Preventing Cricket Parasites

[cushcameleon]

Yesterday I bought 4 dozen crickets and today when I went to feed my chameleons I noticed that 10+ were stiff as nails. I also found several crickets that were walking with what seemed to be paralyzed legs. I know very little about parasites. Is it easy to tell wether or not your cricket colony is infested? I have kept the same amount of crickets in my homemade bin before (with success) and I also sterilize it frequently. At the moment I purchase my crickets from a local pet store. I plan on making bulk cricket purchases online once I get my panthers and veiled in the fall.

 

[daveschams]

i lost both my chams to bad crickets and another lizard i had all got sick and died my vet did all he could but it was to late they started acting sick so i took them in to see him that day.he said the tests came back as a bactriathat had to come from the feeders there intestants shut down then other organs.i will be doing the same and ordering online when i get my new breeders.

 

[Vegas Chad]

Best to get them from a bulk place. What pet shop do you get yours from?

 

[cushcameleon]

Best to get them from a bulk place. What pet shop do you get yours from?

I got them from petland.

 

[warpdrive]

this can happen at any time from any place.
it's the number one reason I never feed off crickets on the day I get them.

I at least gutload them for a day or two first, all while watching them to make sure they are ok.
then, if I feel like they are fine and have little to no "die offs", I use them for feeders.

Harry

 

[xanthoman]

if crickets are left in a plastic bag for too long with out enough air they become immobilized then die shortly there after they may be revived when caught in time but this leaves the crickets unable to jump , who knows what happens inside a cricket during an event like this better just to always use fresh feeders , a better long term choice , would be to breed your own dubia roaches, less exoskeletal, there slow, dont jump, fly, chirp, or smell, and they cannot climb glass or plastic, and make a much healthier staple, they are easier to keep and breed than crickets and when you breed your own you have control over their food and conditions , gives you the option to gut load with healthy stuff like cham friendly veggies and bee pollen well in advance, healthier feeders make healthier chams , you can get a self perpetuating dubia roach colony with furniture, water crystals and starter food for approx $ 50 delivered . ITS A NO BRAINER

 

[jojackson]

What exactly is bee pollen? from what plant/s ? Why call it bee pollen apart from the fact bee's pollinate lol
(brings to mind imagery from 'The Bee Movie' )

What other, 'non-standard' gutloads do folk use? aka, fishmeal/foods, spirulina etc?

 

[cushcameleon]

What site is most popular for bee pollen?

 

[AJA]

deleting this post.

 

[dodolah]

What exactly is bee pollen? from what plant/s ? Why call it bee pollen apart from the fact bee's pollinate lol
(brings to mind imagery from 'The Bee Movie' )

What other, 'non-standard' gutloads do folk use? aka, fishmeal/foods, spirulina etc?

"Bee pollen" is pollen from any flower. it is collected from bees as they enter the hive.

 

[jojackson]

Yes I know its pollen Dod, I wanted to know why associate it with bees when if you were making an industry of collecting it, you could just harvest from flowers?
Thanks for answering, though it begs the question of how they harvest it from the bees?
What i meant was, why not just call it pollen!

I at least gutload them for a day or two first, all while watching them to make sure they are ok.
then, if I feel like they are fine and have little to no "die offs", I use them for feeders.

Harry

Very sound advice Harry

What other, 'non-standard' gutloads do folk use? aka, fishmeal/foods, spirulina etc?

Any other answers folks? I was looking at Algae pellets today at a petshop, they're made for pleco fish and others of the like.
I was thinking they might make good gutload, any thoughts?

 

[Daughty]

I almost always get 100-200 crickets at a time from petco. i never have any die untill bout 3-4 days after i have bought them.

 

[kinyonga]

There is a "gadget" that is placed on the bee hive that causes the pollen to fall off so it can be collected....
http://www.pacificcrestapiaries.com/id44.html

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Feeding crickets a high calcium gut load will cause leg paralysis in the insects.
Better to dust with calcium when feeding them off and keep it out of the gut load.

-Brad

 

[Zen Reptiles]

I have lost a few tree frogs when I had to switch from roaches to crickets.

3 of them died within two weeks of the switch, and were otherwise healthy
young adults.

I hate crickets. If I ever need feeders when I can't harvest my roaches,
it's going to be worms only.

 

[jojackson]

There is a "gadget" that is placed on the bee hive that causes the pollen to fall off so it can be collected....
http://www.pacificcrestapiaries.com/id44.html

Ah I see, very clever! Thanks for that Kinyonga

Any thoughts on the algae pellets? Anyone?

 

[kianna2118]

Is crickets a bad feeder for chameleon? I'm planning to buy more tomorrow, please let me know thanks. I never buy my crickets at petco they always die the same day. i usually have a count of 20 + and the drive from my house is 6 min by th time i get home to gutload them they are already dead, and petco never does anything for me. I go to a local pet shop.

 

[warpdrive]

Any thoughts on the algae pellets? Anyone?

absolutly nothing wrong with adding the algae disks or pellets if you ask me.
personaly, I use "sheets" of algae that are sold for grazing fish once in a while.



kianna2118 - Is crickets a bad feeder for chameleon?

crickets are one of the best feeders you can use.
sadly, they require alot of work to keep them clean and well fed.
the big problem with crickets is that most petstores don't give any care towards feeding or keeping them.
so it's best to order online and then wait a day or two before feeding them out.

as long as you clean the criket keeper at least once a week, and are well fed, you should have little die offs, and thus healthy crickets.

Harry

 

[sandrachameleon]

Crickets arent all that bad. You just have to feed them right, and buy from a reputable place (or breed them yourself). Just like anything else, quality varies from place to place.

Jo I use various types of algae in my insect food, and for that matter in MY diet too. Good source of nutrition.
As is bee pollen.

 

[Armymom67]

just lost both of our Chameleons within a week of each other, I am thinking it was the crickets we gave them, now we are keeping an eye on our Skinks