Red flour beetle larvae as feeders

[yagamoo]

I was looking through my cabinets and found that the flour was absolutely infested with tribolium castaneum. I saw the larvae wriggling around in there, and considering I only keep small spiders (crab, jumper, lynx etc) I thought they would make good feeders and set them with the now ruined flour into a tub.
I've had success using worm-like prey for all of my spiders, so I know they won't just turn it down, it would be an easily sustainable colony that I could use as a food source, even if the full grown beetle is useless for these spiders. The local cricket population is too random in size and number to be used reliably - these would be much more efficient.

Are there any health concerns with them and the spiders/tips and issues with keeping them? I want to be sure before i try, and I can't find anything about them being used for spider food so any and all help is appreciated, thank you.

 

[Python Patrol Exotics]

The thing with using "found" feeders is you dont know what they have ingested. They can have toxins and poisons in their systems, toxins that they have grown tolerances for, but your spider hasn't and can die from eating

 

[yagamoo]

The thing with using "found" feeders is you dont know what they have ingested.

The only thing these larvae could have consumed in their current state is sterile flour. I haven't heard of any prominent flour-borne toxins, are there any I should be aware of? If there aren't any, will the spiders have a hard time digesting something with a diet of just flour?

 

[Python Patrol Exotics]

The only thing these larvae could have consumed in their current state is sterile flour. I haven't heard of any prominent flour-borne toxins, are there any I should be aware of? If there aren't any, will the spiders have a hard time digesting something with a diet of just flour?

Their parents could have, you just never know what toxins they have in there systems. I have i G. Pulchripes dying of DKS, i have no clue of the cause. Once you see what toxins cant do to your beloved pet, its just not worth the risk. But to each their own

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

I fail to see why flour beetles that have been feeding on flour would have any more risk of toxin contamination than crickets or roaches that have been fed fruits, vegetables and grain- based feed like oats or dog food. Any food product you buy involved pesticide use at some point.

 

[yagamoo]

Their parents could have, you just never know what toxins they have in there systems. I have i G. Pulchripes dying of DKS, i have no clue of the cause. Once you see what toxins cant do to your beloved pet, its just not worth the risk. But to each their own

Would you know of any way to flush their systems? It seems like a waste to just throw them out, even if they are pests.