Supplemental Food for Millipedes

[LawnShrimp]

Occasionally if my centipedes are feeling stubborn and don't eat the cricket/roach I put in there, I take it out, chill it and give the millis the corpse... gruesome I know, but they need some protein and they don't like the fish food I give them, probably for salt reasons.

Otherwise, cucumber, zucchini, melon (any squash/melon really), and sweet corn are their favorites, next they like but don't love apple, pear, lettuce, and fig. Mushrooms and mushy fruit are taken but last 2-4 days whereas cucumber is gone within 10 hours.

 

[keks]

My millipedes eat zucchini, carrots, strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, mushrooms, fishfood, eggshells. The next I try is pumpkin and kohlrabi.
Fresh spinach is not available here.

 

[mickiem]

Occasionally if my centipedes are feeling stubborn and don't eat the cricket/roach I put in there, I take it out, chill it and give the millis the corpse... gruesome I know, but they need some protein and they don't like the fish food I give them, probably for salt reasons.

Otherwise, cucumber, zucchini, melon (any squash/melon really), and sweet corn are their favorites, next they like but don't love apple, pear, lettuce, and fig. Mushrooms and mushy fruit are taken but last 2-4 days whereas cucumber is gone within 10 hours.

Not gruesome; web of life.

I've never tried fig but apple, corn and cucumber are at the top of the list here.

 

[Andee]

When they don't eat a lot of supplemental foods does that mean they are pretty much getting everything they need from their substrate mix?

 

[LawnShrimp]

When they don't eat a lot of supplemental foods does that mean they are pretty much getting everything they need from their substrate mix?

That probably means they just don't like the treats you offer. All of my species are in deep, nutrient-rich substrate but still consume every bit of squash and fruit I place in there. Could also be the species; some species refuse to eat many treats and only enjoy, say, lettuce.

 

[mickiem]

When they don't eat a lot of supplemental foods does that mean they are pretty much getting everything they need from their substrate mix?

I agree with @LawnShrimp. My substrate is rich and I'm sure would be enough but I add supplements once or twice a week. Sometimes they eat it and sometimes they don't. I assume when they don't eat something that they usually do they might be molting.

My Philippine blues especially like corn and cucumber.

 

[Andee]

I put in cucumber last night, no one ate it out of anyone.... hmm may be just the heat levels we have currently making everyone act weird though we are keeping them around 75-78 it's just ugh.

 

[LawnShrimp]

I put in cucumber last night, no one ate it out of anyone.... hmm may be just the heat levels we have currently making everyone act weird though we are keeping them around 75-78 it's just ugh.

Hmm, cucumber is a favorite of nearly all millipedes. Maybe your blues prefer other food. Try melon, corn, or apple.

 

[SFA]

My AGBs SMASH dandelion greens. Which works out great, because my box turtle loves dandelions, but when I have saved greens in the fridge that inevitably get icky, the millies get them instead.

 

[mickiem]

My AGBs SMASH dandelion greens. Which works out great, because my box turtle loves dandelions, but when I have saved greens in the fridge that inevitably get icky, the millies get them instead.

I have some of those.

I'm feeding dandelions tonight!

 

[Andee]

I should try some dandelion greens, by tortoise likes it as well. All the millis seem to love some specific leaves from my tort's mix

 

[ErinM31]

I might have too much time on my hands...

About a month ago, I made a table chart and listed millipede species on the rows, i.e. Ivory, Gordos, AGB, etc. I broke it into color morphs such as: Ivory, Ivory Ebony, Narceus americanus, Narceus americanus 'Tan' and so on. In the columns, I listed the supplemental foods that I feed. I am trying to feed all of the foods I listed before I repeat one; except apples and mushrooms which I feed a lot. The day after I feed a new food, I put an uppercase 'X' when they eat the offered food, a lowercase 'x' when the eat a little but not with any gusto and a dash '-' when they don't seem to touch it.

After about 10 times that I rotate through all of the named foods, then I will make a list of favorite foods for each species. So far I am learning that the color morphs don't have the same preference than the straight species has, which I found interesting and that AGB's eat pretty much everything. Here are the foods I have on my list: apple, apricot, avocado, banana, cherry, corn, cucumber, melon, mushroom, peas, plum, potato, spinach, sweet potato, and zucchini. Are there any foods your pedes like that are not on my list? I will email my list or do a screenshot if you are interested. PM me.

I plan to do the same thing with wood. I am collecting different species of wood and am keeping them separate. I plan to put a little pile of each wood in the enclosures. So I will add a little pile of apple, for instance, and leave it in for a few days to see what they think of it. I will mix each type into the substrate after a few days so there is only one isolated wood at a time. I am trying to collect wood from different sources in various states of decay to have a variance. Thoughts?

Yes, I am a GEEK - thank you for noticing. But it keeps my hands busy so I don't dig through my substrate!

I'd be thrilled if you would send me a copy of your list! Have you observed consistent favorites? Some of my millipedes almost never eat supplemental food. Those that do vary in what foods they'll eat with gusto, although apple, carrot and kibble are eaten most regularly.