Okay!! need a new technique...

[ReptileRy]

so i just tried to feed crickets to my beardie a few minutes ago... NIGHTMARE! the stupid crickets (like 10) escape and are in my room right now... beardie was getting pissed that she couldn't catch them... so what are your techniques for feeding..? different food? or what? i already had him in a separate tank and that didn't do anything.. need some advice..

 

[Kajolic]

I recently adopted a freezing method that was a topic of discussion a few weeks back here on the forums. I will either gutload my crickets and freeze them and pick out what I want to allow to thaw out, or I will just put ~20 in a cup/bag and freeze them for 4-5 minutes. The quick freeze method works if you don't want to chance freezing your entire bunch. This will slow them down enough so your Bearded can eat them, and usually they'll recover and stay alive. I have been wanted to test the quality of life of the crickets that come back from being chilled, but haven't had the time yet.

Be sure to dust them as normal, and allow to full thaw to room temperature. Do not feed frozen, no one wants a whole cricket to me eaten, but I'm sure it would still digest.
You may need to play with the cricket on the Vivarium floor, but your Bearded should be interested.

Will say this turns to Beardie laziness. My little guy won't even think about chasing one down... Now a crawling worm will get him running :lol:

 

[ReptileRy]

well how could i transfer them to that baggie or container? haha, just putting them into his separate viv... this is a pain.. haha.

 

[Kajolic]

I have a separate plastic tote that I have my crickets in with a bunch of egg cartons cut up in different shapes. I just pick one up, shake it off into a small dixie cup, and pop it in the freezer.
If you don't have any egg cartons, a simple empty tissue or paper towel roll will work wonderfully.

As for the whole habitat of crickets, right now I'm gutloading them. Tomorrow I will pop them in the freeze in a zip-lock bag, and a few other containers to see what will work best to prevent any freezer burn. Probably keep a few live in a smaller bin just in case.


I'll feed my little guy right in his Viv, he'll eat them all up, but sometime I'll have to play or pick them up and make them look alive, but never had him turn them away unless he was full.

 

[BeardedDaddy]

I dust in a large zip lock bag and if you give them an extra hard shake up you can briefly slow them down. I would say to do that and then feed them one at a time, I know people who suggest a slight pinch to the cricket or freezing but it is all personal preference. All my Dragons are relentless when it comes to live fed so I rarely have any problems with feeding. Good luck I hope one of the suggestions you get here works, there is an abundance of knowledge and someone always seems to have the answer..

 

[AHBD]

I do the shake + stun method, too, but I use a jar or empty oatmeal container. This really gets them woozy + slow movoing. Add your calcium powder, shake just hard enough so the bugs are dizzy + limping around. Do 5 - 10 at a time, it's great and they get coated with powder at the same time.

 

[esn]

Freezing may work well for you, but if they escaped you may want to try putting them in a jar to shake them around. Insects can survive being in a freezer or water a lot longer than you think. My mealworm and superworm colonies live in the freezer for over an hour. Freezing them for a few minutes then dusting them should work, but also consider using a jar with a small hole and feeding by tipping it on the side and waiting for the crickets to jump out. Your beardie should be able to catch them in time easily.