Kaizen
Chameleon Enthusiast
I know the threads on this topic are myriad, and the opinions for and against, more so. However, here the law hasn’t permitted chemical pesticide use where I live for a decade, so there’s no worries there. Moreover, I agree wholeheartedly with my vet that the benefits of increasing the variety of a chams diet by feeding wild caught insects far outweigh the risks of parasites. So, here’s my question: has anyone compiled a safe/not safe list of common insects by region?
If not, I’d like to start a thread that everyone can contribute to: name any wild caught bugs that you have safely fed, and what general area (e.g. northeast, Midwest, or just your usda hardiness zone). And, if you have some nutritional info on the specific bug, please share. Likewise, if you know of bugs to avoid, please share the name of the bug and why to avoid it: e.g. it stings, is toxic, can cause injury, or always has high parasite load. Perhaps we could even formalize it a little...
1. Bug: common name (scientific, if you know it)
2. Safe or not? And Why? It would be great if everyone could cite a scientific article here, but that’s unrealistic. It would, however, be helpful to know why you feel the bug is safe or not. Even information like, ‘I read somewhere that...someone told me...it’s common knowledge that..., etc,’ can be helpful for readers attempting make an informed choice.
3. Your personal experience with feeding them
4. any other information, nutritional, anecdotal, scientific or otherwise.
If not, I’d like to start a thread that everyone can contribute to: name any wild caught bugs that you have safely fed, and what general area (e.g. northeast, Midwest, or just your usda hardiness zone). And, if you have some nutritional info on the specific bug, please share. Likewise, if you know of bugs to avoid, please share the name of the bug and why to avoid it: e.g. it stings, is toxic, can cause injury, or always has high parasite load. Perhaps we could even formalize it a little...
1. Bug: common name (scientific, if you know it)
2. Safe or not? And Why? It would be great if everyone could cite a scientific article here, but that’s unrealistic. It would, however, be helpful to know why you feel the bug is safe or not. Even information like, ‘I read somewhere that...someone told me...it’s common knowledge that..., etc,’ can be helpful for readers attempting make an informed choice.
3. Your personal experience with feeding them
4. any other information, nutritional, anecdotal, scientific or otherwise.