Dubias digging their way to China

spottea

Member
Haven't had my chameleon very long, so I'm still learning the ropes! Food keeps getting lost, and more often than not, ends up under the stones in the flower pot. I had to dig out some dubias with my fingers after they made a valiant attempt at escaping. The crickets seem to go wherever they like, and the worms in the pot are mostly ignored. The only beasts that I can truly say get eaten, are the flies!
She does wander around the cage looking for food, and I've even seen her get a dubia out of the tree branch hole, so I know she can do it. I've covered the stones in the pot with a nylon mesh, so if any other critters fall, they fall on top. I wish I had known this two weeks ago! Today, I was mean, and didn't put out any new food as I left for work, in the hope that she will find all the lost souls and eat them!
 
try a feeding cup? It offers me some peace of mind knowing that he actually eats his food, as opposed to having it just hide in various spots around the viv :p
 
Haven't had my chameleon very long, so I'm still learning the ropes! Food keeps getting lost, and more often than not, ends up under the stones in the flower pot. I had to dig out some dubias with my fingers after they made a valiant attempt at escaping. The crickets seem to go wherever they like, and the worms in the pot are mostly ignored. The only beasts that I can truly say get eaten, are the flies!
She does wander around the cage looking for food, and I've even seen her get a dubia out of the tree branch hole, so I know she can do it. I've covered the stones in the pot with a nylon mesh, so if any other critters fall, they fall on top. I wish I had known this two weeks ago! Today, I was mean, and didn't put out any new food as I left for work, in the hope that she will find all the lost souls and eat them!

try a feeding cup? It offers me some peace of mind knowing that he actually eats his food, as opposed to having it just hide in various spots around the viv :p

Exactly - Feeder cup! Here's a great idea that worked perfect for my Cham's:

1. Buy a ceramic bowl with slick edges that dubia's cant climb.

2. Buy a tube of clear appoxy from Home Depot.

3. Cut a 6" long stick.

4. Glue the stick with the appoxy, pointing straight up from the center of the ceramic bowl.

The end result = Whatever you put in the bowl will climb up and down the stick, making themselves perfectly presentable as food items. Superworms, mealworms, and dubia roaches don't escape. Crickets will escape. I don't know about other types of worms. All I feed is Superworms and Dubia's because of the same problem that you have now. Plus crickets just freaking suck. The get overywhere, and eventually the chirp and drive you crazy. I'm a firm believer in a Dubia/Superworm staple diet.
 
I've had this exact same issue with the dubia under the rocks. I'm going to try the cup with the dowel myself this weekend.

To get the ones in the cage already, I made a trap. Place a smooth sided plastic cup with a cut piece of fresh fruit in the bottom of the cage and with the lip of your planter pot hanging over it. Come back in the morning, and I bet you'll have caught a couple dubia who drop from the pot into the trap. Works really well for me.
 
How/where do you put the dish??

I have been using the Sunny D method for supers and free feeding crickets. Just got some Dubias, was thinking they would not free feed well. I like the dish with stick method. How is it kept elevated in the screen enclosure? I have one of the nylon Apogee enclosure for my Veiled. I have always tried to keeo the food up high. I use magnets to attach some little containers (the disposable salad dressing cups) for greens and fruit. I'm pretty sure I could not support a ceramic or glass dish like this.

Can the dish be placed on the bottom of the enclosure?
 
If I am going to allow free access to food, I have put the worm cup on the floor of the cage. I put my crickets into a small "critter keeper" into a depression I made for it on the floor of the cage, there is fake greenery surrounding it with a vine nearby, Omar will climb down the vine, perch in the greenery and reach down into the little tank and get his crickets, then he climbs back up and hangs out in his tree or under the heat.
 
Would love to see a pic of the cup/stick method.

I currently let all my feeders freerange.. Koop's pretty much tired of crickets, so I only use those as emergency feeders if I run out. i've been using dubias as a staple, with meal worms as treats. Occasionally i'll order horns and silk worms as well.
 
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