Wild Crickets for Leos?

I've heard the arguments against (and agree with) giving wild caught mice/rats to snakes. However, does this also apply to wild crickets for geckos? We live in a semi-rural area and have lots of crickets/grasshoppers around all summer/fall long. I would imagine they would be much healthier for our Leo in terms of nutrition.

Please tell me your thoughts on why I should or should not feed wild caught crickets to our Leo. And if there is some risk, what is it and how likely is it? We do not use bug poison or fertilizer; and we rarely use weed killer.

Thanks.

pass on that grass.


microscopic bugs, pesticided greens......yucky with a capital Y

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Originally Posted by Patrick Long

microscopic bugs, pesticided greens......yucky with a capital Y

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We don't use pesticides and have 8 acres of grass/woods. What are the microscopic bugs that would put the Leo at risk?

Thanks.

You never know what internal parasites that cricket is carrying, and it's best not to find out the hard way.

A big, ol' definite NO.

It doesn't matter if you don't use pesticides, your neighbors might and it's never worth the risk.

Buying your own crickets, gutloading them with all types of healthy greens and grains and ensuring they are hydrated, is the BEST way to feed your Leo.

Or buy a colony of roaches. Roaches don't carry parasites, such as coccidia, like crickets do. They live longer and are an overall better feeder.

Roaches, um, yuck. I'm sure you're right. I'll have to think about it though.

Melissa, come on over to the dark side. I just started a breeding colony of dubia roaches for my leopard and a couple other animals.

The roaches are awesome! They don't smell, don't make noise, they live for a good year or more, they love warm, humid environments(so if they get out, they die, major plus), and they are VERY prolific breeders. Most of the species can't climb or fly. I like the babies, they look like little pill bugs.

Mine live in a cricket container from Armstrong Crickets(big white plastic container with mesh lid) on cypress mulch. They have some planter saucers as hides. I feed them chick feed and various veggies/dark greens. They are such easy things to raise.

My dubias live in a large plastic tub, with cork sheets to hide between and some egg cartons. I just throw various veggies in there, wheat bran..etc. Very easy to manage. If it wasn't for the smaller scorpions I have, I wouldn't feed crickets to anything anymore. The smaller scorpions I have don't seem to find the roaches as quickly.


They're great though. They make no noise, don't stink, don't carry parasites like crickets do, breed with a lot less fuss...etc.

Don't mean to hyjack a thread but, can you use wild caught mice to feed to your snakes if you freeze them?

No, because there are some parasites that survive freezing, such as tapeworm cysts. This is why we cook our pork!

Not that I wouldn't mind having a tapeworm for awhile.. ;)

I discovered the joy of hand feeding PT mealworms! How cute! She burped and said, "How come I never had those before?!"

I don't even know about having a hissing cockroach for educational purposes let alone a whole colony of little guys milling around in a bucket. For me, that's worse than TX Chainsaw Massacre. Did anyone see "Freak Show: The Movie"? One of the skits was the germaphobe freak overrun by roaches. While I'm not a germaphobe, it's still my worse nightmare. I would win on Fear Factor with snakes, but lose with roaches!!!

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

Not that I wouldn't mind having a tapeworm for awhile.. ;)

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Oh no, not for me. :O

There was a tv program featuring someone who intentionally infected himself and filmed all the way through - gave me the heebies eventually.

Then he treated himself and ....erm...."harvested" it with a seive.

Layed it out on the lawn to measure it and managed to break it into peices - I honestly thought he was going to cry. :8:


dr del

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Originally Posted by pythontricker

Don't mean to hyjack a thread but, can you use wild caught mice to feed to your snakes if you freeze them?

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I know a guy that does this even with road kill. And he is the local timber rattlesnake expert and has worked with DNR. It's a matter of risk and benefit. We all make our own choices about that.

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Originally Posted by dr del

Oh no, not for me. :O

There was a tv program featuring someone who intentionally infected himself and filmed all the way through - gave me the heebies eventually.

Then he treated himself and ....erm...."harvested" it with a seive.

Layed it out on the lawn to measure it and managed to break it into peices - I honestly thought he was going to cry. :8:


dr del

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OK, this might qualify for one of the grossest hijacks.

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Originally Posted by MelissaFlipski

OK, this might qualify for one of the grossest hijacks.

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Woohoo!!:banana:


Do I win a prize?:please:


dr del

I just got 2 leo's a few weeks ago, the last owner said they didn't like mealworms. Well they do like them, I had feed them, & then leave some in the dish, they chow down on them!!!

hand feeding, I try not to do too much. Cause my Beardie is SPOILED now.. I have to hand feed him his greens most of the time. LOL
:taz:

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Originally Posted by MelissaFlipski

I discovered the joy of hand feeding PT mealworms! How cute! She burped and said, "How come I never had those before?!"

I don't even know about having a hissing cockroach for educational purposes let alone a whole colony of little guys milling around in a bucket. For me, that's worse than TX Chainsaw Massacre. Did anyone see "Freak Show: The Movie"? One of the skits was the germaphobe freak overrun by roaches. While I'm not a germaphobe, it's still my worse nightmare. I would win on Fear Factor with snakes, but lose with roaches!!!

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My leo refuses to be hand fed now. Likes crickets and meal worms. And I did decide to feed wild crickets from our pristine, chemical-free 8 acres. Parasites carried by crickets would probably not pass over to geckos. It's my personal decision. Don't crucify me for it. I'll let you know if she ever has a problem. Personally, I think those big black field crickets are much more nutritiuos than those in-bred pet store crickets.

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Originally Posted by MelissaFlipski

My leo refuses to be hand fed now. Likes crickets and meal worms. And I did decide to feed wild crickets from our pristine, chemical-free 8 acres. Parasites carried by crickets would probably not pass over to geckos. It's my personal decision. Don't crucify me for it. I'll let you know if she ever has a problem. Personally, I think those big black field crickets are much more nutritiuos than those in-bred pet store crickets.

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I agree with you, I feed wild grasshoppers and beattles to my water dragon all the time. heck they come already gut loaded!

And there is nothing wrong with him at all (except for the leg growing out of his head :cool:)

personally I think we baby reptiles a little to much, after all they have been around millions of years and are alot tougher than most give them credit for IMO.

The way that I see it.

Is a 12 cent cricket vs a wild caught cricket worth HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS of dollars worth of vet bills if the cricket does in fact have parasites?

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Originally Posted by Patrick Long

The way that I see it.

Is a 12 cent cricket vs a wild caught cricket worth HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS of dollars worth of vet bills if the cricket does in fact have parasites?

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Personally I agree with pat on this. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to "crucify" someone who decides to do otherwise, to each their own and I wish you the best of luck and hope nothing bad ever comes of it, it's just in my opinion that i'd rather not take the risk, regardless of how slight it might be. Either way, good luck.

For me it's simple - wild predators eat wild prey, captive predators eat captive prey. :)

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

For me it's simple - wild predators eat wild prey, captive predators eat captive prey. :)

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Well said. :gj:

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

For me it's simple - wild predators eat wild prey, captive predators eat captive prey. :)

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I get your point. But I think wild prey is healthier in this case. Naturally gut loaded, more exercise, free range. I'll do more research when I have time, but I don't think there is much of a risk b/c, as far as I know, the same parasites can't live in the wild crickets as in the leopard gecko. Some of you might hate the comparison, but in the 60's everyone, especially doctors, was telling moms to use formula to feed their babies and that is was healthier. Now they know better.

We use no chemicals on our yard - no fertilizer, no pesticides, etc. We have used an herbicide only very rarely, and not recently, that is "green."

But I understand the 12 cent argument - but it's not about money for me. It's about variety and ease of "bringing home the bacon." He gets mostly store bought, but is supplemented with wild caught crickets. Our Blue Tongue Skink gets wild caught grasshopppers; our African Pygmy Hedgehog gets wild caught pill bugs, crickets, ground beetles, moths, and an occasional earth worm. I think they are healthier for it. JMHO.

When I feed crickets to my leos I invariably lose some in the house. They chirp away and I cant find them. I drop mealworms on the floor and can't find them. I have thought of breeding roaches but I am afraid of ending up with a roach infestation which probably wouldn't sit too well with my wife. Are my fears unfounded?

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Originally Posted by dsirkle

When I feed crickets to my leos I invariably lose some in the house. They chirp away and I cant find them. I drop mealworms on the floor and can't find them. I have thought of breeding roaches but I am afraid of ending up with a roach infestation which probably wouldn't sit too well with my wife. Are my fears unfounded?

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Depends on the roaches, I think. I'm hoping to start a colony of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches for feeder insects for the skink, gecko, hedgehog, and frogs. If you put about a 4" wide swath of Vaseline around the top, they can't escape. If you don't drop a pregnant female, you should be fine. Just tell her it happened.

I'm thinking about mealworms. How many did you start with for growing your own?

NOO! just stick with store bought!