Thread: The WORST season in Golden Gate Geckos' history!

This breeding season has been the most horrible season in GGG history. Not only did breeding season get started about 3 months late, but I have been plagued with ovulating females that will not breed, infertile and single egg clutches from proven females, egg failures, hatchling mortality, small non-thriving hatchlings, and deformities... some so bad I had to euthanize them right out of the egg.

This year, I have only produced about 50% of my usual number of geckos, and out of those my hatch rate is about only 60%. I have had approximately 10% of those with deformities. Geckos born with no eyes, underdeveloped limbs, and some that were so grotesquely deformed I was nauseated and felt like I was going to faint.

Until the last few weeks, I dreaded looking in my incubator!

I have been essentially out of mealworms for almost 3 months, and have been feeding my adults Superworms and the babies small supers and crickets. Since I have not been feeding mealworms, not one single egg that has hatched had any problems! Not one!!!

I can't prove anything, but I TRULY feel that whatever was/is wrong with the mealworms is affecting my geckos. I have heard there was a problem with insecticide in the bedding, and also that it is a mold spore issue that has caused the mealworms to die off. Well, many mold spores are toxic! I think that my adult breeders have been somehow poisoned by the mealworms... it would certainly explain the low fertility and deformities.

I have not changed a thing about my husbandry, feeding, supplementation, or incubation this year. Everything is the same as it always has been. I am so depressed and discouraged...

Am I the only one that is having these kinds of issues???

Well this is my first year breeding. But it seems that about 50% of my eggs have gone bad (I would have to check the records for a more accurate count, but that is most likely right on) And I have a proven breeder female that I’m using to test breed a male, she has laid 8 eggs, non have been fertile. I have also had problems with females laying outside the lay box. And I have a proven breeder that has laid only 2 one egg clutches, and each of those eggs where infertile, this being only her third year. Also I have a few females that still aren’t ovulating. And a few other geckos, that seemed to lay a 1 clutch, and decided they where done, although young and proven. I haven’t had any deformities yet, which is good, as I did have incubation fluctuations.

I just figured all of this was normal…

I hope your season can turn around!!!!!

You're not the only one. We've had lots of 2nd and 3rd year females who either would not breed or did and only laid a few clutches, others that bred and didn't lay at all. We've always had crickets around for our Cresteds so we feed both mealworms and crickets to our Leos (now only crickets). I'd say that nearly half of our females didn't lay any fertile eggs this year. A few females did lay fertile eggs that all went bad. I don't know what's going on but it is really strange that so many people are having rough seasons this year.

I've had several deformities hatch in the past couple of months and also many eggs going bad. I've also had females that, although they had egg folicles, did not become gravid. I'm to the point where I just want my season to be over.

I don't know what's going on but it is really strange that so many people are having rough seasons this year.

Well I’m just glad this isn’t normal. I guess now I can hope for a better season, next year!


I hope other people's seasons improve!

I have not had a multitude of issues as you have had, and I haven't had too many deformities to speak of, but some of my usually solid breeder females have let me down this year much the same way as have some of yours. I have noticed however that my adults in particular have been thriving more visibly (getting fat) since the switch to Superworms. Of course I was able to get mealies again yesterday and most of my breeders are done for the year anyway, so I may not be able to get too much data to compare since most were on mealies during the better part of the laying season. I imagine though that if the eggs laid while the females were on Supers have a markedly higher hatch rate than previous clutches or other females that laid earlier in the year, some conclusions may be drawn.

That really sucks...

I've been very lucky so far this year and have a 100% hatch rate... Egg production has been almost too good... Hopefully this carries through for my Bell group, but I already have two infertiles...

Btw, my adults have always eaten supers...

I'm beginning to wonder about the mealworm issue myself... The past few years have been great for me with practically zero deformities and now this. What the heck is going on?

Hmm this is my first "real" season...I thought it was just me. I feed only mealworms also. I have had a few deformaties, nothing major thank god. And a pretty big number of bad eggs. Once again I thought it was my "noob-ness" maybe not. Now that you guess are dreading the rest of the season I am excited to think next year i could do much better...DO you think the mealworms we are getting now are still "bad" or has this problem been resolved?

I'm no breeder but I'm really sorry that you've had such a bad season. Keep your head up and next season will turn up for you!