Newby owners with feeding questions

[usmcfamily]

Hi there! Lots of questions, would love advice. Spencer is 4-5 months old.

Holy moly are crickets expensive! I can't afford the $150/mo the local stores would cost but have NO clue how to house a larger, bulk amount to make the cost more manageable. And, the ones I bought are getting to large and some even growin wings so now they're useless, correct? How do I buy a week or two's worth at a time and house them?

Related to the above, how to get them out of such a container and then into a bag for dusting without them getting out everywhere? This one has me confused.

Offered mealworms with some crickets this morning and he seemed happy about that! Only, he did dig through the greens to pull th worms out. lol. Guess the babies are not that different from human toddlers, huh?

Is it sufficient to put many crickets in in the morning and let Spencer eat them throughout the day? Our weekday schedule can be crazy and wondering about once per day feeding options. Is twice really needed for this stage?

Any advice to make this easier, less expensive is appreciated. I had NO idea he would cost so much to feed. The pet stores really need to be more educated.

Thanks!

 

[onceblue]

Have you considered switching to dubia roaches? They are a LOT easier to manage. They don't jump like crickets, they don't grow as fast, they don't stink, and they can't climb very well. It's a lot easier to dust them in my opinion. You can order them online in bulk and you don't have to worry about quick die-offs or rapid growth the way you do with crickets. You can also start your own colony which will save you money in the long run. They are really easy to breed and only require heat.

At that age, you do still want to feed your dragon twice a day to support his growth. They grow so much when they are young, they need the protein to support that growth. However, on your really busy days if you need to leave some insects in the enclosure, do not leave crickets in there. They're pretty mean and will bite your beardie which will stress your beardie out and risk infection. As an alternative, you can leave some dubia or some black soldier fly larva in a glass or stainless steel bowl; they won't be able to climb out (although in my experience there is the occasional extra enthusiastic BSL) and if they do get out, they aren't going to bite your beardie the way crickets would.

As for veggies, your beardie will get interested in them in time. Mine would only nibble occasionally but as he gets older he's been eating them more.

 

[usmcfamily]

Have you considered switching to dubia roaches? They are a LOT easier to manage. They don't jump like crickets, they don't grow as fast, they don't stink, and they can't climb very well. It's a lot easier to dust them in my opinion. You can order them online in bulk and you don't have to worry about quick die-offs or rapid growth the way you do with crickets. You can also start your own colony which will save you money in the long run. They are really easy to breed and only require heat.

At that age, you do still want to feed your dragon twice a day to support his growth. They grow so much when they are young, they need the protein to support that growth. However, on your really busy days if you need to leave some insects in the enclosure, do not leave crickets in there. They're pretty mean and will bite your beardie which will stress your beardie out and risk infection. As an alternative, you can leave some dubia or some black soldier fly larva in a glass or stainless steel bowl; they won't be able to climb out (although in my experience there is the occasional extra enthusiastic BSL) and if they do get out, they aren't going to bite your beardie the way crickets would.

As for veggies, your beardie will get interested in them in time. Mine would only nibble occasionally but as he gets older he's been eating them more.

Thank you for the reply. I am open to roaches if they're easier to care for... can those be a substitute for the stickers or are they supplementary? Could I reuse the 20 gal aquarium he's outgrowing and grow them there? What is needed to keep reaches? I'm all ears if it's cheaper and easier to manage. My ten year old is supposed to be helping with all this but the crickets are a pita.

Thanks again.

 

[onceblue]

The roaches can be a staple so they can completely replace crickets. You can put them in a 20 gal no problem but once they really start breeding quickly you may need to upgrade them. I keep mine in a rubbermaid bin and I put a strip of clear packing tape around the top just in case any of the dubia manage to climb that high (they'll reach the tape and fall off). All I did to prep the rubbermaid was cut the lid and attach a screen.

After that, all if you're just keeping feeders, all you need to do is add some egg crates and provide heat and food. You can feed the dubia any of the veggies that you would feed your beardie. They'll also get hydration from those. Replace them every 24 hours.

If you breed them, unless you have a room in your house that stays pretty warm, you'll need something like an under tank heater or heat tape. I personally haven't invested in one just yet because I live in Texas and have kept the roaches in an non-air conditioned utility area, but I'll be getting a heat source soon since the weather is starting to cool off.

I'm stuck at work right now so I can't provide a picture of my setup but here is a guide that goes into a little more detail:

http://dubiaroaches.com/care/