Coronavirus and Dragon Prepping

[Drache613]

Hello,

I agree, the coronavirus really is nothing, not really a virus though.
However, due to people try to overhoard because of government panic, & fear mongering it
would be a nice thing to have some extra things stocked for your pets. If you can find it, you
could get a few jars of baby food too, since that does keep, in case you are running low on
feeders.
We breed our own insects which does help save money.
Yes, I can see it now, price gouging! LOL

Tracie

 

[kingofnobbys]

My skinks and dragons will be fine I think , even if deliveries of live insects become locked down for a few months
I've just received 250 med sized superworms + extra wheat bran
+ my regular batch of 600 x med crickets ( will last 3 or 4 weeks , will review situation in 2 weeks )+ I'll get about 200 silkworm eggs out to hatch ( will use chow for these ).
+ I have 500 medium sized mealworms on hand.
+ I have 100g of BSFL , will order more in a month or so.

Also have 1kg of VetaFarm Lizard Pellets + 3 bottles of Grubpie + 2 bottles of Veggieburger + a big box of Wombaroo Lizard Mix in my lizard backup tub.

 

[opaquelace]

The coronavirus scare has closed my school and my son's school for at least two weeks, starting Monday, giving my overactive brain plenty of time to get panicky. I just read a FB post from dubiaroaches.com where they pretty much implored people not to think they had to stockpile feeders for their dragons... to which my panicky brain went, WAITASEC - DO I NEED TO BE STOCKPILING FEEDERS FOR MY DRAGON???

So I figured I'd post here to see what others were doing, given that this coronavirus thing is likely to get worse before it gets better (this from my cousin who works in a Boston hospital). Are YOU stockpiling feeders for your dragon? Just going along as usual? Keeping a little more on hand, but playing it by ear?

Stay safe and stay well, folks.

I’ll be ordering some super worms and some repashy beardie buffet, as well as keeping up my roaches and BSFL. I had posted something too since mine are juveniles and eat so much I have to keep ordering. And then I remember, flukers farms is literally 45 minutes away. ?

 

[DragonPete]

Having an adult Dragon, I think it's easier to be sure of having the food needed. My Petey has supers 2-3 times a week and salad every day. Since supers hold up really well, I ordered 500 and have enough for at least 6 months.
Those of you with babies that eat their weight in bugs twice a day, I'd be more concerned about availability. Hoping supply never becomes so tight as to be critical.?
-Dee

 

[kingofnobbys]

Having an adult Dragon, I think it's easier to be sure of having the food needed. My Petey has supers 2-3 times a week and salad every day. Since supers hold up really well, I ordered 500 and have enough for at least 6 months.
Those of you with babies that eat their weight in bugs twice a day, I'd be more concerned about availability. Hoping supply never becomes so tight as to be critical.?
-Dee

It's going to take a minimum of 18 months for a cure to be make available , likely LONGER.

If this goes on for more than 6 months and the supply chain collapses , getting even veg and greens might become impossible unless you have lots of $ to pay for them , live insects from the regular commercial breeders will likely end up unavailable too
Breeders will be stuck with most the hatchlings they have and will be faced with reptiles who are growing and need housing ( only viable solution if money become tight and jobs evaporate is mega tubs that can be converted and stacked if necessary. It doesn't bare thinking about the fate that many hatchlings are likely have ( nor much imagination )..

My advise is start some insect colonies NOW, and maybe buy some veg and greens seeds and plant them ( even if in some plastic pots - keep inside so some ahole with sticky fingers doesn't walk away with the plants (pots and soil and all).

 

[DragonPete]

If fresh salad items become hard to get, I have bought a couple bags of frozen greens and squash etc. But I did that in anticipation of back surgery that has been put off indefinitely. Will he eat them? If he gets hungry enough. I have tons of chemical free dandelion and wild mint in my yard too. Again, if he gets hungry enough. I probably have more edible wild greens out there, something to do some research on. Wish I had more foraging knowledge. I will make sure my babies eat.
-Dee

 

[DragonPete]

I also live on a 2 acre pond and can see lots of cattails out my window, portions of those are edible too.
Research is a wonderful thing. ? I just noticed the cattails. But remember from years ago, I believe the roots are edible, kinda like potato if I remember right. Definitely will have to check out some info. It gives me something to do, something to think about other than the dang virus. ?
-Dee

 

[MrSpectrum]

I have tons of chemical free dandelion and wild mint in my yard too.

It depends where you live (urban, suburban, rural) Most of the really persistent toxins began to be removed from pesticides in the '70s & '80s, but some (like DDT) had half-lives of up to 15 years. Some heavy metals can still be found today.

I spoze I'd spend some time researching that kind of stuff as well as what's out there that might be useful, but that's me.

The other concern I might have is potential parasites. :dontknow:

I've just been warned off feeding anything from outside (like dandelions & hornworms) so many times that I've purged the idea from my mind.

 

[DragonPete]

I know wild hornworms are a no no. Shame, they loved my tomatoes last year! ?
I just don't have a worry about the dandelions and mint and yes, we are pretty rural here, been here 3 yrs. The only thing I actually use but in limited area would be fire ant poison. I'd never pick anything near that. But I will get a couple mounds each year and they are horrible. They have to be taken care of. I guess you don't have those in the NE? Be glad. It's awful in the south.?
-Dee

 

[MrSpectrum]

The only thing I actually use but in limited area would be fire ant poison. I'd never pick anything near that. But I will get a couple mounds each year and they are horrible. They have to be taken care of. I guess you don't have those in the NE? Be glad. It's awful in the south.?
-Dee

I knew they were spreading, but I didn't know they'd come that far north yet. :shock:

 

[DragonPete]

The only thing I actually use but in limited area would be fire ant poison. I'd never pick anything near that. But I will get a couple mounds each year and they are horrible. They have to be taken care of. I guess you don't have those in the NE? Be glad. It's awful in the south.?
-Dee

I knew they were spreading, but I didn't know they'd come that far north yet. :shock:

What? In NC? OMG yes! They are awful here! Don't know how far north they've gone. I think my friend in VaBch has had trouble with them too. So they're in VA.
-Dee

 

[ScarlettTheBfBeardie]

First post!

I'm not really stock piling feeders, since I have a whole colony of roaches. I'm more concerned about what my roaches are gonna eat after they're done with their roach chow. Hopefully i'll just be able to buy more from amazon, like I normally do.

With my dragon, she's still extremely active even though she came out of brumation about 2 months ago.

I'm even using up more roaches since i'm currently caring for 2 beardies. (my friend went to go visit family).

I don't have many greens left, but hopefully i'll be able to go somewhere to buy some when I have the time.

Don't really know how to end a post, so i'll leave it off here. :/

 

[DragonPete]

First post!

I'm not really stock piling feeders, since I have a whole colony of roaches. I'm more concerned about what my roaches are gonna eat after they're done with their roach chow. Hopefully i'll just be able to buy more from amazon, like I normally do.

With my dragon, she's still extremely active even though she came out of brumation about 2 months ago.

I'm even using up more roaches since i'm currently caring for 2 beardies. (my friend went to go visit family).

I don't have many greens left, but hopefully i'll be able to go somewhere to buy some when I have the time.

Don't really know how to end a post, so i'll leave it off here. :/

Hi and welcome. There are lots of others that have roach colonies, hopefully they will chime in. I have no advice for that, I just use supers for my adult Dragon with daily salad. Hope you make sure yours get plenty of greens, squashes, etc. ? Oh and I just put my name at the end of the post. That usually means I'm done. Lol! ?
-Dee

 

[CooperDragon]

You can feed roaches a lot of things. They are great composters. I usually feed kitchen scraps and leftover salads. Things that my dragon can eat so no onions. They love squash and greens. They also love eating orange slices and pieces of bread.

 

[MrSpectrum]

I'm more concerned about what my roaches are gonna eat after they're done with their roach chow. Hopefully i'll just be able to buy more from amazon, like I normally do.

AFAIK, they're garbage disposals--whatever leftover vegetable matter you have, roaches will eat.
I don't have a colony as such; I just order 1000 at a time, but I feed them raw baby carrots. Drop one in the tub and watch it disappear over the next few days.