My First Winter... Nervous

[pac]

if you try to breed them i could help you out because i breed my own crickets pretty easy and breed pillbug isopods to very easy

[Poly]

I better get this all straightened out...

Here is the website I'm going to be getting my insects from: Canadian Feeders - Your One Stop Feeder Shop!

Canadain Night Crawlers-Check 100 for 16$ great price! Easy to care for/my toads main source of food.

Crickets-Check... BUT minimum ammount they ship is 250 for 14$!!! What am I going to do with 250 crickets that only last for 2 to 4 weeks!? What size of tank should I keep them in? How can they last longer? What do I do with their feces?

Waxworms-Check... again BUT minimum ammount they ship is 250 (but for 5$), but I think the toads will go through them a little faster, same boat as the crickets, what do they eat, how do I keep them, and in what do I keep them!?

Feeling pretty nervous for my first winter, the only thing I got down pat how to keep is the worms, so I feel a little confident. (I have a stock pile of 200 worms right now in a 45Gallon plastic tub with screen lid, how long will they live? I've been adding rotten leaves, apple cores and banana peels to the soil.)

Thanks Guys!

~Royce

[BG]

I'm happy for you poly. You are all set for the winter.

[Poly]

You are all set for the winter.

That...Was...The...Most...Reassuring...Thing...Som eone...Has...Said...To...Me...Yet... xD

Thanks!

EDIT: Not sure why it puts a space between "Som" and "eone" in the edit part there is no space, but when I post it, there is a space?

[UncleChester]

You can also breed mealworms very easily, a plastic tub with a ventilated lid filled with ground up oatmeal and bran with vegetable scraps thrown in every couple of days and they basically do their own thing. They are usually only recommended as an occasional food item, but they are so extremely easy to keep that I find them worth it.

Waxworms can be kept in the fridge for a few months or you can try Breeding Waxworms My breeding attempts have so far failed, I get moths (which can also be used as feeders, I'm not sure how easily a toad could catch them though), but so far no young.

Your eathworms should keep for the winter how you have them. Just keep them from getting too warm, 15C and above is getting to be bad (basement is good), keep them moist, and keep them fed (or in the fridge as John mentioned). Food scraps are fine, they'll also eat other decaying vegetable matter like leaves. They should breed but probably not fast enough to help you through the winter.

http://www.frogforum.net/care-articl...e-cricket.html should answer all your cricket keeping questions, even if you don't plan to breed them. However you might need to breed them if you want a supply over the winter, when the temperature gets too low live shipments usually come to a halt.

Hibernating your toads would be another option if you are really worried about food. It's not something I've ever done, but I'm sure someone can fill you in if you are interested.

[Poly]

Well actually, the website I provided a link for, ships live insects in the winter! Not sure how, I'm going to call the guy back today.

So, mealworms are similar to worms then, they have to be kept cool?

It's good to know the worms will last, because they are going to be my toads main source of food.

I think Hibernating is never really an option I have considered, if you want them to grow, can't get any better way than feeding them over the winter!

Thanks for the much needed info!

~Royce

[UncleChester]

Mealworms are the larva form of the Tenbrio molitor beetle, they like it hot. 25C-30C is ideal for breeding, but I keep mine at room temperature which is about 15C-20C. Hotter will make them grow and breed faster. I use them sparingly as they are supposed to be harder to digest, so I'm fine with a slower growth rate. They can also be stored in a fridge, but I believe you have to warm them up every few weeks and feed them to keep them alive. They are low enough maintenance that I don't see much point in keeping them chilled.