stick insects and snails

[lysinlight87]

Went & got some tiny stick insects and snails to grow on & feed to Neelix. I was told to feed the stick insects on bramble, is ok for a gutload?

I've just discovered the snails are baby giant african land snails & now I'm tempted to keep them as pets lol Suppose I could breed them & feed the babies off to my various critters.

 

[pssh]

Bramble is fine for a gutload. Indian stick insects will also take other things like leafy greens and grated carrots so you can gutload them with other stuff too. However, if you are planning to raise them to breed them, bramble is best.

 

[DavidBuchan]

Bramble is fine for them, they will eat a little Dandelion as well, they seem to really like Pak Choi (though this isn't good to use very often).
I guess you already know that privet is no good, as that's what most people use to feed the stick insects

 

[lysinlight87]

cheers. I'm hoping to have to some success with these. Neelix will only eat silkworms now. I putting him on a 3-4 day fast in hope that this will spark his appetite enough for him to eat what he's given lol

Boo, my carpet, got his first taste of bean weavils today- they were a hit

 

[DavidBuchan]

Fussy male Veileds, tell me about it. I wish my Rinty would eat silkworms It seems they are now on his banned list like dubia and stick insects
It took a 3 week fast to get him eating crickets when all he wanted was waxworms and locusts
Glad someones experimenting with new food though, my Jasmine got a spider that was hanging around her viv today, as it's one of her non food days and she saw it through the mesh. I just let her have it as a treat because she's so good and she'll eat anything

 

[lysinlight87]

3 weeks, wow! The only reason I can manage 3 days of not feeding him is cos I'm away visiting the in-laws. I would cave completely otherwise lol

 

[DavidBuchan]

3 weeks, wow! The only reason I can manage 3 days of not feeding him is cos I'm away visiting the in-laws. I would cave completely otherwise lol

It was tough, I won't lie. It would have been shorter but he got a locust at the end of week one. He snapped it straight up and had such a look of victory (or gratitude, I can't be sure which ) I knew I just had to be strong and wait him out.

 

[lysinlight87]

How many different bugs will he eat now? I don't know if I should hold out on Neelix too long cos he's only 8 months old & still growing but I've got so many yummy bugs just waiting to be eaten.

 

[DavidBuchan]

He eats crickets and locusts mostly. He did eat silks for a while, but none out of the last two batches I bought in. He has eaten a few stick insects, phoenix worms and soldier flies. He ate one or two dubia before totally ignoring them. Then last week he takes me by surprise because I offered him a newly molted one and he ate it He loves mealworms, but he doesn't get many of them.

 

[lysinlight87]

They're little monsters, these boy chams. Neelix was the same with dubias- he ate 2 & that was it. I keep buying all these different feeders for him & my tree frog & hedgehog end up having a feast

 

[DavidBuchan]

They're little monsters, these boy chams. Neelix was the same with dubias- he ate 2 & that was it. I keep buying all these different feeders for him & my tree frog & hedgehog end up having a feast

Yeah, Ashleigh and Jasmine will eat anything for me if I want to get rid of it (well, Ash doesn't eat mealworms but that's all she refuses)

 

[laurie]

Life with chams just isn't fair. I so much want stick bugs - everyone on here is tired of hearing me. You guys have chams that just don't know a good thing when it is offered to them. I bought a bunch of butter worms and none of my group would eat them. Rotten, ungrateful chams - can someone explain why I love mine?

 

[Kate]

A long time ago when my kids kept sticks they used to go out at night with scissors and attack neibours privet . Not sure if privet is on safe list.

 

[DavidBuchan]

A long time ago when my kids kept sticks they used to go out at night with scissors and attack neibours privet . Not sure if privet is on safe list.

You didn't read the whole thread Privet is not on the safe list........though the stick insects would probably prefer it...............

 

[lysinlight87]

Privet makes my partners hayfever so bad he has to go to bed for the rest of the day- definitely not on the safe plant list lol

 

[Kate]

Bramble is fine for them, they will eat a little Dandelion as well, they seem to really like Pak Choi (though this isn't good to use very often).
I guess you already know that privet is no good, as that's what most people use to feed the stick insects

Oops . Have now