I think I've maybe gone a bit crazy?

[Rst_Cham]

I’ve had my baby Cham for all of 3 weeks and I’ve turned into a crazy bug lady somehow. I had to rearrange my laundry room to allow more space for all my feeder insect containers. I’ve got crickets, supers, BSFL. I’ve got dubia (even though my Cham and frogs are flat out refusing to eat them, and yet I continue to care for them.) I’ve got silkworms and hornworms that I’m growing up to breed. I have blue bottle fly larvae (maggots!) in Tupperware in my fridge! I watch countless insect breeding videos, read entomology blogs, and comb the forum for more info. I MAY be feeding my insects better than I feed my kids, lol. I spend a whole lot of time on insect care, and as my Cham grows I’m already planning on trying other roaches, butterflies, stick insects, mantids, and raising up flies.

My husband never goes in the laundry room but there was a problem with our water heater the other morning so he went down there. The look on his face when saw what I’ve been up to was priceless. (And he already thought I was nuts.) My teenage daughter took pictures of the setup to text to her friends to make fun of me.

I have ONE baby chameleon. One. And six little frogs.

And now I remember, a loooong time ago, when I was deciding what I wanted to do with my life that I considered entomology or marine biology. I went a different route in life and did neither, but now I remember how 25 years ago, I thought insects were pretty darn cool. It’s all come flooding back. Lol

Any one else enjoy caring for their feeder insects, or am I just crazy?

 

[JacksJill]

You are crazy but it's a good crazy. Welcome aboard! You are not alone here.

 

[MSPINAZ1]

its all good. becomes a secondary hobby to keeping these amazing creatures (chameleons). i also enjoy the bugs and caring for them.

 

[jamest0o0]

I went from being terrified of roaches to having like 15 species, plus snails, phasmids, isopods, and random other stuff. I'm lucky to have an unfinished basement room to hide it all in lol. I'd like to even start a mourning gecko colony as possible feeders.

 

[insectovore]

I was terrified of roaches at first. It took me about 6 months to not be absolutely horrified by them but they don't bother me now. The crickets just remind me of camping.

 

[FramsChams]

Haha! I’m glad I’m not alone. I never liked bugs and a chameleon or two later and we are breeding crickets and Dubias. It not strange to see stray crickets/fruit flies around the house and none of us even bat an eyelash. Who would’ve thought?!

 

[Rst_Cham]

You are crazy but it's a good crazy. Welcome aboard! You are not alone here.

Thanks! Glad to see I'm not alone in my crazy.

 

[Rst_Cham]

I went from being terrified of roaches to having like 15 species, plus snails, phasmids, isopods, and random other stuff. I'm lucky to have an unfinished basement room to hide it all in lol. I'd like to even start a mourning gecko colony as possible feeders.

Oh, I hadn't thought about snails when my guy is older. What kind do you use?

 

[Rst_Cham]

Haha! I’m glad I’m not alone. I never liked bugs and a chameleon or two later and we are breeding crickets and Dubias. It not strange to see stray crickets/fruit flies around the house and none of us even bat an eyelash. Who would’ve thought?!

I really wish I could get mine to eat dubia!
My husband is not into the animals at all, and was not happy to find a stray horn worm cruising along the carpet, lol!

 

[jamest0o0]

Oh, I hadn't thought about snails when my guy is older. What kind do you use?

Helix aspersa. Very nutritious and hydrating. I actually have 2 colonies of them, I'm a little overrun lol. If you happen to live near pittsburgh I'll give you a bin full of them cheap.

 

[Thehippie]

i've tried to breed crickets 5 times by now and still cant!!! i dont know what im doing wrong!!! although i enjoy having the hornworms in my room they're cool

 

[Rst_Cham]

Helix aspersa. Very nutritious and hydrating. I actually have 2 colonies of them, I'm a little overrun lol. If you happen to live near pittsburgh I'll give you a bin full of them cheap.

I'm actually in Denver Where did you get your starters from? I'm guessing it's maybe not safe to just pick them out of your yard; did you buy adults from somewhere?

 

[Rst_Cham]

i've tried to breed crickets 5 times by now and still cant!!! i dont know what im doing wrong!!! although i enjoy having the hornworms in my room they're cool

I've watched a bunch of youtube videos on breeding crickets but haven't tried yet. I'm trying silkworms and hornworm breeding first. They both really are very cute.

 

[Matt Vanilla Gorilla]

I really wish I could get mine to eat dubia!
My husband is not into the animals at all, and was not happy to find a stray horn worm cruising along the carpet, lol!

Have you tried putting the dubia on the screen close to where your chameleon is sitting? The dubia will try to make a run for it and that may cost it their life! Lol. Or put it on it's back in a shallow container close to the chameleon and let it squirm around. That often works.

 

[JacksJill]

I started mine on dubia by putting them on their backs in a plastic spoon and let the waving legs get their attention. Mine all eat them reliably now.

If you are breeding crickets you have to put screen over the soil the females lay in or the males will eat the eggs. The females can lay thru the screen.

 

[Rst_Cham]

Have you tried putting the dubia on the screen close to where your chameleon is sitting? The dubia will try to make a run for it and that may cost it their life! Lol. Or put it on it's back in a shallow container close to the chameleon and let it squirm around. That often works.

Yep, tried all that. He just stares at them. I'm going to keep trying though. Some things he practically runs at to get to, like silk and phoenix worms, lol

 

[Rst_Cham]

I started mine on dubia by putting them on their backs in a plastic spoon and let the waving legs get their attention. Mine all eat them reliably now.

If you are breeding crickets you have to put screen over the soil the females lay in or the males will eat the eggs. The females can lay thru the screen.

I have tried the spoon thing and he just stared. I'm going to try again though.
Thanks for the tip on breeding crickets, I hadn't heard that before!

 

[jamest0o0]

I'm actually in Denver Where did you get your starters from? I'm guessing it's maybe not safe to just pick them out of your yard; did you buy adults from somewhere?

Yup you can pick them out of your yard if you find some. I'd recommend separating the eggs when they lay though. WC snails have been known to carry parasites, though I'm not sure how big of a risk it is.

I bought mine on ebay though lol. Got I think 20 of them for 20 bucks or something like that.

 

[MSPINAZ1]

Helix aspersa. Very nutritious and hydrating. I actually have 2 colonies of them, I'm a little overrun lol. If you happen to live near pittsburgh I'll give you a bin full of them cheap.

im near philadephia (actually south jersey). how much? and how big are they? may be to big i have a juvenile panther (4 months)

 

[jamest0o0]

im near philadephia (actually south jersey). how much? and how big are they? may be to big i have a juvenile panther (4 months)

The adults that lay the eggs are large, close to a golf ball in size. The younger ones are the best to feed off. I'll have to see how many I have, theres probably 10-20 large snails and then a lot of babies and eggs. If you're interested feel free to PM me.