Using agar to make wet gutloads

[Extensionofgreen]

I have 8 species of roach, crickets, super worms, soldier fly larvae, house fly pupae, as well as silk and hornworms. It's a lot to keep up with as far as providing moisture and keeping enough fresh food items on hand. I don't like the polymer gels, as they are unnatural and have unesecary chemicals in them. I'm considering using agar and adding kelp powder, hemp powder, spirulina, bee pollen, and several fried fruits and berries, without sulphur, and all organic. I planned to make it on the wetter side, since it's intended to be the bulk of their moisture and diet. Seems agar is pricey, so I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts or ideas. My hissers love my dry mix, with some water added, but my dubia and orange heads seem unenthused. Wetted dry mix spoils or drys quickly, so I'm thinking the agar will smell of fruity goodness and be more attractive and eaten quickly, or easily removed.

 

[Matt Vanilla Gorilla]

You could still use dry and do agar by the side all by itself. Adding stuff to the agar will increase the odds of it molding.

 

[cyberlocc]

I am curious if you ever tried this? I make the gutload cubes (make a smoothie, and freeze it to a ice cube), but they dry out within hours. They do not hold moisture very well at all, so I was thinking this could make them a tad better.

Found this thread by searching agar as I have seen (as I am sure so have you ) people using it instead of water crystals.

 

[Blang]

Bugburger!!!!

 

[cyberlocc]

Bugburger!!!!

Is way way too expensive. That I guess depends bug burger is great on occasion, however only if you buy feeders.

3oz is 7 dollars a large dubia colony could eat that in a day lol.

Never mind underlined see I have never used it. Looked at it more its powder that makes more since. 1 pound for 7 dollars sounds much better lol.

Still I would never use just 1 gutload.

However even homemade gutload with Agar agar I think would be cheaper.

It also has some chemicals that I dont like, and the good stuff in there has been dried (the kelp, seaweed ect) for a lot of that stuff drying it out takes away a lot of the vitamins. Likely good in combo with a homemade gutload though.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

I never tried it. It was cost prohibitive. I did look at other, similar, vegetarian products, such as pectin, but in the end, I just decided to offer gel crystals, chopped greens/fruits/veggies, and my own dry mixture.

 

[Andee]

I think there are types of things like agar that are natural. However that would require more research than I have done. I have never needed to do more than adding fresh fruits and veggies and my homemade gutload. I never have issues with dehydrated bugs or anything.