Our gecko girls seem to be thriving. They've started eating a more varied diet -- I've introduced them to crickets in addition to the mealworms that were their sole diet with the previous owner. I've also given them a couple of waxworms this week, and Gigi ate one superworm (I was told to crush its head so it couldn't bite her internally? Is this true or the stuff of legends? I hate crushing the worms, but will do it if it really is necessary.). In the week since we got them, Gigi went from 56 to 58 grams, and Freckles went from 50 to 54 grams. So I'm feeling good!

Also, the previous owner said I should only feed the geckos every other day, but they seem to be hungry when I feed them each evening. Am I overfeeding? I figure if they eat, then they're hungry, and that their natural instincts/hunger will ensure that they don't overeat. They only eat one or two large crickets each in a feeding, plus a few mealworms and/or a waxworm or superworm.

Finally, I'm wondering, what are good fruits/veggies to feed the feeder insects? Also, the calcium they have been given has D3. Sounds like I should switch to plain calcium in their dish, according to the HC Network caresheet. Should they ever get the stuff with D3?

--Amy

Hello,

You can feed them daily without any hesitation. Some people feed every other day and that works fine as well. I feed daily.

I give my feeders the leftovers from our meals. If we have carrots, they will get some carrots. If we have a salad, they get some of that as well. I normally offer potatoe and apple slices as the "norm" though for their moisture.

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Thanks, Rich. Is there any reason I can't keep the mealies and waxworms in the same container in the fridge?

Hello,

Unless I am mistaken, waxies shouldn't be stored in the fridge at all. The temps are too cool and will kill them. I always keep my waxies at room temp.

I would advise against housing them together because the mealies would likely eat them as a moisture source. lol The cool temps of a fridge slows everyone down to a crawl, so the waxies wouldn't stand a chance. lol

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Hmm. I bought my waxworms at Petco, so it's not necessarily any indication of the proper way to keep them, BUT in the store they were kept in the fridge... The superworms came in a container that says do not refrigerate, though. Good point about the mealworms possibly eating the waxies. Anyone else with advice on keeping the waxies? <heading to take them out of the fridge...>

Hello,

I always keep my waxies and superworms at room temp, so I could easily have gotten the 2 mixed up. I rarely refridgerate my mealies too as I breed my own.

Waxies that turn black can also destroy the other waxies in the container if they aren't removed. This would also be another good reason to keep the mealies and waxies seperate.

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Thanks for the waxie advice. I dumped out the store package and sorted out the live from the dead, put them in a larger container with about half the amount of wood shavings they came in, and gave them several kinds of food to choose from. They smell terrible!! Is that normal?

Amy

thanks for making this post! I'm new to the keeping bugs thing!

If your room temps are too hot, you should keep them in your fridge (lowest section). But for most people, placing them in a shoebox inside a wardrobe works fine.

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Wish list: Blue Tongue Skinks and Uruplatus =)

If your fridge is too cold-even in the crisper section on the bottom-take your worms out to the garage or down to the basement where it is cooler than the house but not as cold as the fridge
Also-with meal worms-the warmer summer house temps will allow the worms to grow faster and to morph into those pesky beetles

Waxies don't do well with the cold at all and you guys are sure right about removing the black/dead ones

You don't have to crush the heads on supers
If the gecko is big enough to eat them-he will make short work of them and I also only feed a few at a time of those
I don't like those roaming loose in with the geckos for a long period of time if they don't seem interested in them right off

I can't believe how long that I have been keeping bugs for-LOL
Sandy