Feeder Insects - How To Care For Them? House Them? & Healthiest Insect?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ต.ค. 2019
- Today I'll be answering some of your questions regarding feeder insects and Leopard Geckos/Reptiles in general. We'll look at which is the healthiest insect to feed your reptile as well as how to gutload, how to dust and much more!
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#FeederInsects #LeopardGecko #ReptileFood
1:07 How do you house crickets without using a critter keeper?
2:16 How do you stop crickets from jumping out when removing the lid?
2:46 How do you stop food from going moldy?
4:44 How do you keep the insects alive? How does gut loading work? How do you care for the insects?
5:44 How do you breed them? Can geckos eat mealworm beetles?
7:15 Crickets vs. Locusts.
8:31 Which feeder insect is the healthiest?
10:00 How does dusting work?
They cleanup crew got to him, and they ett it.
Alicia Koedijk lizard?
😂
💀💀
The*
He ate them*
Why did this comment blow up
Picked my Gecko up for the first time today! Was a really weird sensation but glad I did it - was only for about 30 seconds but will keep trying to tame!
You make real nice informative video's and I love how you never say "do it like this", instead you give options as well as your own opinion! Keep'm comin'
Thank you :) :)
Definitely
When the cricket escapes
!!!!NANI?!!!!
LMAO
@Klöhe and snow the leopord gecko lol😂😂😂
hm so its the same type as my star platinum?
Is that Diego at 5:09 ? I love his face when the cricket escapes, it's hilarious! :D
haha yes :') he was so confused.
I'm so excited to get a crested gecko!!
ah awesome, they're so sweet!! :)
Same !!!!!
@@leopardgeckotalk I held a crested gecko for the first time weeks ago and he bit me right between my index and thumb
Do you have a crestie yet
This was helpful! I just got a crestie about a week ago and I'm starting to think about what I want to do to supplement their diet! I only have one so it doesn't seem worth getting a big cricket set up but I'd like to get them a nice varied diet :)
Ah nice! Yeah I can imagine it can be annoying to get a whole load of crickets for a crestie :') do you have any friends who own reptiles? maybe they could give you a few? :)
Love the video!!! I'm going to clean out my new leopard gecko's cage soon. I was wondering where to put him while I clean it. Do I need to give him heat? Thanks!
Thank you :) I usually have a spare faunarium and pop a heat mat under it. However if you don't think you'll be too long you can always put it in a warm, dark, quiet area (in a fauanarium or something) without a heat mat. wow that was a long answer :') haha
Leopard Gecko I keep mine in the bathtub with the lights iff
@@mollymata7362 Me too
Usually when I clean my geckos tank and my dad wants to make sure it’s clean I practice handling my gecko for like 5 minutes
I love that this was informative (like all your vids) without being terribly long. Just concise, easy to understand info. Love your videos! Hoping to get my first Leo or AFT soon. It'll be my first reptile and you've been such a help ❤
Thanks for all the help. We’ve watched tons of videos and have had our gecko for 3 weeks now.
Great video! Thank you for being the first good thing I saw this morning
aw thank you :D
Ha! In your breeding insects video, it looked like you keep your crickets in one of the plastic drawers in your drawer tower. I thought that’s awesome and did it myself. I keep my crickets in one of the drawers and worms in the others. It works great and I haven’t had any escape...knock on wood.
Thanks for this video! Like always, super helpful and fun to watch. :)
thank you :D
HI I use a critter keeper with those tubes that you mentioned and for me they work perfectly fine if you put in enough food for them
ah strange, they always seem far too small. I guess it depends on how many bugs you're keeping in there?
They sell a bigger one...
Me too I keep about 20 crickets in one of those small critter keepers but I give them a BUT LOAD of food
I have one and put a lot of food in but they still eat each other so I've moved to a large tupperware
@@NicoleoCrafts thats why i use locust their silent dont junp at all and dont like ti eat eachother
One thing I feel needs mentioned as far as the darkling beetles as feeders. Be weary of their exoskeleton hurting your gecko. I used to let my gecko eat them from time to time, and he loved chasing them. I stopped after he got a piece of shell lodged in his gums that had to be removed. I don't know how many other people have had issues with this but that's my own personal experience. Anyway, love the video as usual!
I love your video as always. I was wondering if you have a play list for all of your builds.
Early love your vids keep it up you taught me all I know about my gecko
Same here lol
aw thank you :D
Thanks for the tips
no problem :D
i love using the taller enclosures for the crickets! the higher the walls, the less chance they have to climb out! :)
yes!! :') haha I've had no escapees so far :)
Thank you so much for this video I was really confused before but now I know all about it.😃😄
Wow I was late 😭😭😭. Anyway keep up the amazing work and hope you have a great night 😁.
thank you :D
Lots of videos out there, good, bad , and ugly, Happy to say without a doubt that your videos are in THE GOOD category. Good presentation, clear, informative, and entertaining - a rare gem in among the masses of rubbish, and so glad i have found you. Added to my large selective list (I'm fussy) - Thank you, and keep em coming.
Thanks for the feeder insect video :)
Although watching you touching the crickets with bare hands gives me "war flashbacks" of their spikey legs touching my hands, I really enjoy watching you talk about your feeders.
I love your videos
aw thank you :)
Yay! Love feeder insect videos!
thanks!! :)
This could come in very handy for my cresties :)
awesome :D
I like your video so much❤
I only have a small anole and no other bigger reptile, so my mealworks that turn into big pupae or beetles... I feed them to my cat... she LOVES it. Same for bigger crickets
New subscriber 😄
I love how you were just casually holding a meal worms whole entire life cycle in ur hand at 6:35 😹😹
Keep up the good work on here :)
thank you!
Thank you for the informative video! What type of bedding do you use? Can I use grains for all of the bugs?
Keep in mind that grains contain phytic acid, which binds calcium. Crickets and roaches don’t need substrate. You can also use paper towel for them.
Another way of preventing mold is to put the food on a lid or something so it doesn't touch the substrate but you obviously still need to remove the food when it goes off
Hi Rebecca! Tip on Silkworms! I agree that they are RIDICULOUSLY expensive live. So I found an alternative. ProBugs! ProBugs is a company that sells dub roaches, silkworms, grasshoppers, locusts, etc. They are not alive, but not freeze dried. They are freshly preserved! My geckos (Kota and Kalani) absolutely love them! They are large, so I normally cut them in half, but they will eat them even though they are not alive! And this is also useful in case some bugs are illegal that you want, as these aren't illegal to have preserved :) -Jordyn
ah maybe i'll look into them, though I'm always a little wary of freeze dried, or just dried foods 🙈🙈 but thank you :)
@@leopardgeckotalk Yw! I was too, but another thing to keep in mind is after you open a package, put the package in a zip-loc bag and the worms/etc won't go bad :)
I really can thank you enough for these videos! You love helped me so much! I’m trying to convince my mom to let me get a a leopard gecko and your videos have helped me A LOT. I have a question tho
could you do a video on how to set up your cricket and mealworm habitat? I saw on a video that you can put the meal worms in the fridge and they will like go into a sleep for a bit but idk if that’s true so a video showing how to set up and store ur cricket/mealworm farm would be great!
Also how many different bugs should you feed your gecko? If I lm able to get one I’m planing on feeding it crickets and mealworms but idk if my gecko would need more variety.
Live crickets, roaches, silkworms, and black soldier fly larvae can be fed regularly. Mealworms, super worms, and hornworms can be fed occasionally. The more variety in their diet, the better.
For crickets, all you need is a decent sized container (with air holes and a secure lid), egg cartons, and veggies.
@@nightinggale6470 ty!
I use a cricket keeper but i only have around a dozen small ones at a time
What is the bedding you used for the crickets and the worms ??
Got my first crested gecko today it’s soo cute
ah brilliant! :)
Im getting two in 3-2 years
I love your videos! I have a question, do you put the heat mat under the tank or under the reptile carpet?
Under the glass :)
@@jackc008 thank you :)
yeah I think with glass tanks they're meant to be outside, however as I have wooden vivs my mats would go on the inside :)
What sort of bedding do you use for your insects? I'm currently using eco-earth for my crickets (even though they keep dying on me), paper towel for my goliath worms and nothing for my mealworms
do you have a video on how to clean after the insects go to the bathroom, or a container that's good for it
Hi, love the videos, just wondering if it's ok for a Leo to live off a diet of crickets, occasional roaches and mealworms? :)
That’s fine. Although the more variety in their diet, the better. You can also feed silkworms and black soldier fly larvae regularly, and super worms and hornworms occasionally.
I have a question. When you put the bad pepper in the cleanup crew, does it smell bad?
Question: What substrate do you use for mealworms and other worms?
I use a container that I used for my Leo when I was on vacation, I cut a big hole and put that screen and it’s works perfectly. I used a cricket keeper but I just use the tubs for hides in the container. They are probably spoiled. I do have cricket escape time to time, but I when someone finds one my mom kills and it and My cat hunts it.
Hello, I was wondering if Phoenix worms were good for reptiles so I'm glad you addressed it. I have had great success in raising them for my chickens so feel free to ask me questions. I did keep them in a composter outside. They are amazing for breaking down food waste
I'm not Rebecca but, Phoenix worms are the same thing as calcium worms , and she said those were quite nutritional. I think it varys on where you are in the world to what you call them ( or not idrk). Hope I somewhat helped :)
What brand of critter keeper is that??? Its huge! The new one? What size is it? Or are you just tiny?
HI!! IM EARLY!!
wooo :)
Where do you get the bedding stuff that you ha e on the bottom
Do you still need a calcium dish if you're dusting the insects? I have the Reptivite multivitamins with D3. it has calcium in it but im wondering if i also need calcium alone in the tank
I have 3 crest geckos that was given to me. The previous owner gave them more live food and I’m having trouble getting them to eat there food I make for them. What live food can you feed crested geckos and how often?
would you say the feeder insects you use will work well for a fire skink
Great video. I use that Reptivite w/ D3. I dust 4 -6 crickets a day for my beardie. Is that too much or not enough? The directions on the bottle are sht.
I really want a gecko so addorable
thanks :D
I dont like using bug gel, I know the polyacrylamide is what's used to make it gel but crickets chew on it and I'm not sure if it's got a negative effect on the gecko long term.
Personally I've been trying hermit crab water pillows. Seems to be working
So i was wondering if you needed to keep feeder insects to keep a leopard gecko, i plan on getting a gecko soon and have been worried about feeding and such. i want to try using meal worms but am worried about housing them and keeping them. im not sure if any of that makes sense.
As far as the feeders that don't have the optimal calcium to phosphorus ratio, wouldn't the dusting at least help correct that?
yes as I said these ratios are without gutloading and dusting, hence why we dust :') but some insects like morio worms and wax worms, aren't the healthiest.
What is your clean up crew called? I need some to put in my leopard gecko tank.
I think it are orange back tropical isopod
im getting one cricket as a pet how much space will it need? would 3.26 by 2.36 in by 4 in be okay?
my leopard geck will literally eat anything i give him with absolutely 0 hesitation it’s kind of reliving in a way, i think he’s the least picky gecko on the planet
I use my egg cartons.. uses up the height... They really like to by high up.
I have two tubs for them it has paper towels tubes and egg cartons and I feed them carrots and apples
I don't know if anyone else in the comments have mentioned this but silkworms are actually quite common in the UK you just need to look in the right places a few websites that stock them are
Silkworm store UK
Buzzard reptile UK
dubia Paul
And sometimes eBay I get the silkworms from these sites for my chameleon all the time hope this helps😁
how do you throw away feeder insects? if they’re still alive should you put them outside or will they become invasive?
One of my girls only eats silkworms! I get mine from DubiaPaul.com but there are several places that sell them in the UK including silkworm store!
ah i will have to look into that, thanks :)
Yeah, my gf gets silkworms from Silkworm Store, they don't seem to be too expensive, but they do need more care than mealworms, locusts and dubias, I've found.
i have a critter keeper because i’m so scared to touch the crickets, can you suggest anything else,
Hi love your stuff! I just have a question. Hon long so you have your uvb light on?
Thank you :), so personally I put it on a timer, so 7-9am then 4-6pm. However some people will put it on for 10-12 hours straight and that's fine too :)
Leopard Gecko thanks! I’m 13 and am thinking about getting an leopard gecko. So when i found your videos they helpt me a lot
You can gut load with pepper? and Is it a bell pepper? (Sorry if that’s a silly question)
Silk worm are also hard to get in the us they cost a lot. And that sucks because I really wanted to get the because I have all of my stuff ready to buy. :(
Just wondering how many crickets do you feed 1 gecko ?? Mine little boy is just under 1 year old and is happily taking 1-3 wax worms from my hand every 2 days but I feed him a small hand ful of crickets each night and he eats all of them over night, am I giving him too much ??
Can you make a video comparing all the different calcium powders as the amount of vitamins d is different in all of them
Usually I use calcium on its own, or calcium with magnesium, and before I used a UV light I'd get a vitamin and mineral powder that contains D3.
I just bought a leopard gecko and im feeding her tiny crickets but I do have an issue: it's very difficult for the gecko to hunt them down and here's why: I'm using paper towel as a substrate and that's white, I dust the insects with calcium and.... they become white as well so she can't really see them... I son't want to use twisers to feed her because she just moved in and I don't want to stress her too much. any suggestions?
I just got some calci worms, silk worms and locust for my Leo and AFT. So excited to see if they like them or not! I personally do not like crickets, I’m always fighting with them 😂
ah good choices! haha :)
Leopard Gecko yeah I found a site that sells them for a reasonable price so I’ve Gone a bit overboard 😅 guess I’ll have to eat some calci worms with them
Where do you get the insect fuel-earth pro?
My gecko will not eat anything on the tings or from my hand. Can you give me some tips I really want to see him eat more often.
Would you say that locusts smell better than crickets? Just curious
I usually feed my gecko Pax mealworms, waxworms, crickets, and Super worms. Can I feed her any other kind of worm? She prefers them to crickets.
yeah calci worms, horn worms, and silk worms :)
My girl's diet mainly consists of dubias and crickets. Sometimes I add in butterworms, silkworms, and the occasional waxworm! 😁 She hates BSFL for some reason though 🤷♀️
ah cool, haha when i first got the BSFL/calci worms they were so small my geckos didn't even acknowledge them lol
Hi, what size Arcadia uvb bulb would you recommend for a 24x18x36 inch tank?i know I want a Arcadia shadedweller bulb,but they don’t say the size of the bulb itself.
It depends on which animal it is for, if you drop arcadia a message I am sure they'll get back to you with an answer :)
Red runner roaches are supposed to be the healthiest insect and most nutritious insect for your reptiles and amphibians. Even healthier for them then dubia roaches or crickets the difference is red runner roaches have the the same amount of protein, calcium, fiber and fat as dubia roaches. Which is more than crickets but where red runner roaches are different is they have higher B12 content then dubia roaches hope this helps.
There are other species of roaches to try if your geckos dont like dubias, Red Runners (Turkestan Roaches) are popular and quick breeders
What size tank is ziggy in
do you think celery is a good staple diet for mealworms and crickets? I'm tempted to get something different because celery is pretty low on nutrients
Feed things like carrot, potato, greens, and apple.
(Not so) Quick question. We get mealworms from a local pet store, not big brand name but a big store, at a quantity of 250, and we take out 20 or so to gutload and then feed our leapord gekco. The store told us to refrigerate the ones we aren't using and take them out 24 hours in advance, but most of them seem to die off before we get to "use" them. Is there any better thing we can do to keep them alive for longer?
You could leave them at room temperature but then they’d turn into beetles. You could breed them to get free feeders. Although mealworms are not a healthy staple diet. Feed mainly live crickets or Dubia roaches.
Yes but on Northampton reptile centre you can order 100 locust
Hey I need immediate help my leopard gecko was shedding and he couldn’t get shed off of his tail so I took it off and the very end of his tail is bleeding and idk what to do and I’m scared it’s not that much blood like a drop but plz help
Tye little cage thing axtually cones in a hugeee size! It can hoise about 100 cricktes. I have that one currently because my mom just randomly picked ut up but im 100% getting the bigger one.. because i cant pick up a cricket with a tweaser to save my life lol.
Mine has tubes but it’s BIG is that okay?
9:33 i have that ... they seem to be fine i dont have alot in there but should i get a new one?
1:24 sorry
My Leo is fed on primarily mealworms as it what he was brought up on and I’ve tried several times to get him to try and have interest with the crickets if anyone has any tips feel free, he isn’t deffo any of any vitamins he has several in on the mealworms mans added vitamin a with calcium in a bowl and on the mealworms xx
What is exactly your cleaning crew? A mix of different isopods? How do you control the population (is there a need to?). I would really like to hear more about it.
Thank you very much. I absolutely love your videos.
Karen B. A cleanup crew is a mixture of isopods and springtails that’s eat decomposing food and poop. There isn’t really a need to control the population because the more there are, the richer the soil will be and the less poop there will be.
@@kendall4060 And as it is an enclosed setup, the amount of food for them is usually limited (if you don't feed them on top).
So if you fear of them getting overpopulated, just stop feeding them additionally that much. Every population in a enclosed setup will then regulate the population by itself after the amount of food there is provided.
It's the same as with dove populations in different countries. We have doves called "city doves" here. They live in the pedestrian areas and feed of dropped food, bread crumbs, fast food that was dropped on the floor, etc. If you walk through our cities, there are doves everywhere. It is strictly forbidden to feed them. And sure, this may sound cruel, because if you don't feed them, they might not be able to get their babies to grow up. But feeding them will only increase the population and support their in general unhealthy and miserable lives. So the best you can do (and what you have to do by law) is to avoid dropping food for them. That way their population regulates itself so they can sustain themselves.
I have a question. I have about 8 month old leopard gecko and I put calcium on the crickets and I don't see you put calcium on them? Do you think I still should. Is that just for baby's?
She puts calcium on them. Dust with calcium every other feeding and vitamins every three feedings.
I'm finding your channel really helpful. We recently got a leopard gecko for our daughter. It is currently being fed with locusts. I was just wondering, does the gecko still need calcium and vitamins if the locusts are being gut loaded? I think it does, my husband thinks it doesn't. 🤔
Thank you :) Yes 100% I have a supplementing and feeding schedule video that should help :)
@@leopardgeckotalk excellent thank you. I will check it out 😊
If you want silkworms in the UK your best bet is Amazon or eBay for s decent amount for a fair price I've personally never seen any in reptile stores the problem is with ordering you don't no how many are gonna survive I had issues with isopods constantly turning up dead on arrival paying £10 for 10 and atleast 6 would be dead luckily my local reptile store got them in at £6.25 for 50 tropical grey so I'm currently housing them with my large orange to breed and save me some money and hopefully make it back once they do there thing
Is it ok to feed them only crickets or only worms?
Going to give this bug thing a go.. It's been really hard to find feeder bugs that aren't half dead during this quarantine 😀 Hope they don't turn into pets lol
HI my question is can I use a sem transparent container to house the crickets
after my gold fish died
I used the 10 gallon fish tank for the crickets 🦗 I'm that stupid the fish tank was to hot for them
they all overheated
and died I feel so
bad 👎I will find smart
people like you to do the correct thing for rhe animals I know they don't live long
I just like the sound
they make I want to feed them water them
I video tape them with
Spanish music in the back ground on one of my TH-cam channel
thank you very much have a great day
👵🐟♎🕊
🎥👍👍👍
what you say makes alot of cents
What substrate do you keep your mealworms and morio worms on? What substrates would you recommend and not recommend?
Oats and wheat bran aren’t good substrates as they contain phytic acid which binds calcium. Dry coconut fibre or organic top soil without fertilizer would be good for substrate
Are horned worms good for crested geckos??