Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay....I'm about done with the stink the crikets make. I have thought about breeding silkworms but, the eggs require 3 months in the fridge before I have new silkworms to feed so that's not an option until I can have a few batches of eggs "cycling" to provide continued supplies.

So....I guess I have arrived at roaches. Are roaches a good substitute to crickets and silkworms as the main feeder stock?? What kind of roaches should I use?? I have Jacksons, Nosy Bes and Veiled chams. I'd love some input from the gang as to where I should start. I suppose the best starting point is to get some as feeders and see if my chams even go for them.

I would appreciate any info you guys have for me.
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Raf

1.2 Jacksons Adults (Frank, Patty, Lucille)
0.0.1 Jackson's baby (George, R.I.P. 11/17/2003)
1.1 Nosy Be's (Mars and Roja)
1.1 Veiled - No Names Yet
0.1 Adult Sulcatta (POOPIE,I bought it from Victor at Kobey's in SD)
0.0.2 Baby Sulcattas (frick and frack)
1.0 Home's Hingeback Tortoise (SPEEDY, From Victor as well)
1.2 Red ear slider babies (Hingis, Dingis and Dorkus)
0.0.1 3 toed box turtle - No Name Yet
0.0.1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle - No Name Yet
1.0 Red Siberian Husky (Harley)
0.1 Black Lab (Krissy)
0.1 English Bulldog (Alice)
0.1 Blue Merle Great Dane (Wednesday)
Saltwater Fish and Inverts too

ask john or tyler!!

i think that the only good substitute for crickets is silkworms considering daily feeding?

I think roaches are a great daily food for chameleons. Some people think they shouldn't be, but I have done it for a short while and had no problems at all. Roaches are easy to keep, make no noise, don't smell, are very low maintenance and breed on their own. They're slightly expensive to get started on, but just buy a small colony (depending on which species) and let them do their thing. I personally use hissers. They're born large compared to other species and with a colony of them you will constantly have all different sizes for any panther or veiled chameleon 3 months and up. I use the 1" roaches (maybe 2-3 month olds) for ly larger panthers and they love it. The biggest problem I have with roaches is that I have to sit there and watch them get eaten since I DO NOT want them getting out in my house. I'm beginning to like silkworms more and more and hopefully will be using them rather than crickets in the near future. Right now I'm feeding both crickets and silkies daily to all my chameleons with the occasional roach, wax and superworm. Silkies are nice because you can just sprinkle some in the cage and go. I put about 5 large silkies a day in with my larger chams and kinda spread them out on the branches in the cage. They don't try to escape and kinda just hang out and get eaten. They're also moist and soft and easy to digest. I don't think the eggs take a full 3 month incubation, but ask John or Joe they know more than me about silkies. You could also just keep a few thousand eggs in the fridge and pull some out and raise up the babies as often as you need them. If you're feeding large silkworms, you don't need that many of them in a day. A big silkie probably equals about 4 large crickets. Eggs are cheap.
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Tyler Stewart
Las Vegas NV
www.BLUEBEASTREPTILE.com

Both roaches and silk worms require a lead time as they don't grow or reproduce as crickets do. We currently use lobster roaches, we tried the hissers but not all would eat them. No one has turned down the lobsters yet. Roaches are not completely odorless and some require special housing as many can climb glass. When disturbed they do put off a smell. With lobsters you will need about 2000-4000 ($100-$200 inital investment)to start a good colony. You will need to gut load roaches as you do crickets. Same heat requirement as crickets 80-90 F.
With silk worms you also have to plan ahead. We purchase our silk worms from Mulberry Farms. They have a minumum order of $45.00. Thats about what it takes for 2000- 3000 eggs plus chow and shipping. They will send you complete instructions as to how to raise them and they guarantee the eggs to hatch. We purchase 10,000 at a time and divide them up 2500 per group. We put the 7500 in the fridge and start the 2500, this way we have a constant supply. We start a new group about every seven to ten days. You don't grow the silk worms in the fridge for three months. They are raised under a heat source and you feed them once or more a day depending on how fast you want them to grow. They are eating machines and that is all they do unitl they get ready to spin their coccoon.

Hoe this helps,
Yosemite
Reptayls Ltd.

Yosemite,

Thank you for the info! The reason I said 3 months in the fridge is because that is what was posted at mulberry farms regarding the eggs from silkworm moths. I understand you can buy the eggs from them and either store them in the fridge or start growing them. My question was regarding eggs from moths that i am planning on growing myself. I ordered 500 silkworms from mulberry about 2 weeks ago and I am planning on holding back about 25 worms to turn into moths. I want to harvest the eggs from the moths and breed my own silkies to see what it takes and see if I can actually do it. I found that my veileds and my male Nosy wont eat the silies at all which is kinda weird. My veileds wont eat fruit either.

Anyway..I guess my question is actually this: If I get eggs from moths, do I have to store them in the fridge to "winter" them so they hatch or can I actually just take the eggs and let them hatch without "wintering" them.

Does this make sense or am i not explaining what I am trying to do correctly?
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Raf

1.2 Jacksons Adults (Frank, Patty, Lucille)
0.0.1 Jackson's baby (George, R.I.P. 11/17/2003)
1.1 Nosy Be's (Mars and Roja)
1.1 Veiled - No Names Yet
0.1 Adult Sulcatta (POOPIE,I bought it from Victor at Kobey's in SD)
0.0.2 Baby Sulcattas (frick and frack)
1.0 Home's Hingeback Tortoise (SPEEDY, From Victor as well)
1.2 Red ear slider babies (Hingis, Dingis and Dorkus)
0.0.1 3 toed box turtle - No Name Yet
0.0.1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle - No Name Yet
1.0 Red Siberian Husky (Harley)
0.1 Black Lab (Krissy)
0.1 English Bulldog (Alice)
0.1 Blue Merle Great Dane (Wednesday)
Saltwater Fish and Inverts too

Raf,

As stated by Mulberry Farms, you must cool the eggs down first.

Yosemite