family cant stand crickets or locusts
- Thread starter sunndyd
- Start date
jojothefirst
New Member
Dubia roaches (but if there scared of crickets then there prob scared of them to althought they cant climb so very hard to escape) or silk worms maybe?
Miss Lily
Chameleon Enthusiast
When I got my first cham I was so scared of her food, lol! It's amazing what you can do when you love something enough! I used to put them in the fridge for a few mins to slow them down so they didn't hop out as soon as I opened the tub! I used to (and still do) remove the 'hopping' legs so they can't escape! I hardly ever have any escape this way, in fact I get more these days now I'm more relaxed with them! It's quite amusing chasing a locust across the floor, lol!
Seriously though, chams need a varied diet, so he more food items you can offer the better. We can't get hornworms here in the UK, but we can get silkwomrms and roaches. Here's a couple of links for you: http://www.butterworms.co.uk/index.html and http://www.roachshop.co.uk/
Seriously though, chams need a varied diet, so he more food items you can offer the better. We can't get hornworms here in the UK, but we can get silkwomrms and roaches. Here's a couple of links for you: http://www.butterworms.co.uk/index.html and http://www.roachshop.co.uk/
pssh
Avid Member
Call the roaches beetles and they may not care as much. The look just like Rollie pollies as babies and large beetles as adults. Silkworms and hornworms can be used in addition to crickets or roaches because they still need chitin in their diets. Kind of like fiber and roughage(sp?)
cool i think i may be able to get away with the roaches lol they are already happy about the other creepy crawlyies they can eat lol may c what i can get me hand on may have to order some any perticalur size roaches and how many how often so to speak rought 5month yemen by the way x
any perticalur size roaches and how many how often so to speak rought 5month yemen by the way x
pssh
Avid Member
They're expensive so it's best to breed. Buy at least 90 females and 10-20 males if you want a quick start. You'll probably have to sell off some after a while, but who doesn't want extra cash for chameleons? Generally a roach of the same size as a cricket/locust is 2-3 times more meat. So 10 crickets is like 3-5 roaches of the same length. Or at least that's how I look at it... They need to be warm all the time and after a month or two you have hundreds of babies that are almost of feeding size...
Generally a roach of the same size as a cricket/locust is 2-3 times more meat. So 10 crickets is like 3-5 roaches of the same length. Or at least that's how I look at it... They need to be warm all the time and after a month or two you have hundreds of babies that are almost of feeding size...jojothefirst
New Member
I bought small dubia's thinking they would be about the size of a adult cricket and they turned out to be the size (and look like) of a wood lice so I wouldnt get small, maybe medium?
HairyScaryMark
New Member
Probably you need to learn to be discrete and store/hide your feeders in places where your other family members don't know/care they exist. My sister got really freaked out when I put put a substantial quantity of locusts in a glass terrarium, easily visible from outside of my room. She previously didn't seem to care about them. I've been forbidden by my mum from taking cockroaches into this house and I don't really like them much either so wont bother with them any time soon.
Where you live will to some extent determine what's available. I've had quite a lot of success feeding my chameleon stick insects (which are mostly illegal in the US, as are locusts) and there are a few different sorts of flies available. Moths are also quite a good feeder although apparently their wings aren't that easily digested so have to be careful not to feed too many.
Silk worms are meant to be one of the better worm/larvi to feed as they are low in fat and high in calcium.
Where you live will to some extent determine what's available. I've had quite a lot of success feeding my chameleon stick insects (which are mostly illegal in the US, as are locusts) and there are a few different sorts of flies available. Moths are also quite a good feeder although apparently their wings aren't that easily digested so have to be careful not to feed too many.
Silk worms are meant to be one of the better worm/larvi to feed as they are low in fat and high in calcium.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Silkworms are great - but you'll still ahve to add in a few gutloaded locust or cricket for the roughage.
Locust are a good feeder option - maybe Work on reducing the escapees!? Try cup feeding and breaking their jumping legs.
other feeder options:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html
Locust are a good feeder option - maybe Work on reducing the escapees!? Try cup feeding and breaking their jumping legs.
other feeder options:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html
Miss Lily
Chameleon Enthusiast
lol not sure i could break there legs seems a bit mean! especially if the poor buggers are gunna be eatten alive
It's easy to remove the legs of crix and locusts. Put them in the fridge for a few minutes first to slow them down, then try holding one with a pair of tweezers or your fingers if your brave enough, lol! Using a second pair of tweezers, squeeze the knee cap and their natural escape mechanism will kick in and the leg should just drop off!
Nosybe
New Member
They are not nearly as nutritious an you can't gutload them. And good luck trying to get your cham to eat them
hallenhe
Avid Member
Back to roaches - the common kinds are Dubias and lobsters. I bought ~25 Dubias in September, and have had reproduction and no die-off whatsoever; the only deaths have been when they've been munched by lizards. Dubia are bigger than lobsters, however, and the adults are too big for my panther, and may be too big for a mature veiled. With a five month old veiled, I'd incline towards lobsters. I got mine from Mulberry farms.
