Dubia

Anyone else’s dragon refuse to eat Dubai’s ? I’ve tried all different sizes and she won’t eat any. Talk about fussy ?

Yeah.....my guy wont eat them either. Every once in awhile he will get curious and eat one and reestablish that he hates them. He doesn't like crickets anymore either. Probably mostly my fault though as I have spoiled him with worms. I use silkworms as his staple and supplement with hornworms, superworms and butterworms. He used to get BSFL too but now they are just too small to peak his interest. I haven't given up on roaches yet though....I will keep on trying. Just as well with the crickets though because they are the devil.

Kyle

dobby has locusts but if they are too small she can’t be bothered to chase them , occasionally I let her have some black crix but again if they scurry about she won’t bother. I think she wants me to hand her food myself.??. I don’t think Dobby is big enough for superworms or hornworms Are silkworms the same as wax worms ? She loves those. She refuses veg or fruit but I put some in her mouth when she opens it while basking so at least I know she’s had some lol. I might get bigger roach she seems to prefer bigger insects.

Silkworms are pretty great in my opinion. They are nothing like wax worms. Wax worms are like junk food for beardies. Silkworms are high in protein and low in fat. They also contain a chemical that reduces inflammation, aides in the absorption of calcium, and help clean the blood liver and kidneys. They are highly nutritious and can be used as a staple. They are a soft bodied worm so no risk of impaction. They start off small and get big. They grow quick but not as quick as a hornworm and not quite as large. Only problem is they can be pricey if you don't raise them yourself.

Kyle

Yes I’ve just read up on them. I will give them a try. We can’t get hornworms here in uk. Something to do with agriculture. What size silkworm should I get and how many should I give her each feed. ? She is 10 months old and the space between her eyes is 2-3 cms

You will want to order them small or extra small (extra small is probably too small, but you can grow them quickly). You will have to get food with them as well as they eat a lot and only eat mulberry leaves or chow made from the leaves. As long as your little girl chews them size shouldn't pose much of an issue (within reason) since they are so soft bodied. You can sort of control their growth through feeding frequency, amount and temp. Since they are a good staple she can have as many as she will eat in 10-15 min. They do make for runny poo too just fyi. They contain a lot of fluid so they keep your dragon extra hydrated and at first can cause runny poo. This is why I supplement with supers cause they help with that, I don't give him more than 3 a day. Murdock is 19.5" and 407g and he usually wont eat more than 5 large silkworms in a sitting. 12 in a day seems to be his limit when they hit full size. They definitely fill up quickly on them.

Kyle

Ok thank you. I’ll just get a small amount to start will have to see where to get mulberry leaves from. Fairly limited here. Thank you for your help

Yeah I would recommend a small amount to see how it goes. Typically anyone who sells the worms either sells them in a preloaded pod, same as hornworms, or sells leaves, chow or premade food as well. The preloaded pods a complete pain in the a@$. If you can just get some worms and some food that is the way to go. If you find a silkworm pod with some food and a few worms it may be a good test to see if she likes them. Just know raising them is much easier and less messy minus the pod in my experience. Good luck with your little girl!

Kyle

So I guess today was they day......Murdock decided he likes Dubia roaches now. He just plowed through 6 pretty good size ones. So I guess the moral of my story is that it never hurts to quit trying. I’ll be super stoked if he keeps it up because I want him to have the largest variety of healthy feeders possible.

Kyle

Aww that’s great . I took some advice from our silkworm providers today regarding size of silkworm and how many to feed in 1 meal etc. ordered 15 large so will see how she goes with them. I was away for a couple of nights so hubby was in charge of lights, feeding etc. When I got her up yesterday she was actually lying right next to 5 Dubias.? I panicked as I know insects can bite the dragons but she was fine. So at least I know she’s not interested in them for now. Can’t wait to try the worms

The dubias are actually okay in there cause they don’t really bite but all the same you don’t want them stressing your girl

She was fast asleep. She’s so placid I don’t think anything fazes her, we do usually take all the bugs out at night but he must of thought she had eaten them and didn’t want to disturb her

The good thing about the dubias is they live forever lol. I have had the same batch of 50 for 3 months. I just feed them the same salad I feed Murdock and clean their little bin here and there. So who knows maybe your girl will give them a new home in her belly at some point down the road. I think my guy is just a finicky little $h&!t.

Kyle

Ha ha maybe she will keep them as her pets ??. Hopefully Murdoch will start to enjoy them