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Convincing parents

William Bryce

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
1
Hey, Y'all, Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I need help. I have gotten my parents to allow me to get a dragon, but they recently changed their mind. They are strongly opposed to the idea of feeder insects, and often say things like "No bugs are gonna be living in my house" or something similar to that. I have told them about how dubia roaches are harmless, silent, and odorless, but they still will not allow me to have a beardie. I was hoping somebody could help me form a stronger argument towards getting a beardie. Thanks!
 

Rushmore Reptiles

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
40
Location
South Dakota
If your parents don’t like the thought of Dubia Roaches, it’s probbal because of the thought of them escaping. Well, Dubia Roaches in particular need a higher climate than most households have. This can be achieved through a infrared heat bulb or heat pad. So tell your parents that if they were to escape they wouldn’t be able to survive for long. Also they are the best feeder insects because of the amount of protein they contain and the shells which are made of chitin are easy to digest. I breed roaches for my beardies and it is very rewarding. Well good luck!
 

BeardedHippy

Bearded Dragon Veteran
Messages
672
Location
Scarborough UK
Its a tough one, quite a lot of people hate the idea of bugs in the house. If they wont go for the normal arguements it puts you in an awkward position. Dragons, especially babies, need live insects in order to develop properly. If you cant convince your parents that they are harmless you may have no other option but to rethink getting a beardie. Not the best outcome I know, but a dragon relys upon you for its needs and you need to think about what will be best for its welfare and health.
I think a lot of the stigma comes from the word 'roaches', it brings to mind the horrible dirty kind you find in kitchens etc. Dubia feeders are quite clean, they dont smell, they wont breed unless conditions are right and they are the best live feeder for dragons.
Good luck with that
 

Janelle

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
332
If it's just the roaches that are the hang-up, another good staple feeder are black soldier fly larvae, which don't have to be kept in the fridge, make no noise, make no smell. Maybe those are an option they'll accept. Maybe they'll allow you to get other insects every once in a while for treats.
 

mamaof2dragons

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
207
my vet recommended earth worms as a good feeder for beardies that and Dubois. earth worms don't smell bad and you can store them outside in a shed or garage. hope that helps.
 

Hdrydr31

Bearded Dragon Veteran
Staff member
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
5,574
my vet recommended earth worms as a good feeder for beardies that and Dubois. earth worms don't smell bad and you can store them outside in a shed or garage. hope that helps.
Earthworms are not a good feeder really as they really do not contain much nutrition for a growing baby will need.
 

HaggridTheBearded

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
42
my vet recommended earth worms as a good feeder for beardies that and Dubois. earth worms don't smell bad and you can store them outside in a shed or garage. hope that helps.
SOunds like your vet does not know that much about feeding Bearded Dragons. Also I was told some dragons won't even eat them. Personally I wondered if Red Wrigglers, the kind used in vermicomposting, are any more nutritious or palatable? I had beenlooking for a way to get my hubby on board with Vermicompsoting during the winter, compost bin too far from house and lid froze shut within the first month of winter, maybe this could be the ticket...
 

PatsyB

Super Moderator
Staff member
1,000+ Post Club
Beardie Club
Messages
9,390
Location
Chicago
SOunds like your vet does not know that much about feeding Bearded Dragons. Also I was told some dragons won't even eat them. Personally I wondered if Red Wrigglers, the kind used in vermicomposting, are any more nutritious or palatable? I had beenlooking for a way to get my hubby on board with Vermicompsoting during the winter, compost bin too far from house and lid froze shut within the first month of winter, maybe this could be the ticket...

Red wigglers aren't palatable. Most reptiles will spit them out when they eat them because they put off a sort of toxin(for lack of better word) that makes them taste bad. Earthworms are okay every now and then if you get them from a reputable breeder, they just don't make a good staple food.
 

HaggridTheBearded

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
42
Thanks for the info PatsyB! I had just wondered about it. I wasn't going to try it without finding out if it was ok first.

An unrelated question but something that came up at my house, I know the red bulbs are not good, what about the dark purple night bulbs? We are having a hard time maintaining a cool side that isn't really cold, so Hagrid doesn't want it go there much, my husband got one of the dark purple moonlight bulbs and it has helped warm up the whole tank enough that now he goes everywhere AND has a nice hot basking spot too.
 

PatsyB

Super Moderator
Staff member
1,000+ Post Club
Beardie Club
Messages
9,390
Location
Chicago
Thanks for the info PatsyB! I had just wondered about it. I wasn't going to try it without finding out if it was ok first.

An unrelated question but something that came up at my house, I know the red bulbs are not good, what about the dark purple night bulbs? We are having a hard time maintaining a cool side that isn't really cold, so Hagrid doesn't want it go there much, my husband got one of the dark purple moonlight bulbs and it has helped warm up the whole tank enough that now he goes everywhere AND has a nice hot basking spot too.
Any color of bulb is bad. If you need to warm things up at night use a low watt CHE.
 

HaggridTheBearded

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
42
My husband said the info about the dark (moonlight/dark purple) bulbs is mixed when you look it up.

Are these types of bulbs especially bad for bearded dragons, compared to other reptiles?
 

PatsyB

Super Moderator
Staff member
1,000+ Post Club
Beardie Club
Messages
9,390
Location
Chicago
My husband said the info about the dark (moonlight/dark purple) bulbs is mixed when you look it up.

Are these types of bulbs especially bad for bearded dragons, compared to other reptiles?
Yes. Bearded dragons see more spectrum of light than we do. They have a gland on the top of their head that is referred to as the “third eye”. This gland allows the to see lights and shadow overhead with their eyes closed. This way they can tell if a predator is swooping down to get them. Even the faintest of light over their head can cause shadow and can disrupt their sleep.
 
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