Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm somewhat new in the hobby. I know the benefits of adding termites to a dart frog's diet for variety. However, I can't find any. I live in Iowa. I went out the other day and chopped up a whole bunch of rotting logs with no luck at all... Infact, I almost chopped my toe off! What kind of logs do termites live in. How can I collect subterranean termites?

Also, while chopping up rotting logs, I found a lot of orangeish colored ants. Are these safe to feed to my azureus dart frogs?

Thanks! Your knowledge is greatly appreciated.

First you need to locate a colony of termites--seems pretty obvious, I know...
Once you've located an area with them nearby, I use a 3" PVC tube cut into approx 12" lengths. I stuff wet cardboard into the tube and then bury it upright into the ground near your termite source. A flat rock on top completes the "trap". The termites are attracted to the moistened cardboard and will migrate to it--replace the cardboard every week or so when you harvest the termites.
This wasn't my idea but it sure does work for me.
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Scott Menigoz
Phelsuma: grandis, kochi, standingi, laticauda, v-nigra, mad mads and klemmeri
PDFs: azureus, citronella, alanis, terribilis, green& black auratus, cobalts, patricia, regina, leucomela, vents, Brazillian yellowheads, reticulatus and galactonotus
Over 100 Tads/young frogs of azureus, alanis and cobalts

Termites usually prefer damp, dead wood- check under the bark or within the wood of large fallen branches. In Florida, these pests are mostly associated with dead pine tree branches and stumps.

If you can't find termites, you can usually find some other little bugs under the bark. I find these tiny mealworm looking things that lizards seems to relish- frogs would too, I suppose. I'd only feed a few ants at a time, to prevent them from eating your frogs!

Perhaps get a butterfly net and do some "field sweeping" through long grass...see what you get, feed the smaller insects to your frogs.

be careful feeding wild caught bugs, i was living in vegas and fed my tarantula a cricket i found outside, during the summer they're everywhere, and my tarantula died the next evening.