is there any substitue for crickets?

[olivera]

hi!
i've been really wanting to get a bearded dragon, but unfortunately i'm very very terrified of insects, especially ones that hop and leap around..is there any substitute for live crickets?
i've read on yahoo answers that silkworms, hornworms and mealworms (according to some) can be fed as a substitute, but i want to be 100% sure before i get a bearded dragon.. i don't want to do it any harm!
thanks!!!

 

[richard]

fear of insects and dragons are not a good mix. mealworms are not recommended because they have a hard shell and are hard to digest. if you dont like crickets then i doubt you'll like roaches any better. my advice would be to get an adult already well established dragon from a breeder that can be fed superworms hornworms and silk worms. let us know what you decide and let our members help you with the dragons diet and husbandry. we have good knowledgable breeders and owners on this forum. good luck

 

[richard]

p.s. tell em fliehigh!!!!

 

[richard]

sorry, i couldnt resist

 

[Fliehigh]

p.s. tell em fliehigh!!!!

Tell em what?

You are doing fine so far.

 

[Josh]

Hi Olivera and Welcome to the forum!

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Welcome Aboard.
I use dubia roaches, superworms, hornworms, and silkworms.

 

[olivera]

fear of insects and dragons are not a good mix. mealworms are not recommended because they have a hard shell and are hard to digest. if you dont like crickets then i doubt you'll like roaches any better. my advice would be to get an adult already well established dragon from a breeder that can be fed superworms hornworms and silk worms. let us know what you decide and let our members help you with the dragons diet and husbandry. we have good knowledgable breeders and owners on this forum. good luck

i heard that they won't bond with you unless they know you from when they're babies.. is that true? also what about reptiworms?

and thanks for the welcomes!

 

[Fliehigh]

Not True.

It may take a little longer as adults but most dragons are very laid back and take to almost anyone, with patience and time.

 

[Jp]

Welcome to the forum, Olivera. The substitutes you are considering instead of crickets are great for dragons but like Richard mentioned, the shells of mealworms can be hard 2 digest & they shouldn't be used as a staple food.

 

[olivera]

i've researched a bit about dubia roaches, and i think i'll be able to handle using them, since they don't jump around.. are they a good staple food?
thank you for your responses!!

 

[Bill]

i've researched a bit about dubia roaches, and i think i'll be able to handle using them, since they don't jump around.. are they a good staple food?
thank you for your responses!!

The Best

 

[olivera]

just my luck.. dubia roaches are illegal in canada
are there any other roaches i could use?

 

[Fliehigh]

just my luck.. dubia roaches are illegal in canada
are there any other roaches i could use?

Where do you live in Canada?

Trust me, People have them. I am on the east coast and I know of at least 6 colonies.

 

[olivera]

Where do you live in Canada?

Trust me, People have them. I am on the east coast and I know of at least 6 colonies.

i live in toronto.. i've searched for them on online postings but everytime i find out they're flagged or deleted

 

[Fliehigh]

I just PM'd you.

 

[jessicap]

I bought an adult dragon and he is great. Very laid back. He let me pick him up and he ate from my hand right away. I just made sure he would allow me to before I bought him.

 

[richard]

congrats!!!

 

[tdrost]

I am over here on the other side of the map (alberta) and was trying to get some dubia roaches too. Is it true that they are easy to start a colony with ony 25 or so.
What is the difference between a Dubia roach and a regular roach?

I was told at a reptile expo from a bug guy that
~it is illegal to sell them in Canada,
~it is illegal to buy them in Canada,
~but it is NOT illegal to have them for your own use.....
ok, so we can have them, but can't buy them.
Easy enough...if somebody Gifts me roaches, I can Gift them cash.

 

[Brett]

Dubia and Superworms are both good and easy to breed. They can be started with just a few but it takes a while to get a sustainable colony going. If you start out small your probably looking at 6 months or longer to get a good colony.