Best alternative to crix?

[Phox]

I was doing alot of searching on some forums and noticed alot of people saying crickets are the cause of their herps coccidia. Im currently going through it with my Beardie right now and its probably gonna take a second treament due to the severity of his coccidia, and I dont want him to have to go through this again. So...What would be the best alternative to crickets? Silkworms?

[eyespy]

The only way that crickets can cause coccidia is if they have been exposed to reptiles that are carrying coccidia. There are over 2,000 different types of coccidia and reptilian strains do not affect crickets and vice versa. If you are buying crickets from a pet store, that's the primary vector for carrying coccidia. Not the crickets themselves, but the fact that careful handwashing isn't done and so the cricket bin becomes contaminated. Mealworms, superworms, silkworms, etc. are all the same deal. None of them naturally carry strains of parasites that can cause illness in reptiles but they can be intermediate carriers if exposed to reptilian strains. You're no safer switching, if they are coming from the same shop.

If you buy crickets from a breeder and avoid pet stores, the odds of contracting coccidia from crickets is no higher than bringing it into the house through water or greens.

[ChristinaM]

On a nutritional level, both silkworms and butterworms exceed crickets. Both are very high in calcium and fairly easy to keep. I don't know bout crix and coccidia, but I do know my feeder bugs :) Both worms are more expensive than crix, but you feed less. 1 large silkie would be equal to 4-5 crix. They don't stink, they don't escape and make noise in your house....generally beardies love em :D And no, I don't sell, or represent anyone selling wormies. I just happen to know a fair amount on feeder bugs. (yah, that's something to be proud of eh LOL)

[Phox]

Thanks for the replies!

Eyespy.. Interesting information. I usually buy crickets locally from two diffrent places. One place being a herp shop, the other being a pet store. I could easily see the pet store being the cause, they seem so careless with there animals sometimes, but ya never know. He might of possibly had it when I bought him. Well probably my best bet is to stick to one place and if he gets it again, well then theres the cause. I think I'll stay with the herp store, for now.

Bichiraddict..Thanks, Ill definately keep that info in mind!

[foman]

kingworms. mine love 'em.

[drewlowe]

i personally don't feed mealies to my beardies but i do know my female beardie goes nuts for butterworms. She will lunge her self out of the cage to get to them. but they are pretty expensive where i get them it's 17.99 for 100 of them. and if i let her she would devore them all and ask for more. they will also eat silkworms but they don't care for them too much. They get a main diet of beardie pellets with greens,veggies, fruits(treats), and insects though.

To be on the safe side i would get a regular fecal done once or twice a year.

[ChristinaM]

Originally posted by drewlowe
but they are pretty expensive where i get them it's 17.99 for 100 of them.

You think that's bad LOL, I pay 30 for 100 large, or 20 for 100 sm. :rolleyes: didn't do the math, maybe its around the same once the $$ conversion....

either way, they are expensive. :mad: