Damon slings - feeding

[antoniahk]

Hi, I have a batch of freshly-hatched babies (Damon medius(?)). What should I do about feeding? The last time my pair had babies, I didn't know they'd hatched (I was on holiday) and so nothing different was fed to them (I assume they ate bits of the crickets the parents were fed). Once I found out (at maybe L3) I gave them chopped up mealworms. Should I get fruit flies for these now? Thanks for any advice!

 

[pannaking22]

Welcome to the forum! Fruit flies or pinhead crickets should work for them. Young roaches could work too if you have a colony.

 

[aphono]

That's interesting- are you saying the first babies grew up on cut up mealworms after they were discovered and off their mother?

They will eat fruit flies but they are nutritionally empty so don't depend on them as their sole diet. Pinhead or really small crickets, cockroaches would be better- or alternate between flies and those.

 

[antoniahk]

Thank you!
Yes, I fed them on bits of mealworm until they seemed happy catching crickets.
Does anyone know about how long the babies will stay on the parent for? It's a bit difficult as I'm going away for a month, and I need to ask a friend to babysit them .

 

[wizentrop]

Nice! Newborn Damon babies are very forgiving, and will take crushed mealworms or even bits of other insects (like cricket "drumsticks"). As they grow older they become pickier. If they are well fed you can keep them with the mother, however if they compete for food then they will start cannibalizing.

 

[schmiggle]

As they grow older they become pickier.

Just like human children