My DIY Feeder Cup...

[melble68]

I've always prided myself over the years in being quite handy. I look around and see what others do, and then I tweek those ideas a bit and make them mine. IE: my indoor and outdoor enclosures, my planting methods, my drippers, my drip pan, my enclosure stand, my lighting dimmer, and my feeder bins are all versions of what I've seen other forum members do with their set ups. I can now add to the list, my DIY feeder. I've tried in the past to create SunnyD styles, but I was never happy w/ what I ever came up with. Recent feeder cups done by some very creative members caught my attention, and gave me another reason to go to the hardware store.

Parts list:
pvc 4" fence post (12" length)
pvc 4" fence post cap (2 each)
pvc gutter guard mesh
rare earth magnets (4 each)

Tools list:
table saw
dremel tool
sand paper
scissors
hot glue gun
cordless drill and bit

Luke took to the new design w/ in minutes.

 

[Rufi0]

Looks really well made I love that your Cham is quality inspecting it, and of course keeping an eye on you at the same time

 

[frankpayne32]

Very nice! This is the nicest looking one of these that I've seen. It will match very well with my white sided enclosures. What type of feeders have you used in this? I am curious if dubia and superworms will climb up like crickets. Do the crickets stay relatively contained? I pinch the legs off my crickets before they go in the feeder cup but that is a PITA... Thanks for sharing, I will be bookmarking to go back to this when I build some.

 

[melble68]

Tks, one eye on me and one eye of the one remaining discoid in the first pic that he ate a few minutes later.

 

[Rufi0]

Very nice! This is the nicest looking one of these that I've seen. It will match very well with my white sided enclosures. What type of feeders have you used in this? I am curious if dubia and superworms will climb up like crickets. Do the crickets stay relatively contained? I pinch the legs off my crickets before they go in the feeder cup but that is a PITA... Thanks for sharing, I will be bookmarking to go back to this when I build some.

Hey frankpayne32 I am also on a quest for a feeder cup which will cater for Dubia. Lol I call it a quest as i've gone through quite a few revisions and have still not figured one out yet. Most of the feeders on the forum are for crickets. When I've put Dubia in the same kind of set up the Dubia will hide in the bottom corners of the feeder where it is dark and stay motionless. My Chameleon doesn't even notice them. At the moment I put a superworm in which annoys them and sends them up the grid, but is not yet a perfect solution

 

[frankpayne32]

Hey frankpayne32 I am also on a quest for a feeder cup which will cater for Dubia. Lol I call it a quest as i've gone through quite a few revisions and have still not figured one out yet. Most of the feeders on the forum are for crickets. When I've put Dubia in the same kind of set up the Dubia will hide in the bottom corners of the feeder where it is dark and stay motionless. My Chameleon doesn't even notice them. At the moment I put a superworm in which annoys them and sends them up the grid, but is not yet a perfect solution

Yeah, I basically do the same thing. Put the annoyingly sessile dubia in the cup then put some fast moving food like bean beetles or crickets in with them to draw the cham over. They get some dubia this way but there are always some that aren't eaten...

 

[melble68]

Very nice! This is the nicest looking one of these that I've seen. It will match very well with my white sided enclosures. What type of feeders have you used in this? I am curious if dubia and superworms will climb up like crickets. Do the crickets stay relatively contained? I pinch the legs off my crickets before they go in the feeder cup but that is a PITA... Thanks for sharing, I will be bookmarking to go back to this when I build some.

tks Frank. Yes roaches and supers are going up and down. I actually just put another super in there to take a pic, and before I could grab my phone, Luke had run over and already snapped it up. Today was the first day I put this in Luke's enclosure, so discoids and a couple of supers were on the breakfast menu. Crickets will go in tomorrow, and I'm hoping they pretty much so stay put in there. So far the discoids are actually staying up towards the top. I plan on having a couple of these in my outdoor enclosures once it warms up. Free ranging feeders in my outdoor enclosures doesn't work because of the size and design. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these do the trick.

 

[melble68]

And I completely agree on adding something in to keep the roaches active. My female knows what they are when they stand still and they don't last very long. Luke on the other hand isn't that smart. Shout out to all the women out there, yes I just said you all are smarter than men.

 

[frankpayne32]

tks Frank. Yes roaches and supers are going up and down. I actually just put another super in there to take a pic, and before I could grab my phone, Luke had run over and already snapped it up. Today was the first day I put this in Luke's enclosure, so discoids and a couple of supers were on the breakfast menu. Crickets will go in tomorrow, and I'm hoping they pretty much so stay put in there. So far the discoids are actually staying up towards the top. I plan on having a couple of these in my outdoor enclosures once it warms up. Free ranging feeders in my outdoor enclosures doesn't work because of the size and design. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these do the trick.

And I completely agree on adding something in to keep the roaches active. My female knows what they are when they stand still and they don't last very long. Luke on the other hand isn't that smart. Shout out to all the women out there, yes I just said you all are smarter than men.

Thanks! Please let us know how the crickets behave in the feeder cup.

 

[melble68]

Thanks! Please let us know how the crickets behave in the feeder cup.

Ok,so in the name of science I just added 1/2 dozen crickets in to see what happens. By the look on Luke's face, they're not going to last very long. Also I added another pic of the bottom on the feeder. Note the holes drilled in the bottom cap for potential water drainage if needed.

 

[frankpayne32]

Ok,so in the name of science I just added 1/2 dozen crickets in to see what happens. By the look on Luke's face, they're not going to last very long. Also I added another pic of the bottom on the feeder. Note the holes drilled in the bottom cap for potential water drainage if needed.

Very nice. Beautiful Nosy Be by the way! They are my favorite locality of pardalis.

 

[lovelychams]

And I completely agree on adding something in to keep the roaches active. My female knows what they are when they stand still and they don't last very long. Luke on the other hand isn't that smart. Shout out to all the women out there, yes I just said you all are smarter than men.

Yes, yes….I like this quote. On a side note, great job with the feeder cup. I will bookmark this one for sure!

 

[CaptainNemo]

Great idea on your feeder !!............... what size are the rare earth magnets and where did you purchase them ? What enclosure do you have ??

 

[ChamDE86]

Very nice! These fancy cricket cups are catching on quick. I pretty much have the same setup here, and would recommend wrapping a small piece of saran wrap or plastic baggie of some sort to cover the magnets. Mine started to rust after a while from all the moisture.

 

[melble68]

Great idea on your feeder !!............... what size are the rare earth magnets and where did you purchase them ? What enclosure do you have ??

I think the magnets are 5/8" or 3/4". I have had these in my workshop for quite sometime. They actually fell off (came un-cemented) of a high end speaker soundbar from a system I have.

My indoor cooler month enclosures are DIY 18x18x36 (female) and a custom 18dx36x36 (male) that I actually built and screened myself. I got the hinges and clasps from the fine folks @ DIY Cages. My outdoor enclosure is a 6'x6'x3' w/ a divider in the middle. Each cham get 6' tall x 3' deep x 3' wide.

 

[betzjen]

Did the crickets get out? I have Sunny D deathtraps and my cricket still managed to get out

 

[betzjen]

I have some marine tex epoxy left over from putting on my side skirts and air dam. That stuff sanded pretty easily. But it's white. I guess I can paint it. Is that bumper glue black

 

[melble68]

Did the crickets get out? I have Sunny D deathtraps and my cricket still managed to get out

I don't think there's a perfect science but so far so good. I've only really noticed two or three in the past feedings getting out whatsoever. I think really it's the conversations that I have with the crickets before I put them in there. I give them a big lecture like win one for the Gipper. They seem to understand and stay put.

 

[melble68]

I have some marine tex epoxy left over from putting on my side skirts and air dam. That stuff sanded pretty easily. But it's white. I guess I can paint it. Is that bumper glue black

If you're referring to the mash on the back it is plastic gutter guard that I cut and then hot glued in place on all 4 edges.

 

[APailthorp]

I just figured out the specifics for Home Depot. My shopping list there is (caps to build four):

Qty. 1 White Vinyl Square Fence Post (Common: 4 in. x 4 in. x 6 ft; Actual: 4.0 in. x 4.0 in. x 72.0 in.)
Store SKU# 283346
Internet/Catalog# 202084744
$16.97

Qty. 8 White Vinyl Pyramid Fence Post Top (Common: 4 in. x 4 in.; Actual: 4.125 in. x 4.125 in. x 1.303 in.)
Store SKU# 294895
Internet/Catalog# 202093607
$19.76

Qty. 1 1/2 in. Neodymium Rare-Earth Magnet Discs (6 per Pack)
Store SKU# 632137
Internet/Catalog# 202526367
$3.98

Qty. 1 Amerimax Home Products 6 in. x 20 ft. Black Roll Gutter Guard
Model # 85198
$2.48​

That's what I came up with anyhow. I probably should get more magnets while I'm there. Looks like I'll have to wait for the Gutter Guard, internet order only, but I can have it sent to a store to avoid shipping.