"worms" in cricket bin?

[Ectotherm1]

So, I went to get some crickets out of the bin for my beardie and leopard gecko.
Anyways, there's these worm like things in there, they look a bit like a potato bug but are more slender and no antennae.
Also, when I picked one up I noticed it had hairs all over it.
Should I dispose of them immediately?

 

[Embee]

I get these in my cricket orders as well (from Flukers), and have always wondered about them. ??

At any rate, I'll give the thread here a bump, and see if someone won't pop in and explain exactly what these little buggers are!

Em

 

[Ectotherm1]

I think I might collect them and put them into a little container and see what the turn into.

 

[Embee]

I think I might collect them and put them into a little container and see what the turn into.

A science project! That's my kind of thinking! :mrgreen:

I'd say let me know what you find out, but if I mention this to my 8 year old he'll likely want to follow suit.

Perhaps we can compare notes later?! LOL :wink:

Em

 

[Ectotherm1]

Sounds good to me!
I feed my crickets potato slices, what ever my beardie doesn't eat from her morning salad, and flukers powder diet. Obviously the "worms" are living off of it because this isn't the first time I've seen them.
I tried to look up cricket worms, and only came up with horsehair worms which use the crickets body as a host. But they look completely different.
We'll have to see what they turn into. :lol:

 

[Embee]

Indeed, I snatched one up this afternoon to take a closer look and by your description, it's the same exact bug... time will tell I suppose!

Em

 

[Ectotherm1]

I've tried to look for it on google.. but it's a little hard to get a result when all you can think to type is "Hairy worm that looks like a caterpillar but isn't" :lol:

 

[Pravius]

^^^^^^ rofl

 

[Embee]

:laughhard:

 

[Embee]

I just shot an email off to FlukerFarms... see if they can tell me what those little buggers are!

I'll let ya know what I find out.

Em

 

[Ectotherm1]

Awesome.
I've been getting my crickets from a local place, but I sent an order for 100 to Flukers yesterday.

Embee, just noticed you're in Western WA, Me too!

 

[Embee]

Hey there,

Here is the reply I received from Flukers:

They're called feeder bugs they fly in with the cricket feed. Although pesty they're delicious says the reptiles, they seem to love them...lol. Sorry for the problem.

I guess now we know. :dontknow: But somehow, I still don't think I'll offer one to Cloudy... I'm just paranoid that way!

Flukers has been good for us, best shipping prices on the smaller orders (I usually order 250-500) for those of us "way out west." :wink: And they tend to send well over the amount ordered (for die off I assume) so that's nice as well. Couldn't keep paying pet store prices when our girl was eating upwards of 80-100 bugs a day (she's slowed a bit now that she' getting toward the year mark, whew!).

Ah, a fellow Western Washingtonian! Former Seattlelite living in Tacoma here!

Em

 

[Ectotherm1]

I wouldn't offer them either... they look too weird!

My little girl eats about 30-40 crickets a day, But I'm thinking I need to feed her much more.
It was $8.95 for 100 crix + orange cube.

I'm in Aberdeen, about 45 minutes outside of Olympia.

 

[Embee]

I wouldn't offer them either... they look too weird!

My little girl eats about 30-40 crickets a day, But I'm thinking I need to feed her much more.
It was $8.95 for 100 crix + orange cube.

I'm in Aberdeen, about 45 minutes outside of Olympia.

Hopefully you stayed a bit cooler during the heatwave then... a few degrees anyway.

How old is your little dragon? For babies and juvies (up to 1 - 1 1/2 years) the rule is this: offer live feeders 2-3 times per day as many as beardie will eat in 10-15 minutes. Healthy babies and juvies will eat upwards of 50-100 feeders a day, as well they should, all that growing to do! :mrgreen:

Just wanted to note on the cricket orange cubes: they are a good source of vitamins and water, but lack protein in a big way. I've found moistened beardie pellets to be an excellent source and the crickets love them which is nice of course, but my main objective is to offer beardie girl as much protein per bug as possible. There is also dry cricket food that offers a good amount of protein but I find the crickets make more a mess of it rather than actually eating it. :dontknow:

The best,
Em

 

[Ectotherm1]

Hopefully you stayed a bit cooler during the heatwave then... a few degrees anyway.

How old is your little dragon? For babies and juvies (up to 1 - 1 1/2 years) the rule is this: offer live feeders 2-3 times per day as many as beardie will eat in 10-15 minutes. Healthy babies and juvies will eat upwards of 50-100 feeders a day, as well they should, all that growing to do! :mrgreen:

Just wanted to note on the cricket orange cubes: they are a good source of vitamins and water, but lack protein in a big way. I've found moistened beardie pellets to be an excellent source and the crickets love them which is nice of course, but my main objective is to offer beardie girl as much protein per bug as possible. There is also dry cricket food that offers a good amount of protein but I find the crickets make more a mess of it rather than actually eating it. :dontknow:

The best,
Em

It was 96F in my room! I used house bulbs in my vivs (25watt) and they still stayed warm.

I'm not sure how old my dragon is exactly, but she's quite young. I have some pictures posted in the "Photo Expressions" forum and I'm about to post some more I just took in a second.

I'm feeding my crickets left over salad from my beardie, potatos/orange slices, and flukers dry food.

In total, I've fed my beardie about 50 crickets, probably more today. A little bit ago I offered her some crickets and she didn't go after them, or take them from tongs. I think she's full. LOL