Question about gut-loading

[haizi_zh]

Hi all, I've just started raising a female baby veiled chameleon recently.

I've got a question about gut loading. Almost every posts/blogs I found in Internet describes gut-loading as: feed the insects 12~24 hours with highly nutritious food to boost their nutrition value, before handing them to the chameleon. But, I'm keeping 100+ crickets, and I still have to feed all of them anyway, right? Why not providing good food such as carrots, leaves, fruits etc to all the crickets, rather than picking just 10 of them and treat them the night before? What's the difference between these two methods?

Thanks!

 

[kinyonga]

You asked..."Why not providing good food such as carrots, leaves, fruits etc to all the crickets, rather than picking just 10 of them and treat them the night before? What's the difference between these two methods?"...I have always fed the crickets the same greens, veggies, etc that I use to gutload them with. However, some people add other things to the gutload that would not be fed to the insects...so for them, gutloading is different than feeding/caring for the insects. They are likely trying to get nutrients into the insects that they feel the chameleon's won't get otherwise but need.

 

[haizi_zh]

You asked..."Why not providing good food such as carrots, leaves, fruits etc to all the crickets, rather than picking just 10 of them and treat them the night before? What's the difference between these two methods?"...I have always fed the crickets the same greens, veggies, etc that I use to gutload them with. However, some people add other things to the gutload that would not be fed to the insects...so for them, gutloading is different than feeding/caring for the insects. They are likely trying to get nutrients into the insects that they feel the chameleon's won't get otherwise but need.

I see. Well explained, and thanks!

 

[Kaizen]

Hi all, I've just started raising a female baby veiled chameleon recently.

I've got a question about gut loading. Almost every posts/blogs I found in Internet describes gut-loading as: feed the insects 12~24 hours with highly nutritious food to boost their nutrition value, before handing them to the chameleon. But, I'm keeping 100+ crickets, and I still have to feed all of them anyway, right? Why not providing good food such as carrots, leaves, fruits etc to all the crickets, rather than picking just 10 of them and treat them the night before? What's the difference between these two methods?

Thanks!

You raise an interesting conceptual point about how people understand “gutloading”. Some folks do as you say and just feed good all the time, and that’s what they mean by “gutloading”. Others take the more literal view that it’s all about what is actually in the “guts” when you feed the bugs off. I can’t tell you how much digital blood has been spilled between combatants arguing past one another, because they’re (unknowing) arguing about different concepts.

Anyways, I like to consistently feed all my bugs good food.

 

[Gryllidae Per Kcal]

I am one of those people that view gut loading differently. To me gut loading is where I feed crickets that I have separated from the colony a diet made to alter the calcium to phosphorus ratio to 1:1, allowing the calcium supplement to further increase it to 2:1. No fresh produce is given to avoid the crickets preferring them over the gut loading diet thus interfering with increasing the calcium to phosphorus ratio, I use wet paper towel instead. The diet is fed for 48 hours as this is shown in many gut loading studies to be the time where peak levels of nutrients are reached, then they fall a day later. I use Mazuri Better Bug for crickets and superworms and Repashy Superload for mealworms. Before all of this I use a maintenance diet where the health of the cricket takes priority, and studies show that they love 0.8 - 1% phosphorus and 20% protein.

 

[Snuits]

I feed all my bugs the same thing. I do bug burger, greens, veggies, fruit & I'll be adding arcadia fuel soon.

 

[Gryllidae Per Kcal]

Links: https://nagonline.net/wp-content/up...luation-for-crickets-mealworms-superworms.pdf

https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience/article/11/1/63/2492717?login=true

https://academic.oup.com/aesa/article-abstract/60/6/1238/95265

 

[haizi_zh]

I am one of those people that view gut loading differently. To me gut loading is where I feed crickets that I have separated from the colony a diet made to alter the calcium to phosphorus ratio to 1:1, allowing the calcium supplement to further increase it to 2:1. No fresh produce is given to avoid the crickets preferring them over the gut loading diet thus interfering with increasing the calcium to phosphorus ratio, I use wet paper towel instead. The diet is fed for 48 hours as this is shown in many gut loading studies to be the time where peak levels of nutrients are reached, then they fall a day later. I use Mazuri Better Bug for crickets and superworms and Repashy Superload for mealworms. Before all of this I use a maintenance diet where the health of the cricket takes priority, and studies show that they love 0.8 - 1% phosphorus and 20% protein.

Now I can see the point of each method. Thank you!.

 

[haizi_zh]

Links: https://nagonline.net/wp-content/up...luation-for-crickets-mealworms-superworms.pdf

https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience/article/11/1/63/2492717?login=true

https://academic.oup.com/aesa/article-abstract/60/6/1238/95265

Thanks for the reference. I love reading scientific literature and relying on those evidence-based statements!

 

[Lindasjackson]

I feed all my bugs greens, squash sweet potato carrot bell peppers apple etc all the time.