XL Grasshoppers.

[Jace]

I am trying to spice up my African Bullfrog's diet a bit, but except for worms, mealworms, superworms etc, I am having a hard time finding live, healthy food. So, I picked up a can of Exo-Terra XL Grasshoppers to give a try. Just wondering if anyone else has used such food for their frogs, and what the overall opinion is. I like the size of these grasshoppers, but the red dye is off-putting and the smell...well, definitely NOT like roses!! Haven't let the frogs try them yet, as it would be great to hear some feedback/opinions first. Thanks in advance.

[Ebony]

Wow! you guys get cans of Grasshoppers? Are they alive? How cool is that.

[Jace]

No, they aren't alive, which is why I'm not sure how they will go over. THey are a good size, which will appeal to Gherkin, who tends to stick his nose up at anything smaller than a large earthworm. I can't seem to get live grasshoppers through my pet store where I am....thankfully, summer is almost upon us and I can go out and catch some in pesticide free areas. In the meantime, I'm wondering how these stinky fellas will work....?

[Socrates]

I would recommend against giving dried grasshoppers to your frog. For one they are not very nutritionally sound and what types of preservatives etc. are on there? I'd stick to live food.

[Jace]

That's what I'm worried about-the preservatives. The reddish colour got me wondering-wasn't expecting that when I opened the tin. They aren't really dry, either...like moist cat food. And once opened, they are to be kept in the fridge. Thinking I might have wasted money on them, as I have nothing else in the house that would be big enough to eat them.

[Socrates]

I'd recommend staying away from meal worms/super worms. They can have their mandibles stay intact when ingested by your frog. They then can tear/damage the stomach or other parts of your frogs GI tract. Plus, they are extremely nutritionally poor. I recommend trying Hornworms or silkworms, they are VERY nutritious and the can get very big so your frog will be happy. Here's a good site to order hornworms and silkworms from -> YOUR BUGGIE HEADQUARTERS
She's a reliable source, buy stuff from her all the time. She also has roaches too. Hope this helps.

[Jace]

Thanks! I will definitely check it out. I was actually trying to breed Madagascar Hissing cockroaches to feed my brood, but I got attached to them...sigh. Once I name something, that's it, it's a pet. I'm having issues getting items because of rules and restrictions in Canada, which can change on a dime. They just passed an exotic pet law that requires owners to pay for permits to have certain species, mostly snakes, but there are several dart frogs on the list now. It can be very frustrating for those of us who want to take the best care of our pets. I only give the occassional mealworm as a treat. My African Bullfrogs love them, but their fat content means that they only get one or two a month. Thanks for the advice and the site info, though.

[Kurt]

Here's a good site to order hornworms and silkworms from -> YOUR BUGGIE HEADQUARTERS
She's a reliable source, buy stuff from her all the time. She also has roaches too. Hope this helps.

Is she in Canada? Shipping insects over the border may be a problem.

[Socrates]

Ah ya she's in Illinois, my bad. I failed to realize Jace is in Canada. Could still give it a try though.

[Jace]

Canada is not big on insects crossing the border....I guess the government figures there are enough bugs in the country....sigh. I am going to try and find a similar business, maybe from Vancouver or even Toronto. Too bad-it was a neat site and I think my frogs were drooling as I went through all the food items. I did find out that the petstore can get hornworms, so maybe I will try those. Thanks for trying!

[Socrates]

NP and good luck, I hope that pet store can get those hornworms for you.

[UncleChester]

I've been looking for a source of waxworms and found a couple of feeder places in Ontario that also carry hornworms and silkworms:

Canadian Feeders - Your One Stop Feeder Shop!
The Feeder Factory

I have purchased mealworms and waxworms from the Feeder Factory at a reptile show and was happy with them, but I haven't tried mail order from either store (or dealt with Canadian Feeders at all).

[Jace]

Wow-thank you! That is exactly what I am looking for. Cheers!