Attracting natural insects

[SonRunner]

My locale affords climate such that I can keep the chameleon outdoors. I’m looking to get my first chameleon, and am considering building my own cage. My plan was to mainly provide properly dusted and gut-loaded crickets. But I was also I was also considering building a cage where I could remove/replace cricket-proof screen panels, where natural flies and fruit flies could enter the cage.

Anyone try putting fruit in your chameleon’s cage to naturally attract fruit flies (or other flies) for your chameleon to eat. I was thinking that this could provide an additional source of insect variety.

I was even considering making a fly bait box that would be like a screen box that would contain a tray inside. I had an uncle who used to dry his own fish and had these screen boxes to keep the flies off his fish while the fish sun dried. There were always flies on the outside of the screen box. I was thinking of rigging a mini-version of this to put in the chameleon’s cage to attract flies. I know, sounds quite weird.

Any thoughts, comments, or advice would be appreciated.

 

[Syn]

Would you be able to tell the difference between a toxic and non-toxic insect?

Would the chameleon?

You may also want to consider, if a fly eats garbage out and about, and that is it's gutload..... well, would you want your chameleon eating that?

 

[dagy24]

Some people here use wildcaught bugs if they live in areas where they feel it is safe. I won't be trying it any time soon because the area around my house is sprayed with pesticides yearly.

I wouldn't recomment letting the bugs come to the cham cage though. It's better to catch them yourself so toxic insects don't get in. Some people also keep and feed their wildcaught feeders for a week or so to ensure any crap they ate before hand (garbage, something rotting, something toxic) are fully out of their systems before feeding them. At the same time, that also takes away the potential benefit of a "natural" gutload.

Whatever your choice regarding WC feeders, it wouldn't be a good idea to allow buggys to go in and out of the cham cage.

 

[laurie]

Yes it is me, out on a limb again. If you are in an area where you can safely assume the insects are not sprayed then I would go for it. I am sure there are buys that are not as good for our chams as other bugs, but I think the chams would chose which to eat. I think the variety you offered would be fantastic for your chameleon. I would love to be able to do that for my chameleons. Let me know if you do it and how it goes.