Bee pollen as a gutload or dusting?

[BIGGUN]

I wondered if bee pollen would be something that we've overlooked in the raising of our chams? I ask because it seems to be a staple to those who raise mantids. There is always talk of it really making for healthier mantids so I thought maybe it would be even more of an issue with chams as they ingest the whole insect so the pollen would be taken in much gerater amounts than a mantid that feeds off of the insides and doesn't really do much with the outside of the insect.

Any thoughts?

Kevin

 

[Jamie]

I don't know that I would dust with it, but I do use it in gutloads and FF cultures- it is an ingredient in some of the commercially available gutloads, check labels.

 

[mika]

I know cricketfood.com uses it in their gutloads & the adcham gutload lists it as one of the ingredients.

 

[mczoo]

i use mantis place fly food to gutload flies and it contains bee pollen

sean

 

[BIGGUN]

That's the fly food I use too. That's why I started to wonder about bee pollen.

Does anyone have any scientific info?

 

[Tygerr]

The James/Wells/Lopez Gutload is one of the most frequently recommended home gutload recipes, and it lists bee pollen as an ingredient.

Dr. Sue Donoghue discusses the use of bee pollen in gutloads in her article, "Those Ingredients on the Label"

There was an interesting thread here a while back about whether chams might have any allergic reactions to bee pollen, in which Kristina Francis (studiocham) highlighted a potential problem when using bee-pollen with Melleri chameleons:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/been-thinking-very-dangerous-3107/index2.html

 

[BIGGUN]

Thanks Tygerr.

It looks like it's still a matter of experimentation. I guess just try a little and see if there seems to be any allergic reaction. It seems logical that it would be something that they'd get in the wild but can't get without having bees, flies, butterflies, ect. as feeders. I think I'll give it a try in the near future.

Thanks again,
Kevin

 

[FaunaBgirl]

I feed my wax worms bee pollen to keep them plump and wiggly. My veiled is doing very well. This has been going on for about 6 weeks now. He's shedding and looking great.

 

[BIGGUN]

I posted in another thread that Icefyre has died. Thank God I didn't try the bee pollen yet......if this would have happened right after I tried the pollen I would have blamed myself more than I am now.

Kevin


P.S. please post any thoughts on his passing in the other thread so we don't clutter this one.

 

[stucoady]

I started to use bee pollen about 2 months ago and it seems to be going down well well with my Locusts, crix, meal warms, in fact with anyhting i put it to. My cham is looking so healthy so iwill keep using it.

Phil