Gut loading question + Wild bugs

[Sharka]

so i was wondering if the way I am gut loading my crickets is the proper way. I am using fruits and vegetables and not gut load like cricket crack. the crickets are definitely eating it. is it ok to use fruits and veggies? or should i go with something else? if so, what kinds of fruit and veggies are good?

Also, there are quite a few wild insects here in Hawaii. Is it ok to feed them to my cham? I want my cham to have a variety of bugs like it would in the wild.

 

[ghettomike]

you are gutloading correctly, fruits/veggies/greens are the way to go. what I like to do is make 'gutload salads' basically what I do is blend up mixtures of different things and put it in ice cube trays and freeze it and just use it as I need it. somegood things to use for gutload include carrot, oranges, bee pollen, dandelion greens, mustard greens, collard, kale, mango, berries, etc stay away from broccolli and spinach as it can prevent your cham from absorbing calcium properly.

 

[Sharka]

thats about what i am doing. i didnt think to freeze them in ice cube trays. they last longer that way?

 

[ghettomike]

as for feeding wild caught bugs some people will and some won't. The biggest fear for people not is the fear of pesticides and parasites. I personally like to give my cham more variety and will feed wild caught insect like grasshoppers/dragonflies and moths caught from pesticide free areas. My cham has never had a problem with parasites. just make sure you know what kind of insect you are feeding so you know if it is toxic or not and make sure it is coming from a pesticide free area. typically bright insects, including monarch butterflies, are toxic so its important to do some research.

 

[Ricardo]

for the wc bugs: be careful about bright colored ones! red, yellow and black combinations means the are poisonous!!!!! i suggest try to collect green and brown ones mostly, some butterflyes.

 

[ghettomike]

thats about what i am doing. i didnt think to freeze them in ice cube trays. they last longer that way?

ya it keeps way longer that way. I find that the more fruit that is in it the faster it spoils and freezing helps. also by feezing it I can make more so I don't have to buy all the ingredients as often.

 

[Sharka]

i have fed it a katydid so far and a couple of roaches.

 

[Sharka]

good idea!

 

[ghettomike]

for more gutload ideas and nutritional values of different gutload ingredients check out some of sandrachameleons blogs on here.

 

[kongchi]

Try cricket crack atleast once, just seeing them swarm alone is worth the money. The swarm is kind of like the new Zerg animation in SC2, and it last a really long time. For me it lasted about 1 month with 2k crickets.

Anyhow, cricket crack is for lazy people like me =P

 

[Texas Panther Man]

You really need a dry gutload also. Your wet gut should be the fruits and veggies. You still need a dry gutload. With things like bee pollen, nuts, etc...