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G
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·jbeetle, didn't I send you aphids once?
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976 Posts
milkweed bugs
there was a thread over at frognet about the use of a type of milkweed bug for feeders a bit back. tor linbo was giving them a try. from those of you who don't know who he is he is pretty well known frog breeder from washington state. he had a pic of 30-35 tanks in the back of one of those rental moving trucks when he moved. so i guess he has frog fever. :lol:
walt
there was a thread over at frognet about the use of a type of milkweed bug for feeders a bit back. tor linbo was giving them a try. from those of you who don't know who he is he is pretty well known frog breeder from washington state. he had a pic of 30-35 tanks in the back of one of those rental moving trucks when he moved. so i guess he has frog fever. :lol:
walt
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1,052 Posts
milkweed bugs
. But like you said, I wouldn't go out and collect them from the wild to feed my frogs... that might have some bad results.
You are correct that in the wild most milkweed bugs are poisonous, due to their food source (milkweed species plants). But as Walt pointed out, Tor Linbo was working with some that weren't toxic so they could be used as another feeder for darts (and I guess other amphibians & reptiles as well). That is why I was asking if you (or anyone for that matter) had tried them and if they were the same kind that Tor is working with. So if anyone has had any experience with Tor's milkweed bugs or any, please speak up
. But like you said, I wouldn't go out and collect them from the wild to feed my frogs... that might have some bad results.Yes you did, but I didn't do to well with them lol. I feed some off, and then my new pea plants didn't take well so I feed off the rest. So, once I finish a couple things up around the apartment I plan on trying my hand at them again.
my yard(alot of yards in orlando not sure with other parts in fl) are plauged with milkweed bugs! I can send them to anyone for free because its less i have to deal with. At night you can here them crawling from a mile away there are millions! But anyways i will send some (wild not cb so you'd have to do that part) might be culturing them soon. But pm me if interested.
G
Guest
·Quite Big??????????? I think not. The adults can get as big as a small fruit fly but the majority are little ones that even youngsters should eat.
I have about 6 or 8 plastic flower pots that I plant bushy pea plants in on a rotating schedule, when the plants are of some size I place them next to the infested plants. The aphids wander over on thier own to infest the new food. Feeding is done by blowing the aphids off the plants directly into a front openging vivarium or lightly brushing them into a small feeding cup. I don't recommend dusting as these can be killed easily.
The aphids live under a shop light in the basement, they like it somewhat cool. Want more aphids, then plant more peas, very simple. Berkshire ships the aphids on a pea related plant that is much hardier than a pea plant and they sell seeds for these plants (I don't recall what it is), however peas are cheaper.
Joe
I have about 6 or 8 plastic flower pots that I plant bushy pea plants in on a rotating schedule, when the plants are of some size I place them next to the infested plants. The aphids wander over on thier own to infest the new food. Feeding is done by blowing the aphids off the plants directly into a front openging vivarium or lightly brushing them into a small feeding cup. I don't recommend dusting as these can be killed easily.
The aphids live under a shop light in the basement, they like it somewhat cool. Want more aphids, then plant more peas, very simple. Berkshire ships the aphids on a pea related plant that is much hardier than a pea plant and they sell seeds for these plants (I don't recall what it is), however peas are cheaper.
Joe
All aphids went thru stages where they are smaller than melanogaster. Some, depend on the species, can grow larger than hydei.
I've tried berkshire pea, local apple and local rose aphids. Berkshire pea aphids can grow big, so does the rose.
The lil ones -are- smaller than ffs.
When I said "some of them are smaller than melanogaster", I meant the adult size.
Steven Budidharma
I've tried berkshire pea, local apple and local rose aphids. Berkshire pea aphids can grow big, so does the rose.
The lil ones -are- smaller than ffs.
When I said "some of them are smaller than melanogaster", I meant the adult size.
Steven Budidharma
Joseph : thanks for the culturing information. How long does a pea plant
last and how many aphids does a culture produce?
I was thinking that it might be possible to put the peas right in some of
the temporary enclosures I have for juveniles. Then the aphids would be a somewhat renewable food source in the enclosure. If the pea plant lasted 2 - 3 months, that would be a perfect amount of time to get them thru the post metamorphoses phase.
Steelcube : We get aphids on our Roses every year, we usually get ladybugsto take care of them. Are you culturing the rose aphids or just harvesting them from the roses?
Thanks,
Ed
last and how many aphids does a culture produce?
I was thinking that it might be possible to put the peas right in some of
the temporary enclosures I have for juveniles. Then the aphids would be a somewhat renewable food source in the enclosure. If the pea plant lasted 2 - 3 months, that would be a perfect amount of time to get them thru the post metamorphoses phase.
Steelcube : We get aphids on our Roses every year, we usually get ladybugsto take care of them. Are you culturing the rose aphids or just harvesting them from the roses?
Thanks,
Ed
G
Guest
·Rose Aphids, Second worst bug on the planet, second only to mites. Hate them.
Anyway, how long the pea plant last depends on how many adult aphids walk over to it and start breeding. I'd say a couple of weeks, I certainly wouldn't bother planting it in an enclosure, I sow about a dozen seeds every couple of weeks. Problem is if you use a brush to get the aphids off of the pea plant it does a lot of damage to the tender little pea plants and can shorten thier life. As far as quantity of aphids, It takes about one small plants worth of aphids to make a meal for an adult tinc.
I am going to try, and would suggest ordering a pound of Fava beans. They are a member of the pea family and are a much tougher plant.
Joe
Anyway, how long the pea plant last depends on how many adult aphids walk over to it and start breeding. I'd say a couple of weeks, I certainly wouldn't bother planting it in an enclosure, I sow about a dozen seeds every couple of weeks. Problem is if you use a brush to get the aphids off of the pea plant it does a lot of damage to the tender little pea plants and can shorten thier life. As far as quantity of aphids, It takes about one small plants worth of aphids to make a meal for an adult tinc.
I am going to try, and would suggest ordering a pound of Fava beans. They are a member of the pea family and are a much tougher plant.
Joe
G
Guest
·sorry, I don't get it.
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