Feeding Crickets

[Tumdace]

How do you put your crickets in your cage after dusting them? If I put them on the floor will they make their way up the cage (screen)?

I used to let them all go on a leaf on my ficus, but then it gets all covered in calcium, and I dont know how to strain the calcium properly (its sticky).

I just want to minimize getting calcium everywhere if I can.

Just not sure on the crickets habbits, are they likely to climb to the top where my cham can see them? Or should I be letting them out of the container higher up in the cage?

 

[Xenti]

i put them in a plastic "cup" and when my vailed thinks its dinner time she goes there and eat what she need

 

[Tumdace]

i put them in a plastic "cup" and when my vailed thinks its dinner time she goes there and eat what she need

Just a small dish? Maybe I should do that... I just like the idea of letting my guy hunt for them, but im hoping hes actually eating them all. I put 20 or 25 of 1/8 inch ones in there and by the end of the day I dont see them anywhere in the cage, so I can only assume he ate them.

 

[Xenti]

Yeah like a small dish, but with high edges so the crickets can't crawl up.

 

[Tumdace]

Got a picture of yours? If its too high can your chameleon even see there are crickets inside?

 

[ridgebax1]

Some people use deli-cups or the plastic feeders for bird cages. There is also a feeder that is made from a Sunny D drink container. If you did a search there should be several threads with pictures of the feeders. Most of the time the crickets will crawl up the screen toward the heat lamps.
Here is what I do. I put them in a tall plastic cup to dust them with calcium then I tip that container sideways over another tall container and tap the crickets out into the second container and most of the calcium stays in the original container. I know it sounds very confusing

 

[kplatvoet]

They actually make cricket dusting cups- overpriced but I have one- it has a bottom that screws off and you put the calcium in there and the crickets in the top - it has a hole in the top to get the crickets into the feeding cup - or the cage without excess - the dust shakes out through the bottom.

 

[Big Gulp]

I use a deli cup like this, and have it attached high via magnets.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...cking-material/-/12oz-clear-45-dia-deli-cups/

Just make sure you have a branch/vine above it so the cham can get to them easily enough. I also throw 5 in to roam around the cage. My guy seems to LOVE hunting.

 

[Big Gulp]

As far as dusting, I just put my calciums and vitamins in sandwish bags and just toss the crickets in and shake it up just a tad.

 

[ridgebax1]

The problem with clear cups is the cham can see the bugs through the side of the cup and will shoot at them from the side. When they do this they can get their tongue stuck to the cup and bite down on their tongue causing damage that can be severe enough to require amputation. Omar actually tried shooting a cricket from the side of a clear container that he had previously only shot from above and into. I got blue painter's tape and covered the outside of the cup so now he only goes from above.

 

[Xenti]

I have covered my Feeding cup with duct tape. So she only cant see the crickets where she Can eat Them.