Gut loading advice please

[bryantt]

Hi all

Can anyone recommend gut load for large adult locusts and pachnoda grubs.

I have a veiled who is extremely fussy and is wary of fast moving bugs like crickets...

When he was younger hoppers seemed to gut load easily but locusts just wont take anything, I've tried sweet potato, oranges, apples, kale, dandelion leaves...papaya. Ive kept them in warm temps and they are extremely lively but they just wont eat!

I have had to resort to making a little parcel of fruit or leaves and carefully placing it in whilst he chews... but this method doesn't always work as I like to keep my fingers...

And as for pachoda I read they eat dirt and rotting fruit do they anything else a bit more nutritious?

And I know his diet is limited I really have tried other feeders, super worms (doesn't like) Dubai roaches (wouldn't even try) and crickets hes scared of! I have not offered anything for three days and then offer these feeders but he's refused all of them for up to 6 days.. and soon as I offer a locust he goes for it straight away and I just cant see my boy going hungry.

Advise on gut loading and new feeders or methods welcome.. please !

 

[Remkon]

I don't think locust are a good insect to gutload since they are picky eaters.

You can feed your locust (dried) grass... Just make sure it wasn't treated with pesticides.
Put in a small bowl od oatmeal too.
Take a cotton bud and drain it with a sugar/water solution so they can drink.
The sugar will keep them from eating each other.

Im not sure about the pachnoda grubs but the beetles eat fruits and will take some lettuce too... Since mango and apple are good fruits for gutloading it shouldn't be to hard.

 

[Twitchet]

Have you tries silkworms?- I've just started raising some and love the fact they are so super nutritious, I hear you can gutload with carrot but I havent tried that yet and focus my gutloading efforts on my other feeders. Very odd your's wont eat, I have to admit I have had no trouble gutloading locusts- I grow them mustard and turnip greens, squash flowers, and kale, their fav is alfalfa and they woof it down.
I've been injecting a bit extra water into feeders but does anyone do this with pachnoda - could you inject a nutritious soup of veg/fruit etc into them just before feeding? I dont have a veiled but I guess you can give them fresh veg directly . Best of luck.

 

[Leo Chance]

Hi all

Can anyone recommend gut load for large adult locusts and pachnoda grubs.

I have a veiled who is extremely fussy and is wary of fast moving bugs like crickets...

When he was younger hoppers seemed to gut load easily but locusts just wont take anything, I've tried sweet potato, oranges, apples, kale, dandelion leaves...papaya. Ive kept them in warm temps and they are extremely lively but they just wont eat!

I have had to resort to making a little parcel of fruit or leaves and carefully placing it in whilst he chews... but this method doesn't always work as I like to keep my fingers...

And as for pachoda I read they eat dirt and rotting fruit do they anything else a bit more nutritious?

And I know his diet is limited I really have tried other feeders, super worms (doesn't like) Dubai roaches (wouldn't even try) and crickets hes scared of! I have not offered anything for three days and then offer these feeders but he's refused all of them for up to 6 days.. and soon as I offer a locust he goes for it straight away and I just cant see my boy going hungry.

Advise on gut loading and new feeders or methods welcome.. please !

We have had also had silkworms be a favorite for most of our chameleons.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Sprout yourself some wheat grass, chia, mustard greens, and Timothy hay under lights and let them graze on that. I'm not sure about the beetle grubs, but they sound like they would do well treated like BSF, which you can easily find information about, all over the forums.

 

[Davecameos]

Locusts like more leaf type food. You can try chickweed or dandelions leaves/flowers, also hibiscus flowers then brush them with some sticky tongue farm vit-all.

 

[Twitchet]

Yes- 99p will buy you a bag of mustard green seeds or turnip seeds etc or similar from Ebay- The alfalfa keeps growing through the winter if it's sheltered and they love it. Mine are keen on squash leaves or grated carrot too.

 

[Davecameos]

Yes- 99p will buy you a bag of mustard green seeds or turnip seeds etc or similar from Ebay- The alfalfa keeps growing through the winter if it's sheltered and they love it. Mine are keen on squash leaves or grated carrot too.

Alfalfa is so easy to grow.

 

[Andee]

Pachnoda grubs really can't be gutloaded, they have a very specific diet and are extremely fatty.