[jbherpin]

I have heard that moths were a very complete and wholesome food. I was wondering if people offer them to their darts? I intend to, but would like some feedback. Every other kind of frog(and sals/newts) I have ever kept, destroyed moths with an indescribable fervor.

Thanks!

JBear

 

[fishman9809]

I would like to know this as well. Small moths got into a bad of birdseed I had that I only open every few weeks and made a nest and I didn't find where all the moths were coming from until a few days ago. Needless to say I'd like a nice way of getting rid of the stupid things.

 

[Tjoen]

Hi,

My tincs seem to enjoy small moths but doesn't the powder on the wings bother them if they eat a number of these?

 

[DendroRachel]

is it safe to feed "wild caught" food? I've always been a little shy of trying this with anything. I'd also be worried about the powder in the moth's wings

 

[mcaiger53]

I think that I've seen that "field sweeping" is pretty big across the pond, especially in germany. It makes sense to offer a diverse diet to our captive animals. When feeding wild cought insects it is hard t guarentee that they haven't came into contace with anything harmful. I feed moths and other small flys that I trap throughout the summer.
Mike

 

[Tjoen]

I think that the small wild insects from field sweepings make a good addition of nutrients not found in cultured fruit flies.

I had a young azureus froglet escape and was lost for over 2 months in the garden and when found under some leaf litter amongst a clump of banana plants, she was rotund, darker and almost 30% larger than her previous tank mates of the same age.

BTW I don't live in the US and do not have a convenient supply of mail order foods and supplies. I pretty much rely on pinhead domestic crickets, field sweepings, night-light traps and my ever reliable termite colony found at the far end of the property.

 

[TDK]

The guy at the local feed and seed store gave me a bag of grain one time to get it out of his stock room that was loaded with moths (I don't remember what type grain,corn/oats). The problem is how to feed and they escape and get all over your house. I would take a small container of grain and set in it the tank and let them escape and hatch into the tank. Again they escape into you house! Check with your local feed and seed company and see if they have a bag they need to get rid of.

 

[silentRI]

I believe it was either mealworms or silkworms, that you can place in a container and raise until they grow into moths. Then u place the container in the refrigerator and this would send the moths into a sort of hibernation. When u place the moths in the vivacious they will reawake and flutter about.

 

[Ed]

I believe it was either mealworms or silkworms, that you can place in a container and raise until they grow into moths. Then u place the container in the refrigerator and this would send the moths into a sort of hibernation. When u place the moths in the vivacious they will reawake and flutter about.

Mealworms do not turn into moths.. they turn into beetles...

There are several different caterpillars that are sold for rearing but all of the common ones are too large for dendrobatids.

The moth most commonly referred to above is one of the grain moths, which readily become established in the house as the caterpillars can feed on virtually anything with a high grain content such as cereal, dog bisquits, crackers, pasta, dog food...etc.. It can be a very bothersome pest. Cultures can be purchased from some of the insect breeders on occasion but not worth the trouble in my opinion.

People have also reared wax worms until the moth stage and used them as feeders but those really are only of use with the frogs that can consume lareger prey. At one point, lesser wax moths were being cultured but if I remember correctly the grain moths invaded the cultures and out competed the lesser wax moths.

Ed

 

[Ed]

I have heard that moths were a very complete and wholesome food. I was wondering if people offer them to their darts? I intend to, but would like some feedback. Every other kind of frog(and sals/newts) I have ever kept, destroyed moths with an indescribable fervor.

Thanks!

JBear

Usually when people refer to a complete food item, they are stating that it supplies all of the needs of the consuming animal. If that is what you meant then, no they are not complete as they have poor calcium to phosphorous ratios, are a poor source of vitamin A....

Ed

 

[Ed]

I think that the small wild insects from field sweepings make a good addition of nutrients not found in cultured fruit flies.

based on what? It isn't supported in the published analysis in the literature.

People have to also keep in mind that if you are collecting field sweepings that they should get thier frogs routinely checked for parasites as this is a good source of parasites.

In a hobby that goes to extreme measures to prevent the introduction of parasites and pests to the frogs, it is always surprising to me how many people don't think twice about collecting wild insects to use them for food for the frogs totally ignoring that this is a major route to introduce pathogens and parasites to the frogs.

Ed

 

[Tjoen]

Hi Ed,

I know this isn't published due to literature being confined to commonly available food insects in cultivation. But this is more of a farmed versus wild salmon mentality for using field sweepings.

The JWPT (Jersey Zoo) used field sweepings to supplement their frog diets.

And like I said, I don't live in the US where there is the great convenience of commercial fruit fly and other feeder insect supply companies. I maintain my own FF cultures and when they crash (as they do sometimes or are overwhelmed by mould); I have to replentish my seed population by importing new ones. And this is not always as easy as it sounds when living in a culture which views bugs as pests.

I had the one escapee azureus from a group of her siblings which were of a uniform size when she disappeared and 2 months later she was 30% larger compared directly to her littermates. I guess she survived entirely on wild insects and grubs in the leaf litter. And now she's still doing well but lightened up in colour. (she was a much darker, duller shade when we found her)

I'm not saying that it is totally safe but it works for me. Plus I have at hand, mebendazole, fenbenazole and metronidazole. So far, so good.

 

[Ed]

Hi Ed,

I know this isn't published due to literature being confined to commonly available food insects in cultivation. But this is more of a farmed versus wild salmon mentality for using field sweepings.

The JWPT (Jersey Zoo) used field sweepings to supplement their frog diets.

And like I said, I don't live in the US where there is the great convenience of commercial fruit fly and other feeder insect supply companies. I maintain my own FF cultures and when they crash (as they do sometimes or are overwhelmed by mould); I have to replentish my seed population by importing new ones. And this is not always as easy as it sounds when living in a culture which views bugs as pests.

I had the one escapee azureus from a group of her siblings which were of a uniform size when she disappeared and 2 months later she was 30% larger compared directly to her littermates. I guess she survived entirely on wild insects and grubs in the leaf litter. And now she's still doing well but lightened up in colour. (she was a much darker, duller shade when we found her)

I'm not saying that it is totally safe but it works for me. Plus I have at
hand, mebendazole, fenbenazole and metronidazole. So far, so good.

There are some references out there on insects that are found while sweeping, they are crude and were done for wildlife rehabbers.
Search for an example
'Studier, E.H.; Sevick, S.H.; 1992, Live Mass, water content, nitrogen, and mineral levels in some insects from South Central Michigan, Comp. Biochem Physiology 103A:579

and see if you can find a free copy. The nitrogen content can be an indication of protein availability.

Ed