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Old 06-17-2016, 02:41 AM   #1
kad
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Default what insects?

I have read that hamsters can have meal worms and cricket. I have a bearded dragon and breed my own locusts. Can they have these? If so, how often?

Thank you x
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Old 06-17-2016, 04:09 AM   #2
souffle
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Default Re: what insects?

I think they can have them and will sometimes eat them but they are quite big for hamsters to tackle really and quite hard too so I would probably not give them very often if at all. Once a month at most I'd say. There are easier beasties you can feed them than locusts!
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Old 06-17-2016, 04:18 AM   #3
kad
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Default Re: what insects?

Because I breed I have all sizes so maybe i could try them with a small one. Hatchlings are only a few millimetres so might be ok?
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Old 06-17-2016, 04:27 AM   #4
souffle
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Default Re: what insects?

Well let us know what they think Start small and work up and see how they do with them. Not too many though and check it doesn't cause an upset tummy will you.
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Old 06-17-2016, 04:45 AM   #5
Pebbles82
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Default Re: what insects?

Goodness do you mean live ones?! Eek! Our hamster has had dried crickets before - he ignored them lol. He also ignored dried silkworm pupae. He's more of a meat and two veg hamster He'll eat any kind of roast meet when we have it - chicken, beef, pheasant, grouse, you name it. They also love their fresh veg. I expect the locusts would be good for protein as well. But eek if it's alive!
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Old 06-17-2016, 05:02 AM   #6
kad
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Default Re: what insects?

lol yeah they are alive. I also breed roaches.

I presume you can feed them live the same as the meal worms. Maybe i will get some meal worms and see what they think about them first. Don't think they have had any veggies so will try some of them too. This is all new for me but i am learning so much here so thank you x
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Old 06-17-2016, 05:05 AM   #7
Pebbles82
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Default Re: what insects?

I think live mealworms aren't recommended as they can bite. Most people feed freeze dried ones.

If they haven't had veg before then maybe every 2 to 3 days in case it upsets their tummies more often at first. Ours has fresh veg every day but just the smallest piece - like a 1cm cube size (even if a different shape than that!). I vary it between broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, green beans, and cucumber to give a bit of variety, so something different each day. The first thing he does when he gets up is go for his fresh veg He loves it. They like most fresh food really. Banana, apple, brazil nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds.
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Old 06-17-2016, 05:18 AM   #8
souffle
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Default Re: what insects?

best to nip the heads of mealies as they can bite the pouches. You can try waxworms but those are rich and only give one a week or so.
You can get just as much protein from a bit of plain cooked chicken or a boiled egg though!
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Old 06-17-2016, 05:20 AM   #9
kad
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Default Re: what insects?

Think i'll leave it for the live food then, don't want to do anything that could be harmful to them. I'll try them on a little bit of veg when they wake up later.
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Old 06-18-2016, 02:35 AM   #10
WinnieTheHam
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Default Re: what insects?

I think live are fine if you're careful with handling them and it depends on the way you feed them. Use tweezers to grab the insect and make sure you feed head first, don't let go of the insect until the hamster has started eating the head. They're quite clever and on instinct usually go for the head first and eat them instead of pouch them. Or you could pick the insect up by the head with the tweezers quite hard to stun/kill them first. Mine absolutely love live insects and only on one occasion did Winston pouch a live mealworm but this was a long time ago and he's fine I've fed live crickets, mealworms and waxworms. They don't like dried ones. Tweezers are useful because hamster size insects are difficult to hold by hand. I once held a cricket by hand and it escaped into Winston's cage - he sure did have fun hunting it down though! Fortunately he wasn't bit and was fine. It was a very small cricket.
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