# Alternative livefood for beardies??!! Help!!!



## sweetpepper (Apr 5, 2011)

Hi all - I really need some help!! At the risk of being completely lambasted by everyone out there, I've discovered today on my very first day of beardie ownership that feeding crickets is completely freaking me out!! I honestly never thought for one second that I would have a problem with this as I'm normally not really a wuss at this sort of stuff but I was literally crying like a baby this afternoon because one hopped out of the dish after I dusted it!! Is there anything, anything, that I can feed as a livefood other than crickets??!! Please??!!! God, you're all so going to hate me aren't you?! Please try and be nice, I'm literally sniffling as I'm typing this - I'm such a big girl's blouse and I'm quite ashamed of myself!!:lol2:


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

I'm with you here - crickets are the pits. I will never use them. You could try locust (hoppers) or roaches. If your beardie is an adult then Morio worms are also good. Mealworms can be fed in moderation although some youngsters can find too many indigestible.


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## awh (Aug 20, 2008)

what you culd do is place them in the fridge for a few minutes this will slow them down then tip a few into a plastic bag with the dust shake bag and then tip crickets in viv 

dont leave them in the fridge to long as you will kill them 

other than that its locusts and roaches i hated picking crickets up but can now do so easily i hate roaches though


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

I vote for Roaches xD Sounds so much more disgusting then it is  You're after _Dubia Blaptica_, not the normal vermin kinds  i switched to them after the stinky roaches kept escaping from me viv


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## yellrat (Jun 13, 2008)

imitebmike said:


> I vote for Roaches xD Sounds so much more disgusting then it is  You're after _Dubia Blaptica_, not the normal vermin kinds  i switched to them after the *stinky* *roaches* kept escaping from me viv


Did you mean stinky crickets ? 

i agree Dubia roaches are great livefood


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

err...that was just placed there to see if you were paying attention, you was so well done :O


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

I won't have crickets in my house, I feed all my lizards on hoppers (locusts) and mealworms. There is no technical need to feed crickets if you don't want, a correctly dusted hopper/mealworm/salad based diet is still nutritionally sound. I'm not sure if you're freaked out by crickets if you will find hoppers easier or not though, and they are a bit more expensive.


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## sweetpepper (Apr 5, 2011)

Thank you all loads for the advice!! I don't feel quite so bad now about being such a baby :lol2: I have taken the advice on the dubia roaches and have ordered some to see how they work out. I think it may the hopping thing that freaks me out, along with the rustling and the godawful smell!! Wish me luck!!


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

I do wish you luck. If you find Dubias ok then the best thing to do is set up your own colony (instructions on the feeder section of the forum). I don't like the adults (but I am getting used to them) but the nymphs are just like large woodlice and I find OK. They don't smell, they don't jump, they don't escape, they don't chirp. I set up my colony 6 months ago and now I have more than enough offspring to feed all my lizards and plenty to sell as well. As they are fed mainly on veggie kitchen peelings and a bit of dry cat food I actually make a profit on them and have most of my livefood to boot!


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## hideandseek (Jan 10, 2011)

buy a cricket feeder that way you do not need to touch them just tap the tube in the beardie's cage !! good luck :2thumb:


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## ElfDa (Apr 26, 2011)

I am SO with you on the crickets. *shudders*
guh; just thinking about the little hopping bastards makes my skin crawl.
ugh! they smell, they eat each other, they'll leap on your pet and freak it out...

I've always rather liked wax worms for lizards. They are soft and squishy, and therefore easy to decapitate, if necessary, and are easy to feed.
Not stinky, in my experience, and even the pupae are nummy (to a lizard)! :lol2:

Greg, my old gecko, would come running out of his hide no matter what the time of day when I called out "Greg! Wax worms!". <3

Gut load 'em with oats and honey and calcium (and powdered royal jelly, if you can find it).

I'll see if I can find my old gut-loading recipe book...
I've since turned to tortoises, but I'm sure it's around my folk's place, somewhere.


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## alspider (Jul 19, 2009)

i prefer locusts as there pretty and there dumb so if they do escape you will spot them in no time unlike roaches that will instantly hide then you find one crawling on you in the night like i did :mf_dribble:


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## awh (Aug 20, 2008)

ElfDa said:


> I am SO with you on the crickets. *shudders*
> guh; just thinking about the little hopping bastards makes my skin crawl.
> ugh! they smell, they eat each other, they'll leap on your pet and freak it out...
> 
> ...


 wax worms should be fed as a treat not as a staple food as they are high in fat


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## OlyFroggyBoy (Nov 18, 2009)

I actualy quite like crickets. I name all mine :whistling2:


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## ElfDa (Apr 26, 2011)

awh said:


> wax worms should be fed as a treat not as a staple food as they are high in fat


well, now i know! :blush:

Greg did get crickets and meal worms, too, in case you were worried.
but i always liked the wax worms best... as did he. 

and they kinda helped me get over my fear of meal worms. :blush:


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## ElfDa (Apr 26, 2011)

alspider said:


> i prefer locusts as there pretty and there dumb so if they do escape you will spot them in no time unlike roaches that will instantly hide then you find one crawling on you in the night like i did :mf_dribble:


that. is terrifying.
*makes a note to avoid roaches*


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## yellrat (Jun 13, 2008)

its only a roach not going to eat you


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## ElfDa (Apr 26, 2011)

not sure I believe you.


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## Christie&Spence (Feb 27, 2010)

Locusts. What about Morio worms? They're huge mealworms. My Water Dragon loves them


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## smccall13 (Jul 3, 2008)

Totally get the creeps from crickets! Ive always used locusts as a staple for my beardies with rhe occasional wax and meal worms as a treat but i now have 29 eggs in the incubator! Im gonna have to get over this before they hatch coz ill need to order loads of tiny crickets for them ... Im dreading it


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## Queenfreak (Oct 12, 2010)

Micro crickets are fine. I dump feeder food in with carrot pieces sprinkled with calcium. When you want some out tilt the box so they are all in a corner then tip some into another box, bag which already has required powder/s in. Give it a shake and tip them in the enclosure. No need for leg amputations :2thumb:


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## smccall13 (Jul 3, 2008)

You make it sound not too bad!! Ill just need to get used to it my babies will need feeding!


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