I just got a new juvenile AFT on March 18th. For the first week or two she wasn't eating any mealworms I offered her, so I emailed the breeder I got her from and they recommended getting crickets. I got some crickets and she loved them! However, the remaining crickets ended up dying overnight. I don't know what happened, as this was my first time caring for crickets, but due to quarantine I can't go out and get anymore. She won't eat the mealworms I'm offering even though they are appropriately sized. Please help!! How can I get her to eat them?
AFT Not Eating Mealworms
- Thread starter chudley
- Start date
Most AFT's won't eat mealworms. The good news is that they can go without eating longer than you can imagine. Many pet stores are open for "essential purchases" like feeders.
Here's the best way to keep crickets:
--get a small plastic enclosure
--cover the bottom with gut load. Gut load is powdered grain. You can get some in a jar from the pet store made by Fluker.
--get some water crystals also by Fluker. They look like colored cubes of jello and are also sold in a jar. they provide moisture. If you don't want to do that, instead you can use vegetable parings like broccoli stems, apple cores, pieces of carrot (remove them if they get moldy)
--get some egg crate which will come with the crickets you buy. The crickets need some place to stand and if they're just sitting in the enclosure, they may crush each other.
If you can't get to the store for crickets, you can order online. Get 1/2" crickets which are smaller than what you need, but they will grow quickly. Get at least 100. (Google "crickets for sale"; one of the most common cricket sellers is Armstrong cricket farm: https://armstrongcrickets.com.
Be prepared for some of the crickets to die. That's why you want to get a bunch. Also, ordering online means you don't want to have to do that every week.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Aliza
Here's the best way to keep crickets:
--get a small plastic enclosure
--cover the bottom with gut load. Gut load is powdered grain. You can get some in a jar from the pet store made by Fluker.
--get some water crystals also by Fluker. They look like colored cubes of jello and are also sold in a jar. they provide moisture. If you don't want to do that, instead you can use vegetable parings like broccoli stems, apple cores, pieces of carrot (remove them if they get moldy)
--get some egg crate which will come with the crickets you buy. The crickets need some place to stand and if they're just sitting in the enclosure, they may crush each other.
If you can't get to the store for crickets, you can order online. Get 1/2" crickets which are smaller than what you need, but they will grow quickly. Get at least 100. (Google "crickets for sale"; one of the most common cricket sellers is Armstrong cricket farm: https://armstrongcrickets.com.
Be prepared for some of the crickets to die. That's why you want to get a bunch. Also, ordering online means you don't want to have to do that every week.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Aliza
Elizabeth Freer
Active member
Welcome to Geckos Unlimited!
Pro Gutload diet is a much better food for crickets and mealworms than Fluker's High Calcium Cricket Food. Fluker's HCCF is actually not high calcium at all. We are what we eat.
Be sure to read both the contents and the Guaranteed Analysis on whatever you buy.
(Already ground) Pro Gutload diet (by Professional Reptiles)
Pro Gutload diet is a much better food for crickets and mealworms than Fluker's High Calcium Cricket Food. Fluker's HCCF is actually not high calcium at all. We are what we eat.
Be sure to read both the contents and the Guaranteed Analysis on whatever you buy.
(Already ground) Pro Gutload diet (by Professional Reptiles)
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