So I have some questions about chameleon food (new to chameleon keeping) currently I feed him Silkworms, Crickets,Superworms, and wax worms (he won't eat these I've only seen him eat one the other times I offer them he's not interested lol). I recently ordered Blue Bottle maggots and black soldier fly larvae and butter worms, should I refrigerate these to avoid pupation and if so at what temperature I recently purchased a mini fridge but I put the wax worms in there and they all died I heard the butter dish works best but I don't think my grandparents will be very happy to see maggots in there fridge.
Question about Refrigerating feeders
- Thread starter Kamran_k
- Start date
snitz427
Chameleon Enthusiast
I keep the BBF spikes in the fridge drawer... they've been in there for like 2 months and still alive (and not-pupating). Mine are in a little envelope so you can't tell what they are. I keep BSFL at room temp, they don't pupate too quickly, but you can keep them cool to slow them down a little.
snitz427
Chameleon Enthusiast
I do, at least for the BSFL. I throw some superload / bug burger in their container and its gone very quickly. Can feed them just about any food item and they'll devour it. I also try to sprinkle them with bee pollen before feeding them off. Its like a little chameleon acai bowl. Bougie! The BBF I just throw in the cage, they pupate really quickly compared to the BSFL.
snitz427
Chameleon Enthusiast
With the BBF, I think most people feed them as flies, not larva. You can give them some access to bee pollen as flies, but I just let them hatch. They dont last long enough to eat!
BSFL on the other hand are often fed as larva so thats why I gutload these guys but not the others.
BSFL on the other hand are often fed as larva so thats why I gutload these guys but not the others.
Rst_Cham
Chameleon Enthusiast
Any reason not to feed off BBF larvae? My cham loves them as both larvae and flies. Same with BSF, he loves both the larvae and the flies. And I totally agree with you, it's very easy to gutload BSFL, they eat a lot! I fed them lots of fruit and veggie scraps plus cricket crack, bug burger, and bee pollen.
snitz427
Chameleon Enthusiast
I just throw them in a plant, but some people will raise them in a plastic container so they can later dust them and feed them pollen. If you throw them in either a plant or a container, BBF pupate within a few days, and BSFL in 2-3 weeks (sometimes longer)
snitz427
Chameleon Enthusiast
I read somewhere that BBF spikes are astronomically high in something... can’t recall what. Phosphorus or something.... don’t know how accurate it is but I stopped feed those as larva after that. My guys didn’t like the spike larva, anyway, but they do love BSFL!
Butterworms have been known to cause reactions. Most Keepers do not feed these due to the risk of the animal being sensitive to them.
Rst_Cham
Chameleon Enthusiast
Oh dangit! I totally didn't realize that. OK, no more BBFL for Max. Sad!
snitz427
Chameleon Enthusiast
Well hopefully someone who knows exactly what the deal was will chime in... as I believe I read it on here once before. Black soldier fly larva and flies are great, but I recall the Blue Bottle Fly spikes being less nutritious and you're better off letting them pupating before feeding.
snitz427
Chameleon Enthusiast
Just throw the spikes in there to pupate! Or do the gum container like others have.
Rst_Cham
Chameleon Enthusiast
Oh, I have lots of Blue Bottle Flies pupating/hatching and he does love those too, he just REALLY loves the larvae even more.
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