The easy way to keep your feeder insects hydrated

I have recently discovered a really easy way to keep my feeder insects hydrated, without causing excessive moisture, humidity and mould in their tubs, and also removing the risk of the insects drowning.

Before I begin this post, I would just like to say that I’m not suggesting this as a replacement for the proper gutloading of your feeder insects, as it is still important to make sure they are well fed and receiving the adequate nutrients.

This is just a simple way to provide extra hydration to your insects without negatively impacting their living conditions.

Please also see my post: What is gutloading and why is it important?

Previously, my feeder insects would get their hydration solely from the fresh fruit and vegetables I would give to them, however I found that if I ever gave them anything with a water content which is too high, I would get a lot of humidity as some of the liquid would evaporate, and the moisture would also find itself into their substrate making it damp and I’m guessing slightly mouldy (ew).

This did make me wonder if they were hydrated enough, and if they were passing on enough moisture to my geckos.

Anyway, I came across two products in my pet store: Pro Rep Bug Gel and Komodo Jelly Pots, and was keen to give them a try.

Pro Rep Bug Gel costs around £4.50 for a big 500ml tub which lasts ages. As it comes in gel form, this can easily be placed into the insects’ enclosures, and is a better alternative to placing a water dish as you can be sure that there is no risk of your insects drowning. I also find that this seems to cause less humidity, and is better than using juicy fruit/ veg as it doesn’t end up leaving a lingering smell.

Komodo Jelly Pots are slightly more expensive, with a 10 pack costing around £6.50. Each pot weighs 16g, so they are definitely more pricey than the bug gel, however the added benefit of these is they are packed with nutrients, vitamins and protein, which is passed onto your leopard gecko at feeding time.

I keep a big pot of the bug gel as a backup, which can be used more frequently, and I give my insects a pot of jelly per week (you can cut these in half if you don’t have that many insects to feed).

To ensure the moisture from the gel or jelly doesn’t seep into the substrate and cause humidity, I place them into bottle tops, or milk caps. Within no time, the bugs are all over it, and if any goes uneaten, you can easily remove it.

As you can see, my mealworm tub ends up looking like a scene from The Walking Dead within about a minute 🙂

Just a quick final comment, I wouldn’t try to feed these to my leopard geckos, fresh and clean water is best for them!