Switching from frozen to live food & back again?

[beatrice]

Hi--

I posted last week about my larval newt/salamander floating (amongst other questions), and again when he started to seem healthier. He had been eating frozen bloodworms until I put some mosquito larvae in, and he started eating those with great vim and vigor. Unfortunately, my mosq. larvae all pupated (and were too big for my little guy to tackle), and I didn't have any others readily available. I went back to giving him frozen bloodworms, and he wouldn't eat them. He began floating badly, even flipping over a few times, and I thought he was a goner.

Today I scoured the neighborhood and found more mosq. larvae, and what I think are bloodworms. He immediately ate a bunch of mosquitoes and BURPED. (I read on this forum recently that someone had witnessed that, and thought surely they must be stretching the truth until I saw it today!) He seems fine now, but I'm concerned that I won't be able to get him to eat the frozen bloodworms if I run out of mosquitoes again. Is there a way to entice a larva to go back to dead food?

Also, I am nearly positive that I found some live midge larvae (bloodworms) and I am wondering if it is safe to feed them to my larva?

Thank you for any advice...

Beatrice

[Ian Rigg]

Hi Bea...Given the choice most newt larvae will go for live (moving) food every time. Blood worm will be fine for him as will small earth worms, if you can get them.If you can get a stock of midge or mosquito larvae keep them in the refridgerator as this will stop them pupating, then feed only a few at a time.

[beatrice]

Thank you-- I can't believe I hadn't thought to refrigerate them. Sheesh, I should have-- I work for a mosquito control company, and do know that cold slows them down... :) The newt larva is still very full of mosquito and seems fine.