Just Curious..Does anyone feed their chams live caught bugs????

[JaxyGirl]

I've never been to Wiscasset. But I've been to a whole bunch of places in ME. As far as Jackman. I've even been in the Northwest section where they don't even have towns, just zones. Lots of logging and snowmobile trails and nothing else. I'm from MA; but I spend a lot of time in Maine.

Only in ME will you find townships that have numbers like that..LOL! Where in MA are you from? I grew up in Littleton, MA

 

[justjumpit621]

You know, that's interesting, cause I've had the same feelings that you have on the subject of germ-free. I do keep my cham very clean but who's to say that the feeders are germ-free when we feed them. I guess, currently there is some type of mold or something that's infected many commercially produced cricket colonies. IMHO there isn't any way to have a perfectly germ-free, virus-free environment for our chams and is it possible that by trying to create a perfect environment for them are we harming them more then helping them??? Just curious about what others think???

I believe it is very possible, since it is happening to every other pet man kind has owned, especially cats and dogs. I would feel comfortable feeding Leo wild caught non toxic insects that I have gutloaded for a couple days with fecals done every month. I feel it may actually be beneficial.

 

[chamyndst8]

The best way is too raise crickets and other incects yourself. Cricket breeding is really easy. Throw the crickets in a container with food; the wait about a week and you'll have a whole bunch of babies. Works best for me because I save a lot of money on crickets; I go through about 250-300 crickets a week. If you need exact instructions there all over the web. Just make sure you use a variety of food for your crickets; not just Flukers gut load. With horn worms I just order a bunch of eggs and food from Great Lakes Hornworms; I then throw the eggs in the container with the food and wait a couple of days for them to grow. By raising my own bugs I can monitor and ensure a clean environment.

 

[chamyndst8]

Only in ME will you find townships that have numbers like that..LOL! Where in MA are you from? I grew up in Littleton, MA

That's cool you grew up in Littleton. I'm from Worcester. It's definately a small world now, knowing that.

 

[JaxyGirl]

The best way is too raise crickets and other incects yourself. Cricket breeding is really easy. Throw the crickets in a container with food; the wait about a week and you'll have a whole bunch of babies. Works best for me because I save a lot of money on crickets; I go through about 250-300 crickets a week. If you need exact instructions there all over the web. Just make sure you use a variety of food for your crickets; not just Flukers gut load. With horn worms I just order a bunch of eggs and food from Great Lakes Hornworms; I then throw the eggs in the container with the food and wait a couple of days for them to grow. By raising my own bugs I can monitor and ensure a clean environment.

I've tried several times to raise crickets...I think my cricket thumb is just about as bad as my green thumb...both suck..LOL!

 

[JaxyGirl]

That's cool you grew up in Littleton. I'm from Worcester. It's definately a small world now, knowing that.

I know...it is small..we were practically neighbors..about a half hour or so at the most

 

[chamyndst8]

We've been to the same places lived in pretty much the same area. Are you a long lost relative of mine. Just kidding. lol.

Raising crickets during the winter is a little more difficult. But during the summer they practically do all the work for you. During the summer/spring I don't even try to raise them; It just happens. I have about 1,300-1,600 baby crickets that I'm waiting for to grow up to be fed to my chams.

Here's a some pics of a couple of my chams.

 

[JaxyGirl]

We've been to the same places lived in pretty much the same area. Are you a long lost relative of mine. Just kidding. lol.

Raising crickets during the winter is a little more difficult. But during the summer they practically do all the work for you. During the summer/spring I don't even try to raise them; It just happens. I have about 1,300-1,600 baby crickets that I'm waiting for to grow up to be fed to my chams.

Here's a some pics of a couple of my chams.

You have beautiful chams and I can definitely understand the need for so many crickets!!! So far I have my single male Jackson's but am hoping that I can get a female soon to breed them.
Are you sure we're not long lost relatives???..LOL!!

 

[Warrix642]

When I take my adults outside to free range and get sun, they catch a lot of bugs. My Sambava ate a GIANT hornet and a spider yesterday. I wouldn't make an effort to catch any just spray water when it is hot and some will show up.

Dustin

 

[smackey]

I think some of the fears of wild caught bugs are a little overblown. There is no evidence that I have seen that wild caught bugs have more parasites than farm raised. I am from a medical background so I always want double blind placebo controlled studies on most things, but they don't exist. Also it is obvious if you think of the benefits of wild caught bugs but the negatives are less clear.

I also subscribe to the germ theory that humans are way to overprotective of dirt and germs and it is causing problems, IE Asthma, Allergies Autoimmune diseases etc. In fact there is some good evidence that some types of parasites protect you from autoimmune diseases.

Anyways, in summary I feed mine wild caught bugs and will continue to do so. They love to tear up some dragonflies and I just now put some moths in.