Other staple diet

[kupo969]

I've been feeding my crix dog/cat food but ants have recently became a prob in my house and they swarm my container whenever I put in dog/cat food, and only that. I've had no prob. with any other like carrots and what not.

What else can I use as a staple diet that is cost efficient?

 

[LeilaNami]

Would a tofu salad mix be too messy? That's the only other way I can see the crix getting protein from something other than a commercialized food.

 

[kupo969]

That's the only thing that comes to mind? As long as it isn't dog/cat food it's fine.

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

Fish food. Basically all insects love fish food.

 

[LeilaNami]

Fish food. Basically all insects love fish food.

There ya go! I was trying to stay away from pellets/kibble or whatever but I guess fish food doesn't attract the ants as much?

 

[Aurelia]

Fish food gets expensive real quick. I started feeding my crix bread and they seem to love it.

 

[Moltar]

Instead of changing food why don't you put your roach colony in a shallow dish of water, forming a moat or put a vaseline barrier on the outside of the container? The ants will stop trying if they can't get in anymore. Also i've had positive results from persistent use of ant baits over a period of several weeks.

 

[skips]

Instead of changing food why don't you put your roach colony in a shallow dish of water, forming a moat or put a vaseline barrier on the outside of the container? The ants will stop trying if they can't get in anymore. Also i've had positive results from persistent use of ant baits over a period of several weeks.

I agree 100%. We had huge problems in our building with ants actually attacking our crickets and eating their food im sure. a few ant traps around the room and the problem was gone in a week. Fish food does get expensive. You can get a 50 lb bag of corn meal for 15 bucks too. the protein is alright, but you can always supplement with fish flakes. In my experience though, your ants will be a problem even if you switch food. Go with the ant traps.

 

[kupo969]

Yeah ants are a reaaaaaaaaaaaaaal pain. The vaseline barrier idea sounds great, hopefully I can get ant traps going.

Also, I did more research on roach diet (even though its for crix, I assume they both need a protein rich diet) and found that people use chicken feed, trout chow, rodent chow, kaytee brand ferrit food called forti-diet. No idea if any of these work.

I have some unmedicated chicken feed I use for my mealies, no idea if they have lots of protein though.

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

Fish food gets expensive real quick. I started feeding my crix bread and they seem to love it.

I bought a container last summer of goldfish food to feed my crickets, roaches, beetles, grasshoppers, and occassionally my centipede and the container isn't even halfway empty now!

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

There ya go! I was trying to stay away from pellets/kibble or whatever but I guess fish food doesn't attract the ants as much?

I set up a trap hoping to catch some roaches and silverfish with it in my dorm room(there are ant problems in some the dorms, btw. idk about mine though) and I didn't catch a single ant.

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

Yeah ants are a reaaaaaaaaaaaaaal pain. The vaseline barrier idea sounds great, hopefully I can get ant traps going.

Also, I did more research on roach diet (even though its for crix, I assume they both need a protein rich diet) and found that people use chicken feed, trout chow, rodent chow, kaytee brand ferrit food called forti-diet. No idea if any of these work.

I have some unmedicated chicken feed I use for my mealies, no idea if they have lots of protein though.

I'm sure they will eat all those listed...they really do eat just about anything. Heck I've seen them eat cardboard!

 

[Moltar]

I'm sure they will eat all those listed...they really do eat just about anything. Heck I've seen them eat cardboard!

I've fed my B dubia wilted spinach, old pizza, soy cheese, stale biscotti, moldy bread, dog food, cat food, fish food, special K, cheerios, apples, oranges, potatos, turnips...

Basically if it's edible they'll eat it. They do absolutely LOVE mushrooms though. Mushrooms get an immediate swarming reaction unlike any other food.

 

[creepy_critters]

i feed my B.dubias a mix of there kinds of dog food three kinds of cat food
good start DHA&ARA infant forula with iron and cereal for babys and i give them things like apples and vegys and i am going to add brain flakes to it
and i give them dried wild danelions


thanks bill