feeding pygmys: alterntv to pinheads?

[Chameleons Northwest]

We seem to be (so far) successfully breeding silkworms and dubias for our reg chams, but are still doing crickets for the sake of our pygmy chams. Is there a good alternative for their diet? We would like to quit the crickets, but don't dare. I did try a very small roach nymph, set it on the cork sidewall next to a pygmy, but, alas, it ran down the side and disappeared under the brush in no time flat. I now worry about it growing, unseen, and rising up some day to eat a newborn pygmy cham.

If any of you do feed roach nymphs to your pygmy, do you do it in a cup? What other items do you feed them? We do occasional fruitflies, but I understand they are a treat, not a staple.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Julirs]

Mine love tiny Silkworms! If you are breeding them you should have plenty!

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Yes, I did do that a few months ago, and got 2 of the pygmys to eat them, but not the others. But now the pygmys are older (I tried it soon after they arrived, at 1 month old). I will try again and see if more of them recognize them as food. Thank you!

 

[Will Hayward]

-Phoenix worms
-Soldier flies
-Heidi Flightless flies
-Melangoster Flightless Flies
-Firebats
-Small Silkwoms
-Small wax worms
-Mini Mealies & other Grain worms
-Sowbugs, Pillbugs, Isopods
-Babty roaches
-Crickets

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Mine love tiny Silkworms! If you are breeding them you should have plenty!

I just checked the brev care link and according to their chart the tiny silkworms could only be fed as a treat.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Thank you, Will and Julirs, for your help. Now I see that this question was just asked a few weeks ago. Sorry. But, I do need to consider this further.

I am looking for foods that would be a staple, not a treat. The mini silk worms, phoenix worms, meal worms, wax worms, and other items, should only be fed as treats according to this link:
http://www.chameleonnews.com/brevcare.html

According to the guide, only the crickets, roach nymphs, and house flies are actually to be fed as staples. The thought of Sowbugs, Pillbugs, and Isopods turns me off . And I don't know if they would be considered a staple or a treat.

Don't know if breeding flightless flies (not the flightless fruit flies, they would only be considered a treat food) would be any more desirable than breeding crickets?

Heika had a post describing the firebrats. I may look into those. Thanks

 

[booshified]

The thought of Sowbugs, Pillbugs, and Isopods turns me off . And I don't know if they would be considered a staple or a treat.
Thanks

isopods in you tank can help to keep it clean. you may not see these as a food source but they can make cleaning alot easier.

 

[Heika]

Breeding flightless flies is difficult because breeding a flightless fly to a flightless fly produces some flying flies. Say that 10 times fast.

It is much easier to "create" flightless flies by hatching them in a very warm, humid environment. A large portion of them will be flightless if you do it right. About 30% won't hatch at all, though.

Heika

 

[Sage]

I fed my Veiled chameleon silworms when he was 2 months old and he loved them!