Some Beardie Questions

[LIZARDLOVER]

So I'm just curious, who here has fed wild insects without problems to their beardies? I understand it's a hot topic and most forums freak out with bad responses, but I'm curious if any of it has merit. One of my good friends has fed his beardie grasshoppers from the fields away from pesticides for years with no issues. Anyone else? And what about earthworms, are they safe? I've heard mixed answers. Lastly, has anyone had a young beardie go from calm and active to freakishly aggressive and defensive? It seems mine hit the terrible stage, and I'm not sure if it will go away. Thanks!

 

[Tongue Flicker]

As long as it came from an obviously clean natural environment then it's fine. Be ready for the possibility of parasites nevertheless

 

[Sasha2]

I used to feed my halmahara geckos moths, they loved chasing those things around.
Ive heard earth worms carry a pretty high parasite load so Id be wary of those(dont know if its true or not).

 

[LIZARDLOVER]

Alright. I was thinking about trying some grasshoppers from the local fields in the open space. It's state land so I can't imagine there would be pesticides around.

 

[Olympus]

I collect wild insects all the time for my chameleons mainly, but the small ones go to the geckos. As long as the area is clean, and you KNOW what you are catching (obviously don't feed anything that you can't identify or that wears warning colors, like red and black. A field guide is a good idea.) you'll be fine. Yes they carry the chance of parasites but so do the crickets you buy commercially, so you should be running a fecal on all pet reptiles every 6 months anyway, regardless of whether you feed WC or not.

Mine love it when it's grasshopper season! We get some pretty large locusts that my giant chameleons adore, along with some mantids, and then the geckos get any little grasshoppers or bugs that I snag in my net.

 

[LIZARDLOVER]

Alright, that's awesome to hear. Thanks!