Pygmy food

[rcmike]

Hi everyone. I have been thinking of some pygmies for a while and was really wondering what I could feed them besides crickets? I have a small dubia colony and more on the way soon. Will dubia nymphs be too big? I just really don't want the mess (or smell) of crickets.

 

[Julirs]

Tiny crickets don't stink. Full grown pygs eat 1/4" crickets-so they could handle a Dubia nymph. Fruit flies are OK for babies and as a treat for adults. I can't get most pygs to eat silkworms.

 

[rcmike]

How many crickets would a full grown pygmy eat in a day? Just trying to get an idea of what to expect feeding wise. I only have experience with larger crickets and when half of them decide to just die off overnight sometimes. Are the smaller ones less prone to do this?

 

[Julirs]

Yes-smaller crickets will live longer than larger crickets. My full grown pygs eat 3-4 1/4" crickets every other day.

 

[lisa h]

My pygmies are fed every other day. With two in the enclosure they get between 10 - 20, depending on the size of the crickets and how much they've been eating. When I first got them I fed them everyday, but found "leftovers". Sometimes they get fruit flies on their "non food day" as a treat. It's only in the last month or two they've been eating them, as they weren't interested when I first got them.
The little crickets are easy to deal with. I get 1000 week old crix at a time, and keep them in a large bucket with the top cut out and screened. I don't get many die offs, but I find they will drown even in "cricket water". I use one of the moist gutloads.

 

[rcmike]

That might be doable then. I live a ways from the pet store so I don't want to be having to run up there every couple of days. I have gotten used to the no fuss roaches I guess.

 

[casperpetersen]

...after a propper meal it´s time for dessert


Thermobius domestica

Isopods:
Trichorhina tomentosa or other in similar size

grenfly:
Myzus persicae, Acyrthosiphon pisum or any other greenfly that I know of...( I don´t know if there is any species out side of Denmark that eat toxic plants... I doubt it)

mantid nyphs

(lesser?)wax moth:
Achroia grisella