I'm new at this, have question about crickets...

[Anzel]

Hi everyone! I got a flap-neck chameleon a couple of weeks ago, and I've been feeding it crickets (which I feed carrots and all sorts of veggies). One question though.... is there any easier way to catch them to feed to Gizmo? I'm fine with any other (well, almost) bug but crickets freak me out a bit. So is there an easier way to catch them for feeding time than chasing them around in their container with a tweaser (and have them jump on my hand)? Currently I end up screaming my head off when they get on my hand, so I really need an alternative (eeuw-free) way. I had a chameleon years ago when I was in high school and I just can't remember being as grossed out by the bugs....

Also, if you have any great tips regarding feeding time I would love to hear them!

Thank you in advance,
Anzel

 

[sandrachameleon]

You've set yourself a difficult pet if bugs gross you out LOL

I just reach into my cricket bucket and pick up crickets with my fingers.

If touching bugs is an issue, You could put a small tube into the cricket container, wait for a couple crickets to crawl into it, then pick up the tube and quickly dump the crickets into whatever you put them into in the cage (I assume you're not free-ranging the crickets, given you would have trouble removing uneaten ones). You could also wear gloves.

If you're not already, you will want to add variety to your chameleon's diet. Which may be a good thing for you - offer some less creepy bugs along with the crickets, like silkworms, butterworms, indian walking sticks, terrestrial isopods, etc

 

[dom1959]

use a tube from paper towel or bathroom tissue.
let them crawl in or on and dump into your container.

 

[Anzel]

thanks for your quick reply

I do love reptiles and chameleons especially. I guess I would just have to get over it and just do it!

Thanks for the great advice, though. I saw some big feeding tongs at the pet shop... maybe I should try those...

Thanks again!!

 

[absolutbill]

Get yourself a dedicated dust buster and use that to suck up the crickets. Then, open it up and dump them into your container that you are using to dust before feeding. I keep my crickets in a 10 gal tank, suck them up, and put them into a cricket keeper, pour in the dust, shake and bake, and then empty them into my cage.

Another option - do you have egg crates in with your crickets? I find that I can just put my cricket keeper under the egg crate and shake some loose into it. It works much better with the tiny crickets, as opposed to the large crickets, and as long as you hold it under the egg crate you shouldn't get too much pooh in the keeper, which you don't want.

 

[Ferrah88]

I use a device similar to this at home for my crickets: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31yzc0nLy7L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

On the sides there are two tubes that the crickets love to run up and hide in. To feed, you just take one of the tubes, tap it a bit so some "loose" crickets fall out, and then take the tube out, hold it over a cup, and tap lightly against the side of the cup. Some crickets should fall out, and you simply keep tapping until the right amount falls out. Then you just throw a bit of calcium powder on them and voilà! Right into your chams feeding cup (Or however you feed him)

I never fill the box up to the top with crickets either, I have a larger breeding box for most of them, and pretty much "refill" the cricket box as needed. That was the crickets in the cricket box can get a wider variety of specially selected foods days before getting fed to my chams, while the others can pretty much just get fed with whatever I have left over. (I do, of course, feed all my crickets well But the ones in the box are "specially" gutloaded)

Hopefully this should help some