Getting around my girlfriends fear of insects?

Kaddo

New Member
Hey there, I am wanting to get a chameleon soon, however the person I am having to convince is my girlfriend, she hates crickets and cockroaches and the like.

So I was wondering if there are any other substitutes as main food sources or are crickets compulsory in their diet?

Thanks!
 
You're going to have to feed the chameleon crickets, roaches, grasshoppers, etc. However, your girlfriend will get used to it (I am not saying this to be a jerk or anything, psychologically, she will get over her fear because of the exposure). Over time, she will become more comfortable with them being in the same house; just don't let her see them.

-Chase
 
She will get over it

At first my girlfriend would not touch the crickets, they she would with a rubber glove on. Now if a cricket gets out and goes crawling across the floor she leaps off the couch and swoops it up no problem. The roaches she still will not touch she pours them into a smaller cup and holds it out for the chams, same with the king worms. She will hold the silk and horn worms. Now if we could just work on her smashing spiders on her own.
 
I'm looking into getting my first and I'm not a huge fan of bug either but look up Lee's Kricket Keeper. My friend had a bearded dragon and had me watch him. That's how I fed them and became wayyyyyy more comfortable. Hope it helps!
 
Unfortunately crickets are one of the best feeders for chams. She will get over her fear. My biggest fear is lizards. I have no clue why. So when my boyfriend brought up getting a chameleon, I'm sure you can imagine how that went. Well he won that battle and not only do we have a panther chameleon, his cage is in our room! Just give her time to warm up to the idea. Let her research the chameleons and decide on which type together. I still can't touch the feeders, that's my boyfriends job, but I am working on it. :)
 
Invest in a dustbuster that is specifically used for crickets. That way, when she needs to feed, she can just suck up the amount she needs to, and then dump them into a cup or a cricket keeper, dust them, and then feed that way. Then, she doesn't have to touch a single cricket but is still involved with the chameleon. As for roaches, I can't touch them either - I shake them into a cricket keeper, dust, and feed that way.
 
Just buy a pair of feede tongs, that are pretty long, then you both won't have to touch an insect. I don't mind insects at all honesty but I still use feeder tongs to pick up the bugs and transfer them into the cage. It's easy and you can control feedings that way. I even do it with leopard geckos as well.
 
My wife is terrified of crickets :confused: she says that one day they will take over the world!:eek: So I have to keep them in the basement. When a stray makes it out she acts like its a rabid pit bull!
 
Back
Top Bottom