Anyone feed bean weavils?

[mark97r1]

Hi,

Just wondered if any of you guys feed/tried bean weevils with your leos?
Im thinking the size of them (3-4mm) should be good for young leos without hatching baby crickets. Plus they wont bite your babies if they are not all eaten, very easy to culture and they dont stink like crickets.

So am i onto a winner or is someone going to shoot me down here??
I would be very interested to hear anyones results who have tried these.

I dont have any young to try them on but i feed my larger dart frogs these instead of the hatchling crickets (that would bite the frogs and eat the viv foliage, and continue to grow as they are almost impossible to catch in there).

Just curious really and thought it might be a nice alternative for you breeders.

Cheers guys

 

[trizzypballr]

what exactully are bean weavils?

 

[mark97r1]

Sorry you may well have different names in the states, though i would think they would be quite common/available.
Their are 2 similar types;
Bean weevil Acanthoscelides obtectus
Bean beetle Callosobruchus maculatus

They lay eggs on dry black eyed beans, the larvae hatch and live/eat inside the bean until they pupate and then you have the weevil/beetle (i personally havent tried the beetle, though same theory and i know people who have). Though the weevil/beetle doesnt eat the beans, in a culture they dont live very long after just long enough to reproduce and be a nice feeding alternative.
Though it is as simple as that a jar/container with a handful of the beans in the bottom (and obviously a starter culture).
Dont know how nutricious they would be, but dusted they would make a suitable alternative to hatchling crickets size wise to get the young leos onto small mealworms.
Dartfrogs sometimes look a little taken aback by the 'crunchiness' which some arn't as keen with, but i wouldnt have thought leos would mind this with mealworms/crickets etc..

Just a thought with absolutly NO EXPERIENCE behind it leo wise.
Would like to hear peoples opinions.