# Locust



## Blueladybird (Jan 20, 2008)

Hi all, I'm Molly, I'm new to the forum and have a question about Locust. My wee Beardie Spike is 8 months old and will happily eat anything i put in front of him as long as it moves. Of all the crawly wee beasts i currently have in my kitchen the locust are the ones that freak me out the least (to the point one escaped locust was sitting on the toaster this morning and i had calmly picked it up and put it back in the box before i realised how squeamish i am about insects!)

My apologies for rambling, my question is, is it ok for Spike to have Locust as his staple feeder insect with crix and worms being fed less often or should he be on mainly crix? I've had alot of very conflicting info on the matter so any help greatly apreciated.


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## TheOne23 (Dec 1, 2007)

My beardie loves the locusts and I would say as long as the locust is of the correct size and not to big for him to consume then I dont see why not. I hate the crickets also and I just use metal feeding tongs but I am starting to grab them by hand more and more and slowly getting used to them. I suggest just slowly getting used to the crickets as they are a lot softer for your beardie and crickets are hell of a lot cheaper than locusts in the long run. Hope I helped! :no1:


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## Blueladybird (Jan 20, 2008)

Hey thanks, didn't expect a reply so quickly! I use tong for the crix but still had a few escapes! Nasty wee buggers keep ganging up on me:blush:. I know the locust can be expensive but i can buy 100 for about £10 online which keeps the cost down a bit but i'm worried about impaction, though i only use smallish hoppers. R they harder for beardies to digest?


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## pecks (Dec 29, 2007)

You should find the smaller hoppers are softer, non of that huge wings and legs stuff. Could even try breeding them yourself and keep the cost down further.


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## Pmowbs (Nov 27, 2007)

Hey, ive bin feeding my beardie on locusts as staple for about a month and he seems to be doing just fine. I agree that crickets are horible things! although im thinking about getting some soon and trying them again as it costs me like £10 a week to feed him on locusts .


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## Blueladybird (Jan 20, 2008)

That's not a bad plan but think my hubby would move out if i started breeding locust. He can tolerate a tank of them as long as it's not in his direct eye line, he's even been quite good about the odd escapee but i think a colony would have him running for the hills! (he's a big jessie really)

The only way i convinced him to 'let me' get Spike was based on my theory that 'he won't eat insects forever' I don't think that poor man really understood what he was getting himself into the day he met me!


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## ultimate_boides (Nov 18, 2007)

Of course you can use locusts as a staple, i have done for the last 11 years without problem. Crickets are a pain in the proverbial :censor:. 

I use locusts as a staple for rankins and bearded dragons, monitors and geckos as well as my tree frogs, very occasionally i will get a few tubs of crickets for a treat but thats all. 

You cant and wont go wrong with locusts. 

A locust will be absolouty fine ive had baby beardies eat winged locusts that are out without problem and they're almost as big as them :whistling2: :lol2:


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## Blueladybird (Jan 20, 2008)

Hey everyone thanks for the advice it's much appreciated. I'm glad that locust will be cool for staple feeder as the crickets really make my skin crawl, i'm willing to spend the extra pennies as long as i never have to find another cricket in my hair! The locust seem so dozy, they practically walk up to Spike saying 'eat me' and when they escape they don't hide under the fridge and start 'singing' at 3am.


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## Grakky (Dec 4, 2007)

I still cannot comprehend why people can be scared of/dislike crickets and be ok with locusts, crickets I can just about cope with but locusts, eurgh, they terrify me!

but to the point, locusts are fine, I don't know from personal experience, but I know plenty of people who just use them.


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## Blueladybird (Jan 20, 2008)

Grakky said:


> I still cannot comprehend why people can be scared of/dislike crickets and be ok with locusts, crickets I can just about cope with but locusts, eurgh, they terrify me!
> 
> but to the point, locusts are fine, I don't know from personal experience, but I know plenty of people who just use them.


Until last week i'd have agreed with you wholly on that but my hubby got locust instead of crickets by mistake (he's easily confused) and i just found the locust easier to handle. My initial reaction was 'TAKE THEM AWAY! DON'T OPEN THE BOX THEY'LL KILL US ALL!' :blush: but then Spike was lookin at me as if to say 'feed me woman i'm wasting away!' so i pulled myself together, got the 12" tongs and opened the box. They seemed pretty mellow, none of them tried to jump at my face (the crickets are out to get me i swear) and they were all gone within 10 mins, no hunting for them before lights out like with the crickets. An like i say, when they escape they're too dumb to hide and don't really seem to mind being caught again.


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## Grakky (Dec 4, 2007)

Blueladybird said:


> 'TAKE THEM AWAY! DON'T OPEN THE BOX THEY'LL KILL US ALL!' :blush:


haha that was excellent

I think I'll stick with crix though.

...small ones


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## Malky (Feb 24, 2008)

Medium crix do me, locusts look like giant things out of a horror movie.


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## emmzy (Jan 24, 2007)

as long as they dont look at me i prefer locusts if they start looking i freak tho they have creepy faces, but i cant stand the noise of crickets yrs ago i used to think it was relaxing ha:| not anymore thats all i can hear right now swqeek sqweek:| damn the petshop for havin no locusts left!


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## Blueladybird (Jan 20, 2008)

emmzy said:


> as long as they dont look at me i prefer locusts if they start looking i freak tho


:lol2: I'm actually getting quite attached to the locust (although they still go in the fridge for a few mins before i open the box!)

Just noticed yesterday though that they seem to be eating each other! Didn't know they were cannibalistic, was quite upset really, i thought i had a wee utopian scociety going!


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## Harrison (Feb 29, 2008)

Grakky said:


> I still cannot comprehend why people can be scared of/dislike crickets and be ok with locusts, crickets I can just about cope with but locusts, eurgh, they terrify me!
> 
> but to the point, locusts are fine, I don't know from personal experience, but I know plenty of people who just use them.


I agree. They both freak me out and I don't see how one could possibly be any better than the other!


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## Malky (Feb 24, 2008)

I've changed now, it's strange I only posted that post the other night.. I use small locusts and they're fine with Charlie


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## sarah1207 (Dec 17, 2007)

crickets are mean., my local shop ran out of locust so i swaped to crickets omg i cant wait for thursday and locust be back in stock,,,,,,,, i sware they are out to eat me.... never mind the beardies,


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## Blueladybird (Jan 20, 2008)

sarah1207 said:


> crickets are mean., my local shop ran out of locust so i swaped to crickets omg i cant wait for thursday and locust be back in stock,,,,,,,, i sware they are out to eat me.... never mind the beardies,


Soooooo glad it's not just me! They r evil, and they r clever! They watch and watch and the minute they get the chance they're in your hair or running up you arm.

I will confess to having screamed like a girl on more than one occassion:blush:
(yes i know i am a girl but i don't often scream)


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## sarah1207 (Dec 17, 2007)

lol i had one crawling up my arm while i was eating my dinner today, not good lol, my toddler seems to think they belong on the floor and no in the tubs, . i now got 500 of the blighters lmao stairing at me as i type from there nice sealed tubs


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## RedGex (Dec 29, 2007)

Crickets freak me out, they didn't use to - but when my partner caught a stray one and it but him, it kinda put me off....!!!! Have to confess when one jumped out on to my hand i threw the entire tub into the air, with a few crix flying out on to the floor, and ran away.....:blush: Luckily the tub flew into the viv, much to my beardies delight!


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## Blueladybird (Jan 20, 2008)

sarah1207 said:


> lol i had one crawling up my arm while i was eating my dinner today, not good lol, my toddler seems to think they belong on the floor and no in the tubs, . i now got 500 of the blighters lmao stairing at me as i type from there nice sealed tubs


God i would have died! Funnily my toddler is more into the feeder insects than she is in the beardie. She stands in front of the locust tank for ages talking to them and counting them (1,2,3,6,9,7 etc etc)



RedGex said:


> Crickets freak me out, they didn't use to - but when my partner caught a stray one and it but him, it kinda put me off....!!!! Have to confess when one jumped out on to my hand i threw the entire tub into the air, with a few crix flying out on to the floor, and ran away.....:blush: Luckily the tub flew into the viv, much to my beardies delight!


God that was lucky! I had a box in the fridge a few weeks ago, unbeknownst to my step-daughter, she opened the fridge door and the box landed on her head and opened all over her! Dunno who screamed louder me or her - prob her:lol2:

Took ages to catch (i.e. squish) the wee buggers an i haven't bought any since!


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## PRS (Dec 31, 2007)

No luck breeding mine most of mine died out so i released the few alive lol


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## martin day (May 18, 2006)

i hate crickets theyre horrible i prefere locusts any day ,my house is like im abroad they chirp all bloody night :bash: i didnt think id be able to use locusts as a staple diet so im glad this thread was made because from now crickets are just used for a treat : victory:


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## Blueladybird (Jan 20, 2008)

Aaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!!

Spike has decided he's bored with locust!!!:bash:

I have over 100 of them!!!!


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## sarah1207 (Dec 17, 2007)

aww mine are on crickets at the min but they are only about 8/10 weeks old,


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## Grakky (Dec 4, 2007)

I HAVE CHANGED MY MIND 


:lol2:


after having to get locust to try on a non-eating gecko I realise that they are like a zillion time better than crix, I can even pick these ones up - and not have to chase them around with tweezers for hours!

Locusts Rock!


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## Blueladybird (Jan 20, 2008)

:lol2:


Grakky said:


> I HAVE CHANGED MY MIND
> 
> 
> 
> ...


:lol2:


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