mealworms are fine if they are less than 20% of a varied diet. the mealworms have a high fat content, and are not as easily gutloaded (or most people don't bother) so are not as nutritionally good as some other choices, such as crickets, silkworms, roaches.

offering only mealworms and dubia is not enough variety.

 

[MikeFlu]

When feeding roaches as a main feeder diet, is it necessary to dust them or are they nutritious enough by themselves?

 

[fluxlizard]

When feeding roaches as a main feeder diet, is it necessary to dust them or are they nutritious enough by themselves?

you need to dust them.