Refusing crickets and dubia roaches

[ItsMike64]

Hi everyone! Hope you’ve all been well!
So my happy and healthy 7 month old female ambilobe panther has been pretty picky with her food. Ever since I gave her one superworm, she wants nothing to do with her crickets and doesn’t bat an eye at dubia roaches. She only wants superworms all day everyday. I know that those two are pretty much the go to staple feeders, and am just unsure what to do since she’s protesting any other option. Very occasionally she’ll eat one cricket but that’s only if I free range and isn’t enough/free ranging makes me nervous since crickets bite. Any suggestions on either how I can get her to eat the crickets or dubias or alternatives would be great! From what I’ve read, superworms aren’t the best staple feeder.

 

[MissSkittles]

Try some silkworms. Other than that just keep offering crickets and dubia and eventually she‘ll eat. To prevent stray crickets from biting her, make sure to put a piece of greens or something in the enclosure for them to eat.

 

[ItsMike64]

Try some silkworms. Other than that just keep offering crickets and dubia and eventually she‘ll eat. To prevent stray crickets from biting her, make sure to put a piece of greens or something in the enclosure for them to eat.

Thanks for the advise! I have tried silkworms and she does like them, they’re just a pain to get. Would you recommend I just offer the crickets and dubias and no superworms so she has to eat them?

 

[MissSkittles]

Thanks for the advise! I have tried silkworms and she does like them, they’re just a pain to get. Would you recommend I just offer the crickets and dubias and no superworms so she has to eat them?

No superworms. You have to break her addiction to them with tough love. I got my one of my leopard geckos hooked on wax worms and it was hard on me, but I stayed firm and now he’s eating what I offer.

 

[ItsMike64]

No superworms. You have to break her addiction to them with tough love. I got my one of my leopard geckos hooked on wax worms and it was hard on me, but I stayed firm and now he’s eating what I offer.

Okay sounds good! I will cut her off cold turkey and only offer crickets and dubias. Thank you

 

[Mark_C]

+1 on tough love. With raising dubias had to transition my guy away from the crickets.
We went on a hunger strike for 3-4 days and eventually gave in.
Now its dubias with the occasional cricket/horn/super.

 

[Beman]

She is old enough to with hold feeders and only offer those that she should be eating regularly. Just know that if you ever reintroduce superworms it is likely she will do this again since she has found something she prefers. Offering variety is still really important though.

 

[ItsMike64]

Alright I stopped cold turkey with her and the supers. She is not happy and wants a fix stat. I won’t but she hasn’t eaten in the last two days because she’s refusing the crickets and dubias. Do I just keep letting her not eat until she breaks? Lol

 

[DocZ]

Alright I stopped cold turkey with her and the supers. She is not happy and wants a fix stat. I won’t but she hasn’t eaten in the last two days because she’s refusing the crickets and dubias. Do I just keep letting her not eat until she breaks? Lol

Try giving her something that flies. Black soldier flies, blue or green bottle flies, houseflies, etc

I can almost guarantee she’ll go for those, but the biggest thing for me was giving something different at every feeding. If it’s always different, they don’t seem to get hooked on one thing

 

[Mendez]

Try giving her something that flies. Black soldier flies, blue or green bottle flies, houseflies, etc

I can almost guarantee she’ll go for those, but the biggest thing for me was giving something different at every feeding. If it’s always different, they don’t seem to get hooked on one thing

^^^^
One of my chameleons (Furcifer willsii) wouldn't touch anything I offered. So I offered him blue bottle flies and he went crazy for them. Chameleons love their flies.

 

[ItsMike64]

She actually has had blue bottle flies before (I accidentally allowed 250 to pupate lol) so she got a taste for those. Not bsf larvae which I want to try as well, but in the meantime until they arrive, should I still only offer crickets and dubias even if she refuses?

 

[Beman]

She actually has had blue bottle flies before (I accidentally allowed 250 to pupate lol) so she got a taste for those. Not bsf larvae which I want to try as well, but in the meantime until they arrive, should I still only offer crickets and dubias even if she refuses?

Yes, you will continue to only offer the feeders that she should be eating regularly. She will eventually get hungry and take them. It can take a week or so for them to stop being stubborn.