who breeds their own bugs?

[DarkRapture]

this is going to be a mixed thread, however, it is all about bugs. i have some questions for you guys about breeding these crazy bugs for your chams/collection.

so i am curious to know how many of you breed your own feeder insects! what kind/species do you have, what kind of containers you use (home-made, bought, plastic etc.) how many you produce in a said amount of time and how many reptiles are you feeding your colonies to. also wondering about substrates, gutload recipes, fresh foods, and temperatures.

the reason i ask is cuz i have the suspicion that there are more of you out there than one could guess. what a great source of information! also, i intend on starting a couple colonies myself. i am considering starting a small cricket colony, a zoophobas morio and either wax worm or silkworm. most likely the superworm and/or cricket, as the others pose difficulty obtaining for a reasonable price (silks), and poor nutritional value (wax worms).

[is it ok to feed wax moths to my cham?]

any tips for new colonies? your experiences will be greatly appreciated!

 

[DarkRapture]

apparently this is a great thread about silkworms! https://www.chameleonforums.com/silkworms-101-a-7906/




(giggles to self)

 

[dodolah]

I do rear silkies and trying to rear dubia now.
And you found the silk 101 thread..
I wrote everything i know about rearing them in that thread.

 

[Chase]

I breed Crickets and Mealworms.

 

[RhettusMaximus]

Bugs

I'm working with 6 species of roaches right now. The turnaround on them is great and is pretty fast. I also hatch and raise silkworms, mantids, and am working on mealworms and superworms right now. I feed 5 beardies with big appetities, 3 chameleons, some leos, and a crested gecko off of what i raise..

 

[tryme]

im in the process of breeding mealworms you can find alot of useful information on google etc.

 

[lillamy]

I'm breeding B. dubias, mealworms and sometimes crickets. I like dubias the best! Doesn't smell and breeds like rabbits

 

[DarkRapture]

wow, lots of dubia breeders. are they that easy? i really don't know anything about them! i know what they look like but other than that, not a whole lot. are they a crunchy feeder insect? at what size/age do you feed them to chameleons? it might be something i am interested in if i can feed them to my cham and my bearded dragon. i don't even know what the nutritional values of these buggies are either. could they be a staple diet? i still like to feed at least 2 different types of feeders a day and change out the worms every so often. crix are Marley's staple at the moment though.

interesting!!

 

[JimNPHX]

wow, lots of dubia breeders. are they that easy? i really don't know anything about them! i know what they look like but other than that, not a whole lot. are they a crunchy feeder insect? at what size/age do you feed them to chameleons? it might be something i am interested in if i can feed them to my cham and my bearded dragon. i don't even know what the nutritional values of these buggies are either. could they be a staple diet? i still like to feed at least 2 different types of feeders a day and change out the worms every so often. crix are Marley's staple at the moment though.

interesting!!

To me they are really easy . . . plug'n play. Just feed them once in a while and then feed them (he he heee) to the chams.
I like them because they have a softer exoskeleton, can't climb and other than the occasional male, can't/won't fly.
The size you use to feed is up to you and your chams. I have 8+ month old Veileds and they can eat one the size of my thumb (knuckle to tip of nail), but my Jacksons need them smaller, and my carpets (although I have not tried yet) would only eat the babies.
Not sure of the exact nutritional value but it is pretty good if you gutload them well.
I guess you could use as the only feeder but as you already stated, it is good to change it up. I feed dubias and *supers/wax or butter as staples and mix it up with crickets and silkies. * Supers for the big chams and wax/butter for the smaller ones.

If you do decide to start a colony, either load up heavy with the dubias up front, or do not plan on using as feeders for 2-3months. You need to give the colony a chance to get established. It doesn't have to be exactly 3 months but the longer you wait the happier you will be in the end.

I keep mine in a 60(ish) gal tub with screen draped over the top. For heat I use a regular (people) heating pad. It is an older one that does not have automatic shut-off. I started mine in early Nov and only have cleaned twice. Once was because I wanted to get all the babies out to place in another container.

Hope this helps . . .

Jim

 

[Aquaseafoam]

I'm breeding dubia, lobster roaches, and turkistan roaches.

 

[Orin]

I primarily use lobsters and orange heads for large and small chameleons (size appropriate) and also keep Pyralis farinalis moths and use those only for the small ones. They like surinams as much as lobsters but I've tried to wipe out that species. Adult males get adult Blaberus from time to time with the wings cut off (imperfect wing culls) but otherwise other species are the rare offering.

 

[sharkey]

i breed silks and it is so easy - but requires daily feeding of the larvae. the great thing is that they are silent, don't smell (although cooking their food does) and they don't have the 'gross' factor that so many bugs do. i am starting to breed crickets and i will NEVER breed or use roaches. i live in FL and the roaches here are omnipresent and disgusting.

 

[BIGGUN]

I am currently breeding dubias.

I LOVE them! Easy as anything I've tried yet.

I'm even starting to like them......I feel bad if I find a dead one or even when I feed them to the chams.

Great now I feel like a freek

Kevin

 

[Jacob Gonzales]

have some dubias, as ther just to easy :0 and also am looking into silkies as well.

 

[jack frost]

so are mealworms okay as a staple?.. i didn't notice too many mealworm breeders mainly roaches.

 

[desultadox]

Mealworms aren't a popular choice for chameleons ... I believe their relatively hard exoskeletons and relative lack of nutrition make them poor staples.

 

[jack frost]

Mealworms aren't a popular choice for chameleons ... I believe their relatively hard exoskeletons and relative lack of nutrition make them poor staples.

so are superworms better or silkworms..I wasn't sure and ordered mealworms already. THIS is why I'm waiting to have everything in place before I get my cham! thanks.

 

[jack frost]

okay i've given in and will be looking into roaches now.... man i'm from Detroit and if I told my friends back home that I paid for roaches and am breeding them too...LOL they would soil their pants laughing at me.

 

[DarkRapture]

okay i've given in and will be looking into roaches now.... man i'm from Detroit and if I told my friends back home that I paid for roaches and am breeding them too...LOL they would soil their pants laughing at me.

That's pretty funny! I have recently discovered how easy it is to breed crickets and it is very exciting to me. I may eventually consider breeding roaches, but to acquire them - I have not seen any readily available in a long time. I do live in Canada and it isn't like they are hiding in the corners... lol

 

[desultadox]

I hear the term "staple" used around here a lot and I don't know if everybody uses it the same way. Personally, I think it's best to have at least 2 "staples;" one hard-bodied insect like crickets or roaches and one soft worm such as silkworms, phoenix worms, or hornworms.

Right now I'm trying to breed crickets and silkworms. I'll probably switch the crickets to roaches when my chams are older and bigger (and if i can overcome the thought of keeping roaches...). I give few waxworms rarely as treats. I also plan to provide phoenix worms and hornworms on occasion.

So PERSONALLY I feel like chams should have 2 very different staple feeders, plus alternative bugs occasionally.