How to keep gutload fresh

[brownie64]

I feed my crickets mustard greens. turnip greens, carrots, and apples. then I sprinkle a little calcium without D3 on top. But here is the question the greens always go bad before I'm even half way through them. So how do you keep them fresh long enough to use them? should I freeze them and thaw them out as I need them, or would that take away from the nutritional value? And how important is the dry mixture, is what I'm using good enough?

 

[Ferrah88]

I am not 100% certain about the freezing part, but I believe they lose some of the nutritional value when frozen, but I'm sure someone else can input a bit more on that.

I used to have a problem with the feeders not going through their food quick enough and the rest going to waste but we have started using the rests in our own food We got ourselves a juicer and well, bottoms up! It's an idea... this way both feeders and we eat healthier diets. This doesn't exactly keep the gutloading material fresh, but it keeps it from being wasted. And believe me, vegetable juices can make you full!

While gutloading I don't put calcium on their food. I'm not sure if it's good for them or not. Again, someone else might be able to add more insight on that point.

 

[kplatvoet]

I solved the the food going bad by letting my daughter get a bearded dragon- I give the crickets left over salads from them but I do use frozen mango-which are on the "staple" diet for bearded dragons and frozen butter nut squash-
I found that "bug burger" wouldn't stay fresh so I ordered cricket crack to mix in with my attempts to make my own dry as I was having a hard time getting the ingredients together at the same time - I've had less die off with crickets since I added the cricket crack- I've heard that people will make up cubes of cricket food in an ice trays also- I don't think the greens would freeze well

 

[Tyaeda]

I blend up all of my wet gutload (butternut squash, carrots, oranges, dandelion greens, etc) and freeze it in ice cube trays. Both my crickets and hornworms love it! I'm not a dietitian by any means, but telling by my hornworms rapid growth - they're getting the nutrients still.

I like doing it this way, because I know that they're getting a bit of everything. Before, my crickets would pick and choose what they wanted to eat, and I would have to change it up everyday, and even then they wouldn't touch the carrots or squash if I offered anything else with them.

 

[xraygirl]

I blend up all of my wet gutload (butternut squash, carrots, oranges, dandelion greens, etc) and freeze it in ice cube trays. Both my crickets and hornworms love it! I'm not a dietitian by any means, but telling by my hornworms rapid growth - they're getting the nutrients still.

I like doing it this way, because I know that they're getting a bit of everything. Before, my crickets would pick and choose what they wanted to eat, and I would have to change it up everyday, and even then they wouldn't touch the carrots or squash if I offered anything else with them.

I've been wanting to do this idea... I have an old blender that I don't use and this would be perfect for it I just need to find a smaller cube ice tray since I only have 25-50 crickets at a time. My dubia colony wouldn't benefit from it though too.... Hmmmmmm.....

 

[brownie64]

Thanks

I blend up all of my wet gutload (butternut squash, carrots, oranges, dandelion greens, etc) and freeze it in ice cube trays. Both my crickets and hornworms love it! I'm not a dietitian by any means, but telling by my hornworms rapid growth - they're getting the nutrients still.

I like doing it this way, because I know that they're getting a bit of everything. Before, my crickets would pick and choose what they wanted to eat, and I would have to change it up everyday, and even then they wouldn't touch the carrots or squash if I offered anything else with them.

Thanks for the idea will definitely try this one. One more thing do you thaw it out before you feed it to them?

 

[Tyaeda]

Thanks for the idea will definitely try this one. One more thing do you thaw it out before you feed it to them?

Nope. I just throw them in the cricket bin, usually on top of the dry stuff (which soaks up any excess water that might pool and drown your insects). I usually keep 200 - 500 crickets at any given time, so our food tray is bigger than most, and I have the space to have a wet/dry side.

 

[Tyaeda]

I'm so jealous of your roaches btw. I live in Canada where they're completely illegal. It's poo.. I know Mr.Pink would love them. I'm also having a hard time with blue bottle fly colonies. Might be laws against those too... :/

 

[brownie64]

why

I'm so jealous of your roaches btw. I live in Canada where they're completely illegal. It's poo.. I know Mr.Pink would love them. I'm also having a hard time with blue bottle fly colonies. Might be laws against those too... :/

Why are they illegal I thought they had to have tropical warm weather to survive? Do they know something we don't. I mean cockroaches are the most adapting creatures I know. Was thinking about starting my own colonie, but not if there is a chance of an infestation.