# frozen mealies and crickets...?



## Kelsey the hedgehog (Jun 15, 2012)

some people have mentioned in other posts that they gutload the mealies and crickets, and then they freeze them.

this confused me a bit. :? i know that if you refridgerate mealworms they get "sleepy" but they don't die.. is that what happens in the freezer too? or will the freezer actually kill the little insects for me?

also, i'm assuming this is a general rule but, after they are taken out of the freezer, i would de-thaw them right? 

if someone could better explain this process for me that'd be great!


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

I'll try and explain it as best as I can 

You want to gutload them because:
A) You don't know what they've been eating and fresh vegetables are much healthier. 
B) The vegetables that you feed the insect contain nutrients that go into the hedgehog when he/she eats them. 

For gutloading you just put the crickets or mealworms in a large pail, bucket or container (with a lid for crickets). Then you put in at least one type of healthy vegetable, you can put in more than one type if you'd like. Then you just leave them to eat the vegetables for a day or two.

After a day or two, you can either transfer them into different containers that you want to freeze them in, or freeze them in the container they are already in. Just make sure the container is safe for the freezer. The last thing you want is the container cracking and having crickets or mealworms all over your freezer...

Being in the freezer will kill them, if you leave them in long enough. I like to leave them over night or all day.

When you thaw them you want to feed them quickly so they don't rot or spoil. So only let them thaw for a few minutes, until they aren't cold.


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

I freeze my crickets, but my mealworms are in the fridge. The crickets freeze before they die which kinda preserves them I guess (idk if preserves is really the right word). This is the same with pinkies although it's easier to know if pinkies died from a disease or something first because you can clearly see a black stomach (live frozen ones won't generally have a black stomach). You never want to feed something that died before being frozen because a. their insides are probably already rotten before they put them in the freezer and b. you have no idea what caused the death and you don't want your hedgie catching some disease they (the pinkies) may have had. The crickets are already black so a little harder to tell so I never buy frozen crickets, I freeze them myself so I know they are healthy (looking anyway) when I put them in there. 

Like I said though I don't freeze my mealies (just figure because of how small they are probably more nutritious just to keep them in the fridge and take out the container once a week to sit for a few hours to let them warm up and eat a bit) so can't really say much about freezing them. 

Freezing basically just helps you keep them longer so you don't have to worry about how to keep them alive, what to feed, how to house them, cleaning their little containers, etc.


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## Kelsey the hedgehog (Jun 15, 2012)

thanks!  it all makes a lot more sense now.
is there anything specific to feed the insects when gut loading? or just feed them what you would feed hedgies?


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

Some people feed the insects what their hedgies won't eat. So if your hedgie hates carrots, you can feed the insects carrots then your like sneaking them into your hedgie  But, some hedgies out smart us and won't eat them if they smell the carrot (or whatever they don't like).


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

HedgieGirl519 said:


> Some people feed the insects what their hedgies won't eat. So if your hedgie hates carrots, you can feed the insects carrots then your like sneaking them into your hedgie  But, some hedgies out smart us and won't eat them if they smell the carrot (or whatever they don't like).


I can attest to that...I tried feeding Lily crickets that had been fed carrots, which she hated. She attacked, chewed....then spit out chewed-up cricket on me and gave me a Look. :roll: :lol:


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## Kelsey the hedgehog (Jun 15, 2012)

Lilysmommy said:


> HedgieGirl519 said:
> 
> 
> > Some people feed the insects what their hedgies won't eat. So if your hedgie hates carrots, you can feed the insects carrots then your like sneaking them into your hedgie  But, some hedgies out smart us and won't eat them if they smell the carrot (or whatever they don't like).
> ...


ha! :lol: i guess you couldn't fool her. i'm actually surprised she tasted it in the bug!! ..i'm starting to think i might have to try that with my little guy, seeing as what he will and won't eat, it might be nice to sneak in some extra nutrients.


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## jkwan (Apr 23, 2012)

I've gotten some mealies and crickets for my hedgie, and have some carrots in the containers. If I were to feed the insects potatoes, do they need to be cooked before feeding? I know raw potatoes are toxic to hedgies, but cooked ones are safe, so if they have already been digested by the insects, is that toxic enzyme still present?
I don't tend to keep a lot of veggies around, because my boyfriend doesn't eat them (at all, Dumbledore eats more veggies than him), but I have a lot of fruit; are things like strawberries and bananas okay for gutloading?

EDIT: I put the crickets in the freezer to 'stun' them, but I left them in too long  is gutloading super important, or can I still use them? The store was feeding them some flaky food (they were by the fish department, so I assume fish food).


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