Food :( ?

[ChameleonRave]

Alrighty well I have been looking through the forums about food for chameleons and I have very limited access to varieties of foods. I can only get mealworms, superworms, waxworms, and crickets... :/ I was wondering where I should go to find mantises, roaches, butterworms, hornworms, silkworms, etc. It is going to be tricky to get food in the winter since I live in north east part of SD! And I am not able to order large amounts from breeders for food... Anyone on this forums that sells those following foods for cheap? I have already looked on the food ads and couldn't find a variety of these foods. And I would like to make colonies of those following insects for my chams... Please and Thank You
-ChameleonRave.

 

[Carlton]

I can only get mealworms, superworms, waxworms, and crickets... :/ I was wondering where I should go to find mantises, roaches, butterworms, hornworms, silkworms, etc.

I wouldn't bother with mealworms...too much chitin and not much nutrition. Superworms and crix are OK if they are gutloaded well. Good gutloading of a few types of feeders is better than nothing. Roaches can be cultivated pretty easily rather than purchased. Blaptica dubia (aka "dubia roaches") are easy to work with and make a good staple feeder. Lots of sources for starter colonies on various herp supply websites. They don't climb well at all, don't fly, are slower moving, and once a colony gets going you can even trade off your excess to other herp owners. I've also hatched out houseflies from Grubco. I live in AK and like you don't have much access to many feeders like mantises, butterworms, or silkworms. Hornworms can be mail ordered in smaller numbers. The small hatchlings or eggs can ship OK in all but deep winter. Then raise them up on commercial chow. I've done that here once in a while during spring summer fall for variety.

 

[ChameleonRave]

I wouldn't bother with mealworms...too much chitin and not much nutrition. Superworms and crix are OK if they are gutloaded well. Good gutloading of a few types of feeders is better than nothing. Roaches can be cultivated pretty easily rather than purchased. Blaptica dubia (aka "dubia roaches") are easy to work with and make a good staple feeder. Lots of sources for starter colonies on various herp supply websites. They don't climb well at all, don't fly, are slower moving, and once a colony gets going you can even trade off your excess to other herp owners. I've also hatched out houseflies from Grubco. I live in AK and like you don't have much access to many feeders like mantises, butterworms, or silkworms. Hornworms can be mail ordered in smaller numbers. The small hatchlings or eggs can ship OK in all but deep winter. Then raise them up on commercial chow. I've done that here once in a while during spring summer fall for variety.

Really cool! I an looking for members that will possibly sell me a starter portion of all those bugs supers too for cheap! I'm on a really big budget! Thanks!

 

[sandrachameleon]

Maybe one of these suppliers:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/171-where-buy-feeders-online.html

 

[ChameleonRave]

Maybe one of these suppliers:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/171-where-buy-feeders-online.html

Thank you!

 

[chamili]

this is where i get my stuff , and i actually got my roaches from them today

http://www.mulberryfarms.com/

 

[Jonah S]

I would have a really hard time keeping/breeding roaches. I live in Florida and I can't stand the roaches that get into garages, they seriously make me want to gag. The thought of raising up dubias just makes me cringe

 

[chamlover]

Lol. That's what i use to think too until i realized how much crickets can smell.. Yuccckkkk.. Roaches still concern me a little but i've actually sat there and watched them and they are quite amazing little creatures. AND they don't smell half as bad as the crickets..lol..I now have 2 colonies of dubias and plan on having as many as 7..Dubias aren't very fast so even i can catch them if they get loose..

Anthony..Mulberry Farms is an awesome place to get them. At the show in WP you can pick up hornworms, waxworms, phoenix, and silkies as well.. And ditto on the mealworms..

 

[ChameleonRave]

Lol. That's what i use to think too until i realized how much crickets can smell.. Yuccckkkk.. Roaches still concern me a little but i've actually sat there and watched them and they are quite amazing little creatures. AND they don't smell half as bad as the crickets..lol..I now have 2 colonies of dubias and plan on having as many as 7..Dubias aren't very fast so even i can catch them if they get loose..

Anthony..Mulberry Farms is an awesome place to get them. At the show in WP you can pick up hornworms, waxworms, phoenix, and silkies as well.. And ditto on the mealworms..

Atleast they don't smell! I hate bugs especially roaches! I used to sleep with a jar of bees when I was little and caught all sorts of bugs which I don't get I hate them now! Lol! But it's hard for me to order things oflone... I don't have a credit card and I hate paypal i don't trust it! Lol