box elder bugs

[betsyjean79]

Are box elder bugs ok to feed to a cham? A friend of mine has a ton of them at his house (pesticide free) and has offered to catch some for me. I was hoping someone here would have some insight. Thanks.

[meow_mix450]

Try and put ur post in food for thought forum they might kno the answer just giving ideas

[Charm_Paradise]

betsyjean79-

Here is a good link for some safe wild and store bought bugs. Bug Link I don't like to use wild bugs because I don't know where they have been. Just because you don't use pesticides in your home doesn't mean your neighbors don't and the bugs probably travel from house to house. I would only use wild bugs if the area I was collecting them from was in the country side. Play it safe. Hope this helps!

[betsyjean79]

The area is the countryside. That's one of the reasons I am considering it. I will try the Food for Thought forum. I didn't think about that one Thanks

[Wuntu Menny]

I wouldn't recommend it. Box elder bugs excrete a noxious substance when threatened, similar to ladybug beetles. I doubt it would be lethally toxic, but I'm sure your chameleon would only try it once.

[Trace]

LOL! Darkling Beetles (adult mealworms) excrete a noxious odour as well, how chameleons smell it is beyond me, but all of my wog-eyed monsters have eaten them once and never again!

Cheers!

Trace

[Wuntu Menny]

I didn't know that about darklings, I assumed there must be something distasteful about them judging by the reaction of the chameleons. I thought it might have something to do with their extra crunchy armor. Thanks Trace!

Good job on the R. brevis. I can't believe you extracted the eggs to incubate. A friend of mine has produced several clutches and he always leaves them to incubate in situ. With good results I should add. The toughest part about raising the neos seems to be getting them over the hump and into subadulthood. They are obviously very delicate and vulnerable to everything.

Good luck!

WM