I can't do this anymore!!

zombiepixel

zombiepixel

New Member
Crickets are the most annoying feeders. I can't handle dealing with the chirping, the smelling, the jumping, and just overall grossness anymore.

I want to switch to silkworms, but I'm not into hoarding hundreds upon hundreds of insects in my home, I would much rather how enough to fill a cricket keeper at one time.*

1. I've read alot that silkworms are easy to take care of BUT, *it's sounds extremely complicated kepping food fresh when I have to disperse it with a cheese grator, is my assumption correct?

2. Does size matter that much with silkies? I have a juvenile veiled, so I'm guessing small is the way to go.*

Thanks!!
 
You dont need a cheese grator. they can eat it from chunks you put in there.

Will you be breeding the silkies? Or will you be ordering the sups from somewhere?

There is a great thread out there silkworm 101 or something like that. very informative.


Have you looked into roaches? It may seem gross but they are quiet and dont smell. I am making the change and ordering a colony this week!
 
How big is your veiled? Silkworms are soft bodied feeders, which allows you to feed them at a larger size than normal (my chams eat small/medium crix, but can easily handle medium/large silkies). They are also very easy to raise IMO. I have 500+ that are doing just fine and I use premade silkworm chow (which has lasted me awhile since I keep it in the fridge). I am currently in the process of trying to hatch some moths so that I can cut purchases by harvesting my own eggs. What problems are you having with crickets?
 
in a large cricket keeper, you can easily house 200+ med silkworms, i have a 10g tank and my 200+ just sit in a 5sq in area, i can easily put another 300+ in that cage. they dont stink, and they just need to be cleaned alot, not because of the smell, but because they dont like living in their own feces.
 
THECHAMMAN said:
but because they dont like living in their own feces.
Click to expand...

Also because they have weak immune systems and die from things like feces, us not washing out hands before handling them, ect...

My male wont eat them, havent tried them with my female yet tho. I am also thiking about trying to feed some little ones to the pygs via cup feeding and see how they like them.

Breeding them is fairly easy, but i would not reccomed them as a staple as they are high in fat.
 
Yeah I don't want to breed them, I live in an apartment so the less room they take up the better. I will look for silkworms 101.

You guys rock! By breeding and raising your own, I can't do it

The size thing is another reason I hate crickets. My guy is eating crickets around 3/4" and I'm worried the are too big for him.
 
I moved to dubia roaches and haven't been happier. Simple to gutload and breed and once you get them going you'll have feeders for a while. I'll be looking at silkworms soon though, to add some variety. Unfortunately, I still need crickets for a few of our animals, but for the most part, the chams have truly appreciated the change. :)
 
Eh, mixed reviews. I wouldent do it. They do have a higher fat content than crickets and that is why some dont choose to do it.
 
luevelvet said:
I moved to dubia roaches and haven't been happier. Simple to gutload and breed and once you get them going you'll have feeders for a while. I'll be looking at silkworms soon though, to add some variety. Unfortunately, I still need crickets for a few of our animals, but for the most part, the chams have truly appreciated the change. :)
Click to expand...

When i get my animal i will also be doing roaches. easier then crickets and way less smell. i thought the dubia were not legal to ship to florida,i was told the discoids were ok though. Also the discoids get a little bigger. I was told this by Aaron i am no expert
 
Dunnigan said:
Eh, mixed reviews. I wouldent do it. They do have a higher fat content than crickets and that is why some dont choose to do it.
Click to expand...

Wonderful... There goes my dreams of a cricket or roach free existence. I know owning a chameleon means crickets but I thought silkies were a way to have my cake and eat it too :(
 
Try breeding silkies but just never stick with one feeder so your cham doesn't get bored with his food.

I like superworms as well as they are easy to gutload and dont take up a lot of space, they don't make noise and don't smell unless you let their container get messy with soggy food. I have them in oat bran and then on top I just put in carrot, potato, apple and some greens and they are good to go. They make a great treat a few times a week. My adult chams get about 2 a week and the rest of their diet is made up of roaches, silkies and horn worms.

I gave up on crix after I found an escapee in my bed :)
 
I'm not planning on only feeding him silkies but I'm don't want 200 crickets all fighting for their chance to escape and dissapear into my brown carpet.
 
I dont have an issue with crickets. I found that if I use bedding int he rubbermaid tub, they dont smell. Not sure why this is. I alternate between oatmeal and bed a beast depending on which one is avaiable during cleanouts. I dont have to worry about chirping because I think mine are too young, as Im feeding pygmys and not large chams..but I do not ever hear them. Mine are housed with my roaches in a 5 gallon rubbermaid container, open air with about 15 egg cartons and a red light heat lamp for the roaches. They rarely jump out. Sometimes the smaller ones escape but my dog takes care of that. I tried silkworms once and freaked out by how complicate dthey were to keep alive (for me.). Dubias are easy.
 
dodolah said:
Interesting thoughts. Got any article or a link that back this fact?

Thanks
Click to expand...

You beat me to it Dodolah! Everything I've read is contradictory to those statements. Most of the documentation out there says Silks are nutritionally one of the best feeders.

Another added benefit is you have little to no worries about impaction from feeding them.

Betty, thanks for the tip. I'm definitely going to try the bedding in the cricket tanks. Thanks to the Florida heat and a loss of about 3000 crickets, I had to move them inside. My house hasn't spelled the same since. :(
 
man I feel you!! I usually order crickets by the thousands but they were small to medium size... Last week I order large and they chirping all night!!! I was debating if I should buy large crickets and now I regret it. Lucky me I get free ear plugs from the bar I work at and use them to go to sleep! Its like a cricket symphony and my room is next door to them!! NEVER NEVER will I ever order large crickets in that massive amount again!!!
 
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