How to feed roaches

[Defianceofexistence]

So I have a colony of dubia roaches. Im trying to figure out the best/easiest way to feed them to Loki. He isn't always keen on eating with me watching so with crickets I just dump them in and he hunts them down.

I cant do that with the roaches because they fall off the little feeding platform and into the bottom of the terrarium. Where they eventually climb into the shallow dish that collects water from the dripper and drown.

I tried cup feeding once and all he did was poop into the cup lol....Every now and then he will eat one or two as soon as I put them in because he gets so excited but then remembers himself and looks at me like "Back away!" lol....any suggestions????

 

[shmeenakoz]

hello! I think that the roaches are a bit easier to feed than crickets. At least in my enclosure. Crickets tend to hide better in all my greenery whereas the roaches will just hang out on the vines and my guy will grab them all up within an hour. I usually hand feed the first few just to be sure he is eating something (in case he looses a few). Crickets for me are tedious since they do hide I feed him all 10-12 by hand

 

[fathertime79]

Dubias can't climb smooth surfaces so any cup will do. Maybe try using a shallower dish that Loki will accept. I sometimes have to leave my cham (Peanut) alone for a while for him to eat dubias because he waits for them to move around before he will take them and they won't always cooperate right away. I then check the cup every 15 minutes or so. I hope that helps

 

[Psychobunny]

I just put them on the wall of the screen cage and turn away.
Just got to make sure their feet are on the screen so they dont fall.

 

[symphonica]

I use the cup method, but am I the only one for whom the roaches don't move at all in the cup? This makes it very difficult for my cham to see them. How do you get them to be active?

 

[Defianceofexistence]

If you flip them onto their backs they have a really hard time flipping back over and they kick their legs so that might make it easier for your guy to see them...


I have a magnetic shelf that I initial dump loki's food onto....and there is two cup holders in it (well it came with little plastic "bowl" things) so maybe I will cut a plastic cup a bit taller then the lip of the holes and see if he will be ok with that...since when in his basking/favourite corner of the terrarium he looks directly down onto this shelf.

Thanks for all the suggestions

 

[Chameleon Brothers]

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I think just putting them on the cages screen is easiest.

 

[Defianceofexistence]

Loki is in a glass terrarium....so the only screen is the lid......so that wont work for me

 

[sandrachameleon]

I use two bowls for roachesd and crickets (other prey is usually free-range) - one is large, the other small. since my animals know that food is often in the bowl, they know that even a non-moving roach is food.
I include some gutload in there incase the prey isn't eaten quickly.
if you put a mealworm or isopod or similar in there with the roach, they tend to keep the roaches moving somewhat.

 

[Psychobunny]

I use the cup method, but am I the only one for whom the roaches don't move at all in the cup? This makes it very difficult for my cham to see them. How do you get them to be active?

Same, they stop moving when in the cup, thats why I put them on the cage wall. If they just sit there, not moving, I tap the screen on the outside to get them to move. Works every time

 

[Psychobunny]

Loki is in a glass terrarium....so the only screen is the lid......so that wont work for me

You could find something to stick to the glass wall for the roaches to climb on. Maybe a flat, thin strip of wood or bark. You can stick it on the wall with a few dabs of Blue-Tak.

Feeders crawling on the wall always gets my guyz attention

 

[fluxlizard]

5

Loki is in a glass terrarium....so the only screen is the lid......so that wont work for me

Lots of timid eaters get really excited when they see prey items clinging upside down to a screen lid/ceiling. Most chameleons go zonkers for that.

 

[jmwhitel]

I take my roaches and put them upside down on a nearby leaf. They freak out trying to flip themselves over. All that movement drives my boy nuts, so he eats em