The age old question.....

[Ixidor]

Crickets or Mealies guys? or anything else you guys staple hehe this is going to be funny

[Tim and Julie B]

Best to use a variety all the time. Crix or mealies, when gut-loaded properly, are great staples. Then add some silkies, butterworms and supers and voila!, healthy reptiles. It all depends on the food you give your bugs first.

Julie

[ReptiliansDOTca]

Mealworms, in my opinion, are a horrible staple feeder item. If we are referring to the best staple diet, of course included with a variety of other insects, then definitely crickets. Silkworms are even better, but much more costly.

[little_dragon_]

Crickets equal exercise and protein

[Wilma]

I find its hard for the leos to catch the crickets, are my guys just lazy? I use them as a treat along with wax worms. I guess I should just keep trying and get these guys to move their tails!

[klein]

mine are on crickets and get mealies as a treat the odd time, they have been very healthy, no problems as of yet

[Samba]

Both are great staples, however, I've been told that juvenile crickets are the most nutritious. I primarily feed my geckos crickets; the crickets help keep the geckos stimulated and fit. Excercise, however little, is just as important for your gecko as calcium and heat are.

I've heard that mealworms contain less nutritious content and have a much more chitin as compared to crickets. I always keep my girls' diets varied and interesting... therefore they really don't have a staple.

Hope this entertains your thoughts...

[HeatherK]

Originally posted by Wilma
I find its hard for the leos to catch the crickets, are my guys just lazy?

I have one of those lazy cricket catchers (non-catchers?) as well. Used to love them, until I switched over to mealies. Must have decided that the crickets took too much work :rolleyes: The only thing stopping me from trying again is I hate dealing with the darn things :) and loose crickets in the tank are a pain. I just try to vary the diet with other critters (he gets out of his tank for excersise). He has been known to change his tastes before, so I might try to get a small amount and see if he wants any.

[hobotramp]

Mealies 24/7, crix every couple days as well as a mix of butters, silks, Kings, and the occasional wax.

[DragnDrop]

Most of my adults prefer mealworms and superworms, anything but crickets. Seems they don't like catching their food on the run. Around here, the adults always have superworms and/or mealworms in the bowl, and crickets once or twice a week. They also get silkworms, silkmoths, butterworms and a few other things as treats off and on.
Babies and juvies start with crickets, then when they're eating properly, I introduce mealworms, tiny supers (I raise them so I have every size), as well as silks and butters if there are some the right size.

As long as the feeders are properly gutloaded it doesn't matter if you only use mealies/supers or crickets. The gecko needs to get all the proper nutrients. It makes no difference if those nutrients are served up in a variety of bugs, or always inside mealworms. It's not how it's served, it's what you serve that counts.

[lostwithin]

I find mealworms easier too breed. I set up 2 containers, one I put 3 inches of oatmeal, and a slice of potato and let them turn too beetles, and the other I through a couple dozen into it at a time and its for gut loading the weeks supply. Then at the end of the week reach into my breeder bin and move some nice sized worms into the gut-loading bin.
Devon