Unsafe Wild Bugs

[Kharn]

Hello

I live on an island where there is excessively little chemical farming (if any to be honest, just because the people are so poor etc).

However there are bugs EVERYWHERE...beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, stick insects preying mantids, millipeds heaps of creepy crawlies in fact at one point of the year around dec-jan the flies come in mega numbers and because everything everywhere is so open no one uses any of them fly sprays, at best we coat sticks with a thick honey mixture that attracts the flies who land on it and die.

Point is, where I am situated is very tropical/jungle like with a plethora of insects around me that are very unlikely to be afflicted by any sort of chemical pesticides simply because the island is just too poor to have any such "luxuries" for farming.

So rather then be concerned about whether this particular captured bug has a pesticide in it I am more worried about if this bug is generally dangerous to feed my chameleon like a poisonous or noxious species of bug?

Very easy for me to 'arm & equip' a young kid to go around and catch me bugs on my property daily/bi-daily/weekly, their would be some really good diversity in the diet!

 

[Scout]

That's sounds like a great idea, if only I could live on an island!
The bugs you mentioned all seem okay for chameleons to eat.
I would avoid any bugs you can't identify and any spiders.
Also beware of the normal nasties that have bright colors or weird smells.
Good luck!

 

[junglefries]

Mantids, hoppers, crickets, sticks should all be okay in moderation. I would avoid the flies and pedes. Filter in a lot of silkworms and hornworms to help moving his system along.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Wild-caught insects are the most nutritious. Have you thought about setting up a wire cage that has 1/4" openings and hope some insects stay for dinner? I have found my chickens do not eat millipedes or sow bugs, so I take their advice and never offer them to my chameleons. I stay away from insects that are eating poisonous plants or hold them a few days to clear out their gut. I also avoid brightly colored things. Here's a picture of my 91g quad working on swallowing a stick bug that must have had a four or five inch long body.

 

[Decadancin]

Only concern I have is if you have specific plants in the area that are toxic. If the insects are consuming them it could be detrimental to your chameleon.

 

[Devokid]

I agree with jajeanpierre. If there are that many bugs, why not set up a cage that allows all the bugs in? Then you wouldn't have to worry about very much at all.