Solutions for reluctant significant others regarding insects...

[livehappy08]

"I didn't realize that keeping a chameleon would also involve a menagerie of bugs inside my house..."
"You mean you want to BREED them? On purpose?!"
"I just woke up to a cricket crawling on my face."
"Do you have to keep worms in the fridge next to the butter?"

Haha...in all seriousness...what tips do you have regarding helping your significant others cope with all of the absurdities involved in chameleon keeping?

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Marry one who knows what they are getting into.

 

[Remkon]

We don't have a whole lot of runaway insects anymore because I keep em in better bins.

I'm also building a shed for my reptiles this summer so i can move everything our of the house.

 

[Nursemaia]

Call them dubia beetles not dubia roaches.

I've also woken up to a cricket in bed with me and I can tell you cricket bites hurt. They don't like it when you roll over onto them and it's also a little alarming to be woken up by something biting you.

 

[jamest0o0]

@Nursemaia i've never been bit by a cricket, didn't realize they have bad bites! Does it break skin?

I had the same issue though, I told my gf the roaches were little beetles until she saw the big ones. Then she found out I was breeding them and freaked. She soon got over it though, she doesn't like them, but doesn't care now. She even tells people we have roaches lol. She also freaked at the idea of a cricket escape, but our cats get them so she's pretty much over it all and is somewhat involved these days. Before I got Chams I had no interest in bugs, but didn't mind having them to feed my reptiles. Now I have all kinds and am pretty involved, I actually somewhat enjoy the roaches now when they used to creep me out.

IMO if you're with someone truly worth your time, they will be understanding of things that make you happy, as long as it's not interfering with your relationship or well-being. My gf is terrified of most bugs, but now she'll even hand feed the chameleons sometimes. I have my own room for reptile stuff and she's fine with it. Just keep things clean, out of sight, and secure.

" You breed them?!" I get that all the time too, I'm like yeah it's not too hard... It's better than just buying them every week. I also love all the geniuses that share their wisdom of how roaches will infest the whole house and it's a huge mistake.

 

[Nursemaia]

The cricket bite was an annoying pinch. No broken skin but hard enough to wake me up. Keep in mind it was a full grown banded cricket so it was kind of big. Plus I did roll over onto it so it's probably biting me pretty hard because it didn't want me squishing it.

 

[Virgil1972]

The cricket bite was an annoying pinch. No broken skin but hard enough to wake me up. Keep in mind it was a full grown banded cricket so it was kind of big. Plus I did roll over onto it so it's probably biting me pretty hard because it didn't want me squishing it.

Did you bite it back?