How to feed when everything is wet...

[Sandylynn]

Hello,

Just received my little guy yesterday and very excited. He's 4 months old. How do I feed when cage and plants are always wet? If I put the feeders on leaves the feeders get wet and if I use a cup water drips in the cup from the wet leaves. I'm a bit confused. Is he old enough for 1/2 " crickets? Old enough for little silkworms? I tried the cup yesterday but he wouldn't eat out of it. I don't know if he knew there was food in it. The crickets that I have now are so tiny if I let them loose in the cage he'll never find them. I bought 1/4" crickets, but they look smaller than that. I have him in a small cage and that milk jug type holder for crickets would be to big in his cage so I put a little cup in there, but I don't think he knows what to do with it. And then water dripped in it a killed off one of my crickets. Help! Thanks.

Sandy

 

[zinc99]

I had the same thing, go get a simple plastic cup and cut the bottem out. Then use a small piece of aluminium screen and some elmers glue. You now have a nice feeder cup that the crickets cant chew though and water passes. I attached it to the side of the cage with two paperclips that I taped in a ring and twist tied it. This has worked great for 6 months now and I can mist all I want without killing any feeders.

 

[flyingpanther]

Hello Sandylynn,

You said, "How do I feed when cage and plants are always wet?"

Wait until things dry out, then feed. You should allow the enclosure to dry between mistings to prevent bacteria growth.

You said, "Is he old enough for 1/2 " crickets?"

Shouldn't be a problem. I think an agreed upon rule is if the insect is smaller than the width between their eyes they will do OK swallowing it.

Be patient with the feeding especially since he is adjusting to all these big changes...new environment, enclosure, etc. If you think free range feeding is not a good idea, make sure your feeder cup is below a basking spot or in an area of the enclosure where the cham will see the food inside. As much as you may want to sit 1 foot away staring at your new treasure, try backing up several feet and give the little guy some space while he gets comfortable in his new digs. If your crickets are still drowning in the feeder cup, put a folded paper towel in the bottom to absorb the moisture.

 

[ChameleonsTree]

Most 4 month olds are big enough for 1/2 crickets but standard is...width of head of chameleon should match the length of the cricket.

 

[Sandylynn]

Thanks everyone for responding.

Sandylynn