Winter Frustrations

[Falconerguy]

Thursday night, my ghost molted into a sub adult. Here in Washington, it has been freezing for the past two weeks. All of the bugs died. Since he had just molted, he hadn't eaten for a few days and his abdomen is looking very thin. I went to the pet store and bought some crickets, but he seems to be showing no interest in them at all. I can't find anything for him outside and he won't eat crickets. He is running on empty here. Do any of you have any idea what I could do?

 

[HungryGhost]

Order some house fly or bb fly pupae on a regular basis. You can offer some honey on the end of a toothpick to tide him over but there's no substitute for bugs.

 

[Falconerguy]

Thanks, I'll see what I can do

 

[aNisip]

Offer the crushed up inerds of the cricket to him...or take off a cricket leg (their large jumping ones) and squeeze the muscle out going from the foot to the larger end....a nice insect-muscle mouthful is at the end of the leg and put that up to the male's mouth parts....he should usually consume it. Or just cut a cricket in half and offer him the gooey part as afore mentioned...

All the best,

Andrew

 

[Falconerguy]

I'll try that, seeing as I am out of honey

 

[Falconerguy]

Well, now a new problem has arisen. He grabbed the first half cricket, took a few bites, and threw it on the ground. He refuses to grab any more force fed cricket goo parts and swats them away rather violently. Almost as if he is full. Still has a very thin abdomen.

 

[aNisip]

Try feeding him again tomorrow....but for now try offering water droplets directly to his mouth..

Also try a little piece of banana to his mouth parts....

 

[Sticky]

You could try milk. Use a toothpick and hold a drop to his mouth. Warm it just a bit to room temp. They dont like a cold drink. Can you get mealworms? Cut the head off of one and squeeze it out alittle like the cricket. That might help too.

 

[twolfe]

I haven't paid a lot of attention to the sub adult males, but I know the adult males don't eat that much and often appear to be thin. If it just molted, I wouldn't worry too much about it, but I'd definitely order some fly pupae.

 

[sally]

Yes, the squished crickets like Andrew said and try waxworms, or better yet butterworms, or mealworms...but cut the heads off and offer the goey part.

 

[aNisip]

Yup mantises love the gooey-ness *for the most part*

 

[hibiscusmile]

He prob is thirsty, offer him water often till he feels like eating, like someone mentioned, he may also just want a fly insect, but my money is on water.

 

[Falconerguy]

Dingdingding! I gave him some water on a toothpick after reading something about warm water as opposed to the cold water I had been giving him and he drank it right up. Still being quite evasive on the crickets though.