Feeding Frozen/Thawed Crickets

[Spaceblues]

I'm certain this has been discussed, but I can't seem to find any info for some reason. I've read tons of threads about feeding prekilled crickets or cricket pieces, so I was wondering if you can just gut load crickets with a carrot or potato then freeze them? Thaw them out in some warm water when you need them.

It's basically what I do with mice for my snakes. If you raise a sling on prekilled and/or pieces, it seems like this would work. Yes? No? Or do they refuse to scavenge or take prekilled later in life?


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[Biollantefan54]

I have heard of people doing this, apparently it works great.

 

[Neoza]

Im curious to because i always have to buy new crickets because they grow to fast in comparising with my slings.

 

[Poec54]

I have heard of people doing this, apparently it works great.

I doubt it. A number of my tarantulas won't take dead prey.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I doubt it. A number of my tarantulas won't take dead prey.

Same here, Live crickets however it seems any T will eat.

 

[PanzoN88]

I use this method now and it works.

 

[Poec54]

I use this method now and it works.

For how many spiders? The more you have, the you'll find some that won't east dead prey.

 

[Spaceblues]

I can see how if you have a large collection like yours Poec, then it might be more tricky. I've had the same experience with snakes - most accepted frozen mice, but a few of the more exotic species refused all but live.

I'll only have a handful of slings so maybe I'll get lucky. I used to have a cricket colony for all my beardies - and I hate those little suckers. The crickets I mean, not the beardies. [emoji5]️


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[Amavera]

I have only one sling, and part of my agreement with my husband when getting it was that there would not be live crickets hanging around in our house. In the interests of not buying a whole box of way too many crickets for every feeding, I tried exactly what you suggest. So far it has worked well for me. I've had my little guy three months and he seems to be doing perfectly normal, healthy spider things. He eats once a week or so, and I haven't noticed him to be less likely to accept a thawed cricket than one pre-killed by crushing its head, which I give him when I first buy a new box.

I try to feed only crickets that I'm sure were alive when I froze them. The second box I bought, I fed the crickets a few carrots before freezing them. My tarantula didn't eat any of those, though I suspect that was due to premolt; I only offered them 4 or 5 times over a couple weeks. Obviosly three months is not long enough for a definitive answer, and I suspect that eventually he'll stop taking pre-killed prey entirely, but at least for the time being it works well for my situation.