Livefood guidance
LIVEFOOD GUIDANCE
Bio Forest Livefood Care and Feeding Guide
This guidance explains how Bio Forest recommends storing, preparing and feeding livefood. Every reptile, amphibian and invertebrate has different dietary requirements, so always consider the species, age, size and individual condition of the animal being fed.
Livefood should be treated as part of a balanced feeding programme rather than used as the animal’s only source of nutrition.
WHY LIVEFOOD CARE MATTERS
Livefood begins losing nutritional value if it is stored without suitable food, hydration or ventilation. Looking after feeder insects before offering them to your animal helps keep them active, healthy and nutritionally useful.
Good livefood care includes:
• Providing appropriate food and hydration.
• Maintaining suitable ventilation and temperature.
• Removing dead insects and spoiled food.
• Gut-loading before feeding.
• Using calcium or vitamin supplements where appropriate.
• Offering a suitable variety of feeders.
CHOOSING THE CORRECT FEEDER SIZE
Choose livefood that your animal can safely catch, swallow and digest.
As a general guide for many reptiles and amphibians, the feeder should not be wider than the space between the animal’s eyes or the widest suitable part of its head. This is not suitable for every species, so always follow species-specific feeding guidance.
Young, small or delicate animals may require micro, mini or small feeders. Larger adults may safely take larger prey, but oversized livefood can increase the risk of choking, regurgitation, stress or injury.
STORING LIVEFOOD
Keep livefood containers secure, clean and well ventilated. Avoid direct sunlight, overheating, excessive moisture and sudden temperature changes.
Remove dead insects, shed skins and mouldy food regularly. Do not allow fresh vegetables or fruit to rot inside the container, as this can cause mould, mites, unpleasant odours and insect losses.
Most livefood should not be left inside sealed delivery packaging for long periods. Transfer it into a suitable ventilated container where required.
HYDRATION
Most feeder insects should not be given an open bowl of deep water because they can easily drown.
Hydration can normally be provided through suitable fresh vegetables, leafy greens or a purpose-made insect hydration source. Replace fresh foods regularly and remove them before they spoil.
Avoid making the enclosure wet. Excess moisture is one of the most common causes of livefood losses.
GUT-LOADING
Gut-loading means feeding livefood a nutritious diet before offering it to your animal.
For best results, gut-load suitable feeders for approximately 24–48 hours before use.
Appropriate foods may include:
• Dark leafy greens.
• Carrot.
• Squash.
• Sweet potato.
• Suitable vegetables.
• Commercially prepared gut-loading food.
Avoid relying only on low-nutrient foods such as lettuce. Do not use food that has been treated with pesticides, herbicides or household chemicals.
Gut-loading improves the nutritional value of the feeder, but it does not replace any calcium or vitamin supplementation recommended for the animal.
CALCIUM AND VITAMIN DUSTING
Some reptiles and amphibians require livefood to be dusted with calcium, vitamins or both.
Place a small amount of the correct supplement into a clean container, add the feeders and gently shake until they receive a light, even coating. Do not heavily cover the insects with excessive powder.
Supplement requirements vary considerably between species. They can also depend on age, breeding condition, health, diet and whether suitable UVB lighting is provided.
Follow the care guidance for the animal and the instructions supplied with the supplement.
NUTRITIONAL VARIETY
Feeding a varied diet helps provide a broader nutritional profile and encourages natural feeding behaviour.
Depending on the species, suitable feeders may include locusts, crickets, mealworms, morio worms, calci-worms, waxworms, silkworms, roaches, fruit flies, curly-wing flies, firebrats, feeder snails or other approved livefood.
Some feeders are naturally higher in fat and should usually be offered as occasional treats rather than as the main diet. Waxworms are a common example.
LOCUST CARE
Locusts require warmth, strong ventilation and a relatively dry environment.
Provide suitable leafy greens and a dry gut-loading food. Remove wilted or spoiled greens regularly. Avoid condensation and damp substrate because excessive moisture can quickly cause losses.
Locusts can chew live plants and may disturb animals when left inside an enclosure for too long.
CRICKET CARE
Crickets require a well-ventilated container with plenty of hiding space, such as cardboard tubes or egg-box sections.
Provide dry insect food and suitable fresh vegetables for hydration. Keep the container dry and remove dead crickets promptly.
Uneaten crickets may bite or stress reptiles and amphibians, particularly during the night or while the animal is resting. Remove any that have not been eaten.
MEALWORM CARE
Mealworms can be kept in a ventilated container containing bran, oats or another suitable dry food.
Offer small amounts of fresh vegetable for hydration and remove it before it becomes mouldy. Mealworms can burrow into loose substrate, so feed them from a smooth-sided dish where necessary.
Mealworms contain a relatively firm outer shell and should form part of a varied diet rather than being the only feeder offered.
MORIO WORM CARE
Morio worms should be kept in a ventilated container at a suitable room temperature. They should not normally be refrigerated.
Provide a dry food source and small pieces of suitable vegetable for hydration. Remove spoiled food promptly.
Morio worms are large, strong feeders and may be unsuitable for small animals. Use an appropriate feeding dish and remove any uneaten worms.
WAXWORM CARE
Waxworms are naturally high in fat and are best used as an occasional treat, appetite stimulant or part of a varied diet.
Keep them in a cool location away from direct sunlight and excessive heat. They should not replace more balanced staple feeders.
CALCI-WORM CARE
Calci-worms are the larvae of black soldier flies and naturally contain useful levels of calcium.
Store them in a cool, ventilated location and keep the bedding dry. They may eventually darken and pupate if kept for long enough.
Although they naturally contain calcium, the complete feeding and supplement requirements of the animal should still be considered.
ROACH CARE
Feeder roaches require secure housing, good ventilation and suitable warmth.
Provide a quality dry food together with controlled amounts of fresh vegetables for hydration. Remove spoiled food before mould develops.
Only use captive-produced feeder roaches from a reliable source. Never use household pest species.
FRUIT FLY CARE
Keep fruit fly cultures upright at room temperature and away from direct sunlight or overheating.
Do not allow the culture to become flooded or excessively wet. When feeding, tap a controlled number of flies into the animal’s enclosure and close the culture immediately.
Fruit flies are particularly useful for small reptiles, amphibians and predatory invertebrates.
FEEDER SNAIL CARE
Feeder snails require clean, pesticide-free food, access to calcium and suitable humidity with adequate ventilation.
Only use captive-produced snails that are intended to be used as feeders. Wild snails may have been exposed to parasites, pesticides, slug pellets or other contaminants.
Check that feeder snails are an appropriate size and suitable for the species being fed.
SAFE FEEDING PRACTICES
Offer an amount that the animal can reasonably consume during the feeding period. Overfeeding can lead to obesity, uneaten insects and stress.
Whenever possible, supervise feeding and remove uneaten livefood after the animal has finished. This is particularly important with crickets, locusts, large worms and other feeders capable of biting, chewing plants or hiding in the enclosure.
Feeding dishes can help prevent worms and larvae from burrowing into the substrate.
Never leave large quantities of livefood loose inside an enclosure for extended periods.
HYGIENE
Wash your hands after handling livefood, feeder containers, waste or animal equipment.
Keep livefood and its equipment away from human food-preparation areas. Clean reusable containers regularly and avoid transferring equipment between colonies or animal enclosures without cleaning it first.
Some people can develop allergies to feeder insects, shed skins or insect waste. Avoid inhaling dust from containers and use suitable protection when cleaning large quantities.
DO NOT FEED WILD-CAUGHT INSECTS
Bio Forest does not recommend feeding wild-caught insects unless the keeper has specialist knowledge and can confidently identify the species and associated risks.
Wild insects may carry:
• Pesticides or herbicides.
• Parasites.
• Disease.
• Environmental contaminants.
• Natural toxins.
• Defensive chemicals.
Some wild insects may also be legally protected or unsafe for the animal consuming them.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
This page provides general guidance and is not a replacement for species-specific care information or veterinary advice.
Feeding frequency, portion size, supplement use and suitable livefood will vary depending on the animal’s species, age, health, activity and reproductive condition.
Contact a suitably qualified exotic-animal veterinary professional if your animal stops eating, loses weight, regurgitates food, develops swelling, appears weak or shows any other signs of illness.
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