Boycotting crickets!

[Lynn57]

So Antwon has decided that crickets don’t agree with his palate any longer and is refusing to eat them. He loves the BSFL and only wants to eat them as well as he will take waxworms, silk worms or superworms. (I only give him one of them a day for a treat)
I know that BSFL are an excellent food item and easy for me to obtain. Do you think I should cater to him and just leave the crickets out of his diet? He was raised on them and hadn’t had the variety he is now getting from me.

 

[ehdee6]

So, imagine you've only been fed one thing; all your life! Then, all of a sudden; a whole new world of food was thrown at you! ... Would you go back to the same thing right away?

It's ok to leave crickets out of the menu; especially when they have other options. Maybe try to throw some crickets back in after a few weeks; and see if it makes him interested again.

West Coast Canadian; So, so eh!?? Sorry...

 

[Lynn57]

So, imagine you've only been fed one thing; all your life! Then, all of a sudden; a whole new world of food was thrown at you! ... Would you go back to the same thing right away?

It's ok to leave crickets out of the menu; especially when they have other options. Maybe try to throw some crickets back in after a few weeks; and see if it makes him interested again.

West Coast Canadian; So, so eh!?? Sorry...

Plus BSFL are so much easier to keep!! And then when they turn into flies … he is going to love it !

 

[BleuSaphir]

You can omit it out for some time. I did that with my chameleon with Dubia roaches.

 

[MissSkittles]

Some of my different critters have different tastes, which I do take note of and offer substitutions. However, every now and again I will sneak in just one of their disliked feeders to see if their tastes or preferences have maybe changed. Sometimes they do change and will accept what they previously declined. I do offer them all a wide variety, so that they never really know what feeder is on the menu. Bsfl are fantastic as they last a long time, don’t need to be dusted with calcium and then yes, become fun flying treats. Silkworms are wonderful for nutrition and hydration and are perfect for hand feeding since they move so slowly. Dubia, discoid or whatever other roach is legal/available in your area is another very nutritious feeder, although some may need to acquire a taste for them. If you are in the US, you can also get grasshoppers which I’m yet to hear of a chameleon refusing. Only two sources that I know of for them. Kai Phan on Facebook and https://dragonhoppers.com/ Many insect vendors on line sell variety packs, which are perfect for those who have just one or two insectivores.

 

[Lynn57]

Some of my different critters have different tastes, which I do take note of and offer substitutions. However, every now and again I will sneak in just one of their disliked feeders to see if their tastes or preferences have maybe changed. Sometimes they do change and will accept what they previously declined. I do offer them all a wide variety, so that they never really know what feeder is on the menu. Bsfl are fantastic as they last a long time, don’t need to be dusted with calcium and then yes, become fun flying treats. Silkworms are wonderful for nutrition and hydration and are perfect for hand feeding since they move so slowly. Dubia, discoid or whatever other roach is legal/available in your area is another very nutritious feeder, although some may need to acquire a taste for them. If you are in the US, you can also get grasshoppers which I’m yet to hear of a chameleon refusing. Only two sources that I know of for them. Kai Phan on Facebook and https://dragonhoppers.com/ Many insect vendors on line sell variety packs, which are perfect for those who have just one or two insectivores.

The problem here is that I’m in Canada so I’m a tad more restricted as what I can get for feeders. Basically it’s crickets, BFSL, mealworms of the different sizes and butter or wax worms. The silkworms are $2.47 each and horn worms are $3.99 each !! So the silk and horn are going to be few and far between lol I am grateful he loves the BSFL as they are so nutritious, easy to get and fairly cheap. I’d just like to feed more of a variety. Like you say, he may go back to crickets in time…which I’ll make sure I don’t over do. I always have crickets on hand as I have frogs, tarantulas and chickens that love them.

 

[ehdee6]

If you're interested in starting a roach colony, Banana Bay discords, https://crawlmart.ca/ has a good deal on 25 mixed discords for $60 and 20$ flat shipping. So you can get 50 mix roaches for $140. If you have others to sell the roaches to you could make a good side hustle too!

 

[Lynn57]

If you're interested in starting a roach colony, Banana Bay discords, https://crawlmart.ca/ has a good deal on 25 mixed discords for $60 and 20$ flat shipping. So you can get 50 mix roaches for $140. If you have others to sell the roaches to you could make a good side hustle too!

Thanks! I’ll look into that. I wouldn’t be interested in getting into the selling… just being able to feed a few to my guy would make me happy. They sure live a longtime and are slow to mature! The adults would be too large for most chameleons??

 

[MissSkittles]

I second getting a discoid colony. It is an investment and will take a few months to get fully established, but is well worth it. The adults are much too large for feeding, but the nymphs don’t grow terribly fast so will be a good feeding size for some time.
I’ve found my colony produces best when kept bioactively - I mix some organic soil with coco coir, add some horticultural charcoal and a touch of sphagnum moss (to hold humidity)…add some isopods like dwarf white and springtails. I put in a small bit of cuttle bone for all the buggies health and keep one side a bit moist. (Isopods need humidity to breathe). Some leaf litter for the isopods and springtails to munch if they choose. Keep at around 90F (heat mat on the outside of the bin) and before you know it, there will be itty bitty icky bebes crawling around. The roaches do need to be able to climb, so I put in some cork bark for them, like little cave houses. So I don’t have to go digging all the time to find feeders, I every now and then sort thru and remove the nymphs and keep in a separate clean bin.
The prices of some of the feeders does seem a bit crazy until you breed your own and then understand why they are so expensive. I don’t often get hornworms because of cost and how crazy fast they outgrow feeding size. For silkworms, let a few dozen complete their life cycle and become moths to mate and provide eggs. The eggs need a diapause of about 3 months in the fridge (wine fridge is perfect) and then you can take out and hatch as many as you want at one time. I buy the powdered chow to make their food. They are a bit slow to get growing, but after a few weeks, they’re starting to get big enough and you’ll have feeders for at least a few weeks (depending on size you start feeding them). When your egg supply is getting low or old, repeat the process of producing eggs. They can be a challenge at times since they have basically no immune system and can easily die off, but keep at it and you’ll get the hang of it.
You can even breed your own superworms, but you will end up with way more than you could ever possibly need (hundreds if not more). I breed my own of just about everything I can and if I have excess, I donate to the local wildlife hospital.

 

[nightanole]

Ill be honest, i only grow lizards on crickets. Ant no one getting crickets as adults. Im not playing size roulette with $20-40 in crickets a month and hoping they live for 3-4 weeks when i already ordered them at good eaten size.

Babies yea. order pin heads and they grow with the lizard and you might get 2 months out of the box. Now play that gave with 4 weeks crickets that might have a 6-8 week lifetime. Oh and the die off smell at the end.

 

[Lynn57]

I second getting a discoid colony. It is an investment and will take a few months to get fully established, but is well worth it. The adults are much too large for feeding, but the nymphs don’t grow terribly fast so will be a good feeding size for some time.
I’ve found my colony produces best when kept bioactively - I mix some organic soil with coco coir, add some horticultural charcoal and a touch of sphagnum moss (to hold humidity)…add some isopods like dwarf white and springtails. I put in a small bit of cuttle bone for all the buggies health and keep one side a bit moist. (Isopods need humidity to breathe). Some leaf litter for the isopods and springtails to munch if they choose. Keep at around 90F (heat mat on the outside of the bin) and before you know it, there will be itty bitty icky bebes crawling around. The roaches do need to be able to climb, so I put in some cork bark for them, like little cave houses. So I don’t have to go digging all the time to find feeders, I every now and then sort thru and remove the nymphs and keep in a separate clean bin.
The prices of some of the feeders does seem a bit crazy until you breed your own and then understand why they are so expensive. I don’t often get hornworms because of cost and how crazy fast they outgrow feeding size. For silkworms, let a few dozen complete their life cycle and become moths to mate and provide eggs. The eggs need a diapause of about 3 months in the fridge (wine fridge is perfect) and then you can take out and hatch as many as you want at one time. I buy the powdered chow to make their food. They are a bit slow to get growing, but after a few weeks, they’re starting to get big enough and you’ll have feeders for at least a few weeks (depending on size you start feeding them). When your egg supply is getting low or old, repeat the process of producing eggs. They can be a challenge at times since they have basically no immune system and can easily die off, but keep at it and you’ll get the hang of it.
You can even breed your own superworms, but you will end up with way more than you could ever possibly need (hundreds if not more). I breed my own of just about everything I can and if I have excess, I donate to the local wildlife hospital.

I second getting a discoid colony. It is an investment and will take a few months to get fully established, but is well worth it. The adults are much too large for feeding, but the nymphs don’t grow terribly fast so will be a good feeding size for some time.
I’ve found my colony produces best when kept bioactively - I mix some organic soil with coco coir, add some horticultural charcoal and a touch of sphagnum moss (to hold humidity)…add some isopods like dwarf white and springtails. I put in a small bit of cuttle bone for all the buggies health and keep one side a bit moist. (Isopods need humidity to breathe). Some leaf litter for the isopods and springtails to munch if they choose. Keep at around 90F (heat mat on the outside of the bin) and before you know it, there will be itty bitty icky bebes crawling around. The roaches do need to be able to climb, so I put in some cork bark for them, like little cave houses. So I don’t have to go digging all the time to find feeders, I every now and then sort thru and remove the nymphs and keep in a separate clean bin.
The prices of some of the feeders does seem a bit crazy until you breed your own and then understand why they are so expensive. I don’t often get hornworms because of cost and how crazy fast they outgrow feeding size. For silkworms, let a few dozen complete their life cycle and become moths to mate and provide eggs. The eggs need a diapause of about 3 months in the fridge (wine fridge is perfect) and then you can take out and hatch as many as you want at one time. I buy the powdered chow to make their food. They are a bit slow to get growing, but after a few weeks, they’re starting to get big enough and you’ll have feeders for at least a few weeks (depending on size you start feeding them). When your egg supply is getting low or old, repeat the process of producing eggs. They can be a challenge at times since they have basically no immune system and can easily die off, but keep at it and you’ll get the hang of it.
You can even breed your own superworms, but you will end up with way more than you could ever possibly need (hundreds if not more). I breed my own of just about everything I can and if I have excess, I donate to the local wildlife hospital.

Thanks, great info!! How big a tub do I need to keep them in? (I'm running out of run here lol) Is there any point in starting with say 10? Then if I'm not successful I'm not out $$ I'm trying the silkworms (bought 10) but only 4 have made it to the cocoon stage (which is happening now) but yes it's such a long time in order to get any babies! I'm hoping out of these 4 there is at least one female! And yes, far too sensitive for my liking. I plan to put the eggs in the fridge...is that too cold for them? After this bout I don't think I'll have them anymore. I have been getting up in the night to re feed them as their food dries up quickly. I'm a tad tired of that! lol Superworms are cheap and plentiful here so I wouldn't bother with them. But the discoid's I think would be worth trying as they are so expensive and hard to get. How quick do they grow once they are out of the nymph stage? Can I feed young adults to him? Thanks so much for all the info!!! I really appreciate it!!

 

[MissSkittles]

Thanks, great info!! How big a tub do I need to keep them in? (I'm running out of run here lol) Is there any point in starting with say 10? Then if I'm not successful I'm not out $$ I'm trying the silkworms (bought 10) but only 4 have made it to the cocoon stage (which is happening now) but yes it's such a long time in order to get any babies! I'm hoping out of these 4 there is at least one female! And yes, far too sensitive for my liking. I plan to put the eggs in the fridge...is that too cold for them? After this bout I don't think I'll have them anymore. I have been getting up in the night to re feed them as their food dries up quickly. I'm a tad tired of that! lol Superworms are cheap and plentiful here so I wouldn't bother with them. But the discoid's I think would be worth trying as they are so expensive and hard to get. How quick do they grow once they are out of the nymph stage? Can I feed young adults to him? Thanks so much for all the info!!! I really appreciate it!!

Attaching pics of my adult colony’s set up. I just set it up a couple of days ago and haven’t yet put in the leaf litter (all out & need to get more). I had to keep them clean for some months as my colony almost collapsed (basically stupid Florida pests stressed my roaches to death). If I would stop grabbing some to feed off every now and then, the colony would get re-established much
faster. Btw, I do feed them more than a turnip leaf. They ate all the good stuff (squash & bug burger) and that is all that is left.
Even though they aren’t good climbers and don’t fly, I use the gasket bin - not really to keep them in, but to keep other things out. Outside of their bin, they have a moat of diatomaceous earth. Usually you want about 3-5 females per male for best breeding. I forget how to sex them…will have to get back to you on that.
.



With silkies, I find I always have more males than females emerge as moths. I’ve started trying to figure out their gender while they are still worms. I can tell you that the female cocoons are much larger and rounder than the ones of the males. After having problems with the little fridge I kept my eggs and bugs in, I now just use a drawer in my regular fridge for eggs and their chow mix packets.

 

[MissSkittles]

This should help in sexing your roaches. I used to have a great pic…clear and simple…but can’t find it.

 

[GreystoneExotics]

What good sources online have you peeps come across in order to start breeding your own Discoid Roaches and Silk Worms?

I am currently feeding Crickets and am looking into breeding my own Roaches and Worms.

 

[GreystoneExotics]

The problem here is that I’m in Canada so I’m a tad more restricted as what I can get for feeders. Basically it’s crickets, BFSL, mealworms of the different sizes and butter or wax worms. The silkworms are $2.47 each and horn worms are $3.99 each !! So the silk and horn are going to be few and far between lol I am grateful he loves the BSFL as they are so nutritious, easy to get and fairly cheap. I’d just like to feed more of a variety. Like you say, he may go back to crickets in time…which I’ll make sure I don’t over do. I always have crickets on hand as I have frogs, tarantulas and chickens that love them.

I am in Canada as well, Alberta.

Where do you get yous BSFL from? Do you happen to order online?

 

[MissSkittles]

What good sources online have you peeps come across in order to start breeding your own Discoid Roaches and Silk Worms?

I am currently feeding Crickets and am looking into breeding my own Roaches and Worms.

Do you mean where to buy from or how to actually breed them?

 

[GreystoneExotics]

Do you mean where to buy from or how to actually breed them?

Good sources on how to actually breed the roaches and the silk worms.

I have a Reptile Expo coming up at the end of the week, and, will have a chance to purchase some feeders and hopefully will start my own roaches and silk worms. I want to move away from the crickets.

 

[kinyonga]

Most roaches are illegal in Canada.

Where do you live (province?) in Canada? Do you know if Grant Crossman is involved with the Reptile Expo you say is coming up?

You might be interested in reading this thread…
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/legal-roaches-in-canada.168441/

 

[GreystoneExotics]

Most roaches are illegal in Canada.

Where do you live (province?) in Canada? Do you know if Grant Crossman is involved with the Reptile Expo you say is coming up?

You might be interested in reading this thread…
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/legal-roaches-in-canada.168441/

"Discoid Roaches" are good to go in Canada.

Currently live in Alberta.

Not sure if Grant is involved in this one.
It is being held in Edmonton AB, on September 27thand 28th, 2025.

 

[Lynn57]

"Discoid Roaches" are good to go in Canada.

Currently live in Alberta.

Not sure if Grant is involved in this one.
It is being held in Edmonton AB, on September 27thand 28th, 2025.

I have just recently ordered Dubai from down east. They should be arriving tomorrow! I’m so excited to see if Antwon will like them.