# mealworms as sling food



## seanlr27 (Jul 12, 2012)

what are peoples experiences with mealworms? i got some slings recently p ornata p regalis a versicolor and m robustum,after looking for suitable crickets in the shops  i drew a blank so i started using meal worms,i squish the head first before i put them in and my slings seems to love them,i am concerned though that if i put them in alive they would burrow and emerge as beetles,are these beetles edible to the slings and are they as much as a threat as a cricket could be?


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## Chris_Skeleton (Jul 12, 2012)

Squish their head before you toss them in. They'll eat them pre-killed just fine.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Skeri (Jul 12, 2012)

I feed the size small ones to my slings. Some of them like them, some don't. Its goes with all of my Ts. Some only like mealworms, others only eat crickets, a few eat both.


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## charm271 (Jul 12, 2012)

Killed mealworms is all I use for my slings, I don't give crickets or superworms till they are at least about 2 inches.


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## jayefbe (Jul 12, 2012)

charm271 said:


> Killed mealworms is all I use for my slings, I don't give crickets or superworms till they are at least about 2 inches.


Is there a reason why? I feed primarily crickets or B. dubia to all my slings, and they take them readily.


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## Formerphobe (Jul 12, 2012)

I keep mealworms and superworms on hand for my scorpions, and to feed some of my Ts when I run out of crickets.  Ts get primarily crickets and roaches which are reportedly higher in protein than mealworms.  Some of my spiders wouldn't touch a mealworm if their life depended on it, others love them.  Most of my slings have seemed to prefer crickets.


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## skar (Jul 13, 2012)

Interesting . . . . My smaller T's 2nd-3rd instar and scorps don't seem to like mealies.
But ya I feed mealworms alot to my spiders, they do dry up quick if not eaten tho.  I personally stopped using roaches. that is all.


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## BiGpDaMoNsTa (Jul 13, 2012)

Like charm271, all of my slings get head-squished mealworms until they are about 2 inches....... I hate crickets so much lol. If i can grab them and drop them into a juvie's enclosure I can do it but I don't enjoy dealing with pinheads or cutting large crickets into pieces.


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## moricollins (Jul 14, 2012)

cut the mealworm in half (gross but effective) and presto - easy sling food.  If you're feeding crickets to the rest of your collection pull the legs off and feed those to your slings, they'll eat them gladly.


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## HardPeppers (Jan 30, 2019)

Chris_Skeleton said:


> Squish their head before you toss them in. They'll eat them pre-killed just fine.


I know this is an old thread but whatever. So I have an Avicularia Metallica sling and I need to ask something real quick... if I crush the heads of the mealworms, after it stops moving, will my T eat it or just think its a small stick or something like that?


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## Justin H (Jan 30, 2019)

HardPeppers said:


> I know this is an old thread but whatever. So I have an Avicularia Metallica sling and I need to ask something real quick... if I crush the heads of the mealworms, after it stops moving, will my T eat it or just think its a small stick or something like that?


I feed my sling with small crushed-head mealworms. He doesn't take it if it's too big, so sometimes I have to cut them in half. They know the difference between a corpse and a stick for sure. Not to mention, most mealworms will continue to move for awhile after you've crushed their head. 

Tom Moran has a section on his website for general sling care information.


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## Teal (Jan 30, 2019)

HardPeppers said:


> I know this is an old thread but whatever. So I have an Avicularia Metallica sling and I need to ask something real quick... if I crush the heads of the mealworms, after it stops moving, will my T eat it or just think its a small stick or something like that?


The majority of slings will scavenge dead prey and pieces of dead prey. They definitely won't mistake it for a stick lol

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Mini8leggedfreak (Jan 30, 2019)

If I’m not mistaken T’s can actually smell things. Don’t ask me how but I’m perty sure I read it on here


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## Simple Mans Nature (Jan 30, 2019)

Mealworms is all I feed to my slings. I crush the head for the bigger slings. And I crush the head and cut them in half for the smaller slings. Then drop in in near they're burrow.


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## Justin H (Jan 30, 2019)

Mini8leggedfreak said:


> If I’m not mistaken T’s can actually smell things. Don’t ask me how but I’m perty sure I read it on here


They have chemical-sensing setae (the hairlike bristles they're covered in).

Reactions: Like 1


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## Vanessa (Jan 31, 2019)

I feed my spiderlings pretty exclusively on small meal worms. Either full with a crushed head or chunks for the smaller spiderlings. I try to feed them meal worms as long as possible - they fill them up for longer and I am feeding less than with crickets. I am still feeding both my larger Avicularia avicularia spiderlings on meal worms about 50% of the time and they still take them. I just stick them in their webbing and leave them until they find them.


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## Mini8leggedfreak (Jan 31, 2019)

You could also breed meal worms and feed the really tiny ones. It’s not hard to breed them. 
I use the really little guys for my slings

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Ungoliant (Feb 1, 2019)

HardPeppers said:


> I know this is an old thread but whatever. So I have an Avicularia Metallica sling and I need to ask something real quick... if I crush the heads of the mealworms, after it stops moving, will my T eat it or just think its a small stick or something like that?


Avics can be picky eaters, and many of them aren't very interested in something that doesn't move.

However, my two Avic slings actually _prefer_ diced mealworm, so give it a try.  (They don't usually take the food immediately, but if I leave them alone, they are usually on it within an hour.)












Catch! (Avicularia avicularia 1")



__ Ungoliant
__ Aug 27, 2018
__ 4
__
avicularia
avicularia avicularia
feeding
pinktoe tarantula
sling




						I cut a mealworm in half for my two Avic slings.  The side with the head kept crawling with...
					



I cut a mealworm in half for my two Avic slings.  The side with the head kept crawling with alarming speed, and when it fell off the edge of the webbing, I thought it was lost.  To my surprise, the sling caught it on the way down.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Veitality (Oct 4, 2019)

moricollins said:


> cut the mealworm in half (gross but effective) and presto - easy sling food.  If you're feeding crickets to the rest of your collection pull the legs off and feed those to your slings, they'll eat them gladly.


How can you tell if the sling are the mealworm? Do they just suck out the insides? Or do they eat the shell too?


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## Ungoliant (Oct 4, 2019)

Veitality said:


> How can you tell if the sling are the mealworm? Do they just suck out the insides? Or do they eat the shell too?


If the mealworm has been moved, the sling probably fed.

Depending on how much the sling eats, the remains won't necessarily be an empty mealworm shell; the remains could be a little ball that doesn't look like anything in particular.


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