To be or not to be a roach breeder

[snitz427]

So you think I could have may chameleons live off silks as a staple?? I have moths also going to help with the cricket problems but they take so long to pupate.

Supposedly silks can be used as a staple right along crickets and dubias. I think if offering them with variety would be very good. I like to offer something soft and crunchy at each feeding... so with silks I usually give superworms, too. If you do try them as a staple, maybe you can alternate crickets every now and then, just enough for a feeding or two so that it doesn't affect your husband? Just so your chams don't get bored?

They only eat mulberry so you can't really gut load them with other nutrients (although mulberry is supposedly a healthy gut load, too).

One issue is that you'd have to have a system down so that you had a constant supply of appropriately sized silks. There's about a 2-3 week period where they are too small, and then about 1-2 weeks where they stay at a good size without getting too fat. So you'd need to hatch smaller quantities every 2 weeks or so.

 

[JoXie411]

You can still mix it up good with silks, horns, and supers. Horns and silks are probably the hardest to breed. But supers are easy. You can always keep 100 dubias at a time just make sure the container is a mile away from your husband.

Ok looks like I’m going to have to do that then. I kinda like my husband don’t need him die lol will he have less of a reaction then with crickets?

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Ok looks like I’m going to have to do that then. I kinda like my husband don’t need him die lol will he have less of a reaction then with crickets?

It is said Dubias usually cause more of an allergic reaction then crickets. But I don't know your husband's allergies like you or him or his Dr. Just keep the 100 roaches in their pettri dish in a garage, shed, basement. Just away from him! Lol

 

[JoXie411]

It is said Dubias usually cause more of an allergic reaction then crickets. But I don't know your husband's allergies like you or him or his Dr. Just keep the 100 roaches in their pettri dish in a garage, shed, basement. Just away from him! Lol

I guess we just need to live apart then.

 

[jamest0o0]

Silks are great and mulberry is nutritious(I even put it in blenders for myself lol). The only problem with worms is they gutload poorly, even supers which eat everything, hold very little in their gut.

 

[JoXie411]

Silks are great and mulberry is nutritious(I even put it in blenders for myself lol). The only problem with worms is they gutload poorly, even supers which eat everything, hold very little in their gut.

I think what I’m going to have to do is get a shed or something for my feeders. Right now I’m going to cut out the crickets From the diet in the mean time. Going to be doing lots of bug reading to figure out what to do.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Silks are great and mulberry is nutritious(I even put it in blenders for myself lol). The only problem with worms is they gutload poorly, even supers which eat everything, hold very little in their gut.

That's a great point. There's always a give and take with everything. Balance is always in sight and always out of reach

 

[snitz427]

I'd reach out to Repashy and see what their calcium carbonate is derived from. If its from shellfish, you'll need to watch dusting, too. Having a separate room or shed will help a lot.

 

[JoXie411]

I can get larry to eat greens on his own so I know I’m covered on this end but Imelda won’t eat greens. Each chameleon is picky in there own way

 

[jamest0o0]

Chameleons most likely don't get many nutrients from eating greens. Even humans have a tough time absorbing nutrients from raw veggies.

 

[JoXie411]

Chameleons most likely don't get many nutrients from eating greens. Even humans have a tough time absorbing nutrients from raw veggies.

So In other words I’m screwed if I don’t find a good balance

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

I'd reach out to Repashy and see what their calcium carbonate is derived from. If its from shellfish, you'll need to watch dusting, too. Having a separate room or shed will help a lot.

Repashy calcium is made from calcium mines in California. Says so on every bottle

 

[jamest0o0]

So In other words I’m screwed if I don’t find a good balance

Nah, people have had chameleons live long lives in far worse. Just dust a lot, try to sneak some veggies into the worms, make some blended up cubes for the BSFL, dust with powders like bee pollen, moringa, spirulina, etc. I'm sure some of it will get in and your cham should do just fine

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Yeah let's not forget all the veileds that have lived off mealworms alone for God knows how long before they show up here lol

 

[snitz427]

A good balance is important (I should take that advice in my own diet)... but I don't think you are screwed. It will be harder, for sure, since crickets and roaches are cheaper and easier to keep for long periods, and slower to grow. If I were in your situation, I think I would do silks, supers (if they aren't an allergy), hornworms, and BSF as much as possible... and pick up some crickets and/or dubias once a week or every other week and feed them off right away (after an hour to gutload).

In the wild, I don't think chameleons are finding bugs that are eating excellent gutloads. I'm sure bugs are opportunistic just like the chams. They might nibble on one particular food (like silkworms), or they might eat whatever they can find - from feces, to fruit, to plants, to dead animals. Feeding them a good diet definitely helps... we could all benefit from a healthier diet, but I think if you feed a variety and gutload as much as possible you'll be ok. Especially if you can rotate a variety of bugs (who all eat different things).

 

[jamest0o0]

In the wild, I don't think chameleons are finding bugs that are eating excellent gutloads. I'm sure bugs are opportunistic just like the chams. They might nibble on one particular food (like silkworms), or they might eat whatever they can find - from feces, to fruit, to plants, to dead animals. Feeding them a good diet definitely helps... we could all benefit from a healthier diet, but I think if you feed a variety and gutload as much as possible you'll be ok. Especially if you can rotate a variety of bugs (who all eat different things).

This. People often talk about how much better wild caught insects eat, but this isn't true at all. Our gutloads are far superior In overall nutrients. I think the advantage wild chams have as far as food goes, is the vast amount of variety they get, which feed on all sorts of random things. Chams probably eat other vertebrates too which are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Overall, I think variety>gutload, but in this hobby, where most people can only offer a few feeders max, gutload helps make up for it.

 

[JoXie411]

Repashy calcium is made from calcium mines in California. Says so on every bottle

My homeland lol

Nah, people have had chameleons live long lives in far worse. Just dust a lot, try to sneak some veggies into the worms, make some blended up cubes for the BSFL, dust with powders like bee pollen, moringa, spirulina, etc. I'm sure some of it will get in and your cham should do just fine

Yeah let's not forget all the veileds that have lived off mealworms alone for God knows how long before they show up here lol

That is true lol

Ok so the plan is get the feeders in a different room then the hubby get air purifiers for the chameleon room an maybe our bedroom as well and just go from there

 

[jamest0o0]

I use a mini air purifier in my cham room too. Good idea

 

[JoXie411]

Y’all are truly the best thanks so much for the help and support. Y’all are an amazing cham family

 

[jamest0o0]

So great to have a cham fam