Adding crickets while lights are off?

[BryanP]

So quick question that is not as easy to search for answers.

My work schedule has me waking up at 5:45 and leaving the house at 6:40.

Right now I have my little 3 month old panther lights coming on at 5:45am and off at 6:30pm so just over 12hrs. I add crickets at about 6:20 so I can watch him eat and he immediately goes into hunt mode when I drop in the crickets.

I free range feeding and don't want to add a cup because I like the mental agility hunting gives him.

My dillema is this;

Sunrise/sunset in southern California is roughly 6:30am/7:30pm

I would like to adjust the light schedule to more closely reflect 8am-8pm but I would not be able to feed until I get home from work at 4pm.

And now for the punchline:

If I add the crickets at 6:30 on my way out of the house, will it be an issue? do crickets burrow and hide? or when the lights come on will they be out and active to be able to be preyed upon?

Just trying to get an idea on some of my options.

Right now when I get home from work my little guy is active for about another hour or so until he see he sun go down outside the window and the goes and finds his sleeping spot.

So I get to see him for a little over an hour when I get home. it would be cool to be able to see if later in the day.

Alright sorry fit rambling.

TL;DR?

Can I put crickets in the cage an hour or so before the lights come on? Dont really like the idea of a feeding cup as I like the mental gymnastics that free range Hu ting offer the chameleon.

 

[Chameleon Mike]

Crickets will roam around the cage during the day. I use a feeder cup because I leave at 4:30 am. If you're against them, I guess you have to do what's best for the chameleon and that is to get him the for he needs. The down side is your not going to know if the crickets are getting eaten or hiding or escaping.
I suggest using a feeder cup. You can still put out a few in the cage free range and at the same time you'll know your guy is eating.

 

[Chameleon Mike]

I guess you have to do what's best for the chameleon and that is to get him the for he needs.

get him the food he needs.

 

[VeiledMathis]

Just remember when you dust the crickets they will try and clean themselves and the dust may fall off, so it make not get enough calcium, just keep an eye on the crickets.

 

[BryanP]

Just remember when you dust the crickets they will try and clean themselves and the dust may fall off, so it make not get enough calcium, just keep an eye on the crickets.

Interesting. I never thought about this aspect.

 

[VeiledMathis]

Interesting. I never thought about this aspect.

A friend of mine had a free range room set up, all was good until his Panther started showing signs of MBD, he started paying attention and sure enough his crickets were cleaning the calcium off themselves. He started using a feeder cup after a trip to the vet and the situation eventually got fixed.

 

[rminnis]

For ur situation id just do a couple free range and a couple in a cup best of both worlds plus you know he will always have something when hes hungry

 

[rminnis]

half the time they jump outta cup and become free range anyway

 

[Kclarke02]

Very good question, as I'm somewhat in the same boat. Most mornings I leave by 6:30am, home by 4pm, and try to feed my Cham as soon as I get home to allow basking time. Most of my crickets are assholes, and jump and hide if I let them free roam, eventually finding water and drowning. A feeding cup is helpful. My Cham knows where it is, and that there's food in it, although it's small enough for crickets to climb out and roam, still perfect for her to hunt them down when they do.

 

[VeiledMathis]

You might want to look into a small Rubbermaid bin.

 

[Fiona's Mom]

Very good question, as I'm somewhat in the same boat. Most mornings I leave by 6:30am, home by 4pm, and try to feed my Cham as soon as I get home to allow basking time. Most of my crickets are assholes, and jump and hide if I let them free roam, eventually finding water and drowning. A feeding cup is helpful. My Cham knows where it is, and that there's food in it, although it's small enough for crickets to climb out and roam, still perfect for her to hunt them down when they do.

I use a plastic solo cup and punch a couple of holes near the top to run wire through. I wire it in a spot just below a branch so she can look down and see them. The cup is deep enough even a large cricket doesn't escape.

 

[Virgil1972]

If you use a feeding cup with higher sides the crickets will probably stay in there. Something like this here.

 

[melble68]

Or something like this.

custom feeder cups

• melble68
• Aug 26, 2016
• 1

 

[melble68]

custom feeder cups

• melble68
• Aug 26, 2016

in the assembly process.

 

[WAMBO]

My feeder cup is a plastic container for parmesan cheese. It's about 4 inches tall. Some bigger crickets jump out, but they get eaten first, and he has a chance to hunt a few.

 

[kimmytheriault]

@melble68 incredible!! puts mine to shame (it's an old milk container!) What is the material you used for the housing? I NEED to make your version - it looks so clean and nice!

 

[Alexander1]

@nick barta makes some nice feeder cups.

 

[melble68]

@melble68 incredible!! puts mine to shame (it's an old milk container!) What is the material you used for the housing? I NEED to make your version - it looks so clean and nice!

It's the white plastic / PVC outdoor deck post that you'll find at Home Depot or Lowes. It comes in a 6' section I believe. The top and bottom caps are the post caps. I drill one hole in the bottom for potential drainage, and use hot glue to attach everything together. I use the black PVC gutter guard that is cut down to size for everything to climb up and down on. There is also a cut down piece of gutter gaurd hot glued to the bottom cap. I either use big rare earth magnets or zip ties to hang them from the sides of my enclosures. I'm having problems finding the big nickel sized rare earth magnets again though.