How to feed live insects?! (Bearded dragon help)

[TinselAndKnickers]

Bit of a weird one but I've been trusted to look after a bearded dragon whilst the owners are away. He's very fussy and only eats live crickets, which is fine, but the cage is a slidey door and I don't know how to get the crickets out of their Tupperware box and into the cage without A) releasing them all at once B) letting them loose all over the house!

They were supposed to show me how, but haven't and now I'm scared of messing it up! I'm not squeamish but I can see myself getting all flustered

Does anybody have advice?

Crickets are jumpy so we used locusts. But same applies: you need a long wooden tong to reach in grab a cricket then put it in vivarium. Only open the cricket bucket a crack to stop them jumping out! You can get tongs at pet shops if they didn’t leave you one. I suppose you could loosen lid put it in vivarium and shake a couple out - but trickier to stop several jumping out.
He/she also needs a bit of veg.

Our dragon also ate worms (not mealworms but similar) if the crickets really freak you out. I’m sure he’ll eat them if hungry.

Yes, tongs! I give ours grapes too when my son is away. Cut then into quarters and pile them up.

He used to eat spinach but apparently he's stopped taking that - his diet does seem a bit weird but I don't want to change things up as I'm only in charge of feeding him for a week and a half!

Thanks for your advice - I read online that if you chill them in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before feeding they will calm down, and perk back up in the warm cage? Is this doable?

As you can tell I'm a complete novice and also shitting myself a tiny bit!

We were always told not to feed our beardy locusts as the locusts can harm them?

I used to put the Tupperware in the vivarium, loosen the lid, once enough had jumped out I'd shut it again

Ah good idea about the grapes, I'll try them and if he doesn't eat them I can always remove them

Did you get on ok? How old is the Beardie? We have one who is about a year. She only has locusts very so often (a treat)! Mainly has grapes, rocket and sometimes brocolli. She loves dandelions and dandelion leaves, we put her on the lawn and she runs and eats them! Beardie don’t need to be fed every day really, the survive well on not very much. .

It's my first day feeding tomorrow and it's actually locusts I think I'm feeding it! He's about 3 years old I think.

Do you think I will be okay to chill the bugs in the fridge first?

You could do I suppose. Usually it’s the movement which makes the Beardie go for them. We have never tried the fridge thing.

I'll give it a go without.. I'll update you tomorrow god I'm scared!

I am petrified giving myself a pep talk as we speak. Gecko is fed but the beardie is late for lunch!

Success!! I only squealed once

Haha, well done. You will be enjoying it soon!

I heard some people chilling them briefly first, so that can happen. It's Crickets that can bite not locust, my beardie is terrified of crickets 😂

Otherwise use tonges or you have to just grab one at a time, which we do with the locust.

Spinach isn't good for them as it's high in iron which binds with calcium and can then cause issues.

The bugs ideally should be dusted with calcium.

Good luck.

They're huge grasshoppers and I hate them! He's a fussy old bugger, not touched the grapes or any salady bits I've tried

One got on his back and I had to poke it off and I nearly fainted here he is.

Has he been running around to catch them? Shame about the grapes and salad. Ours also eats rocket and leaves. If I take her in the garden she also catches bees and other insects! How long have you got till owner comes back?

Like your picture 😂

One more week :) he's been slowly walking to catch them! I can't take him outside he doesn't like being touched they got him as an adult with all these weird demands, he's ever so stubborn

Oh that’s a shame. A stubborn Beardie is no fun 😂