Locusts grow so fast !

[firefly]

I had a good day today.

Last week I thought I would save making so many journeys to get my hoppers so I bought two containers of 3rd instars, which I transferred into a larger home. Fed them cabbage, carrot, apples, grass, bug grub etc.

First week was fine, but by this week they had grown so much & had quite a kick. I daren't try & feed them to my little toads, so I picked out the biggest, took them back to the shop for them to feed to their livestock & they exchanged them free for a new container of hoppers - cool.

[John]

That's a good locust diet. I really miss not having access to locusts - they are so much less fuss and mess than crickets.

[BEETLE]

I think locusts are a great food, at one time I used to breed migratory locusts in large amounts and all of my frogs loved the various sizes. One thing I have seen people saying is that they don't bite, I can assure everyone they can, I have, on rare occasions, had adult locusts draw blood from me. The only other problems I have come across is locust allergy, some people develop this after long exposure to them, I work in a school and my lab technician is no longer able to be in contact with them, and they do make a mess of planted tanks

[firefly]

I only handle them with tweezers - altho they see you coming and they get quite hard to corner. I'm not at all suprised to hear that they can bite, look at the damage they can do to agriculture.

The only annoying thing with them is that they scramble up the plants in the viv before the toads can get to the majority of them and they don't come down. Does anyone have any ideas (other than pulling off their legs which I would never do) to delay them climbing??

I really can't bear crickets, is there any other foods to feed my little toads?? Tried worms, but they ignore them.

[Kurt]

Put them in the fridge for 5 or ten minutes before feeding. That should slow them down.

[firefly]

Oooo good idea, I'd forgotten about doing that. Thanks Kurt

[Kurt]

You're welcome.