Alternate arthropods/insects - Page 2

WarrenPaul · #11 (**permalink**) 05-05-2009, 02:16 PM

The rotting meat, I agree, but if you're lazy (like me) it IS best not to feed your herp's anything that feeds off feces... it will eat any feces you missed while spot cleaning (or not spot cleaning). I'm not sure if that's where he was going or if he actually thought someone planned on (or if he was implying his friend did) using soldier fly larvae in compost and then feeding them to herp's. Which would be unbelievably stupid.

froggsong · #12 (**permalink**) 05-05-2009, 03:51 PM

please take the time to research the larvae as both a compost and waste reduction bug AND a commercial feeder insect. even in an open compost situation they are completely safe as a feeder insect. the larvae will not leave a dish, so there is virtually no chance of them consuming any feces left in a vive. even if they DID, any pathogens in the feces would already be present in the animal it came from. even when used to be rid of pig feces, the mature larvae are ground up and fed back to the pigs. please do not base any conclusions off of the outrageous claims of one man who did not even bother to qualify his statements. i have been researching black soldier fly larvae for over a year now and in all that time, this is the first negative thing i've seen. if you notice, he doesn't say the larvae killed the animal, just that his friend stopped breeding them when it died. without more details, jumping to conclusions isn't reasonable.

Sonslight · #13 (**permalink**) 07-06-2009, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chu'Wuti

Personally, I actually like crickets and their sounds . . .

I like the sounds too. It is rather soothing. I'm actually listening to one right now in the office (can't find it though).

Another option (but not as a staple diet as they contain high amounts of chitin) is woodlice (aka rolly-pollie or pill bug).
These are actually a crustacean. My salamander loves them.

This is a good article, I learned a lot.
Terrestrial Isopods (Sowbugs, Pillbugs, Potato Bugs) As Food for Captive Reptiles and Amphibians | That Reptile Blog

Nighsliv · #14 (**permalink**) 08-19-2009, 12:29 AM

Another "treat" you can harvest if you live near an open field where they don't spray for bugs would be grass hoppers, depending on your area they can get freaking huge!
Keep in mind though that harvesting bugs from an unknown area can always have consequences.

I collect some for my CWD every now and then and he(?) loves them as a treat and it's cheaper than the freeze dried ones at the store.

(I have no idea about the actual nutritional value of the hoppers so I can't say either way about using them as a staple during the summer months.)

froggsong · #15 (**permalink**) 08-31-2009, 04:03 PM

You can actually buy grasshopper commercially, both live and freeze dried, but it is difficult to source them. You can also buy locusts (or "hoppers"), which are really just huge grasshoppers. I just wish I could actually catch some of the darned things... I chased a grasshopper around my yard for almost ten minutes a week ago.... I lost track of it and never saw it again, lol...

Another one that I would love to figure out how to culture are corn ear worms (Helicoverpa zea) I have NEVER seen my CWD so eagerly consume ANYTHING! I pulled an ear of corn off of a "decorative" bunch of cornstalks and brought it home and there were a couple in there and she just loved them.... I should see if any of the farms around here would let me have their infested corn to start a culture... as long as it hasn't been sprayed with insecticides, of course.