# Feeding slings fruit flies



## Professor T (May 19, 2004)

My _A. versicolor_ slings have yet to eat. I tried pinhead crickets, now I threw in some vestigal wing fruit flies. Anyone ever have any luck feeding fruit flies to slings. I think they're the right size prey...hope they're gone by tomorrow morning!


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## flchris (May 19, 2004)

If you thought pin heads were a pain in the ass wait until u try the "flightless"   fruit flies.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Professor T (May 19, 2004)

I hear you, they are a challenge to keep under control. I crush the fruit fly escapees. While they can't fly, they can crawl up anything. Its worth it if my slings start eating :}

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mendi (May 19, 2004)

Fruit flies don't really contain all the nutriants needed for long term feeding your sling, but they are ok for a little while. But you should look over on the insect board and read Code Monkey's termite keeping help. Termites are the perfect food for even the smallest slings


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## David_F (May 20, 2004)

I'm glad I didn't see this thread before I got my versi slings.  I'd hate to have to start a fruit fly culture for just 2 slings. I only have two but they both eat like pigs.  Neither of them seemed to eat much until I started cruching the heads and putting the crickets directly in the webs they had built.  I still have a small number of spiders to feed so don't know how much trouble this would be for you but you might want to try it.  Both of mine seem to eat anywhere from 1 to 3 small crickets (.25") or so a day this way.  Anyway, however you do it, good luck with them.  They are great little Ts.


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## Aviculariinae (May 20, 2004)

Just crush the heads of the crickets, and put them in then,and the Slings will definetly take them.Dont bother with fruit flies they are a disaster.

Cheers
Brendan


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## Peloquin (May 20, 2004)

I use "Squat" maggots. Get white ones from your local fishing tackle shop.
 Squats are a great food. They are tiny and spiders love em. If they dont get the maggot they will take the fly when it changes.
Used 'em for years now. Slings grow quite quickly using them.


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## T_DORKUS (May 20, 2004)

Peloquin said:
			
		

> I use "Squat" maggots. Get white ones from your local fishing tackle shop.
> Squats are a great food. They are tiny and spiders love em. If they dont get the maggot they will take the fly when it changes.
> Used 'em for years now. Slings grow quite quickly using them.


Awesome, thanks for the tip.  Never seen or heard of a squat maggot before and I don't know if the shops around here carry 'em but if they do, I'll try 'em.


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## Vys (May 20, 2004)

Squat maggots, is that young ordinary maggots?
I've tried maggots for my sling arboreals..they have molted thrice, or maybe even four times, since august last year, because they ignore most of what I try to feed them with. Small roaches - nix nada, maggots/ maggot-pieces / 1 / 10 of the times, thawed roach/cricket-parts 1/2 of the times tried.. Flies ..I don't think they can handle flies that well yet. My little avic tried, but couldn't hold on to it. Tap hasn't tried yet. Oooh how I love trying too feed little arboreals ..  
(Sorry for heavily digressing)

Fruit-flies seem easily caught and eaten, but as said, I doubt they're very nutritious. Moths are probably good, if they can be cultivated easily. Small crickets are grand, except that 50 crickets will be 5 in two weeks eventhough you don't sacrifice any to your spiders.


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## Professor T (May 20, 2004)

Well, I have one vestigal winged fruit fly in every container. I don't think the fruit fly can harm the sling. It looks to be about 1/3 the size of the sling's abdomen.

Its been almost a week since they molted into this stage. They didn't eat pin head crickets. I'm going to wait a few days to see if they'll eat the fruit flies. After this weekend, if they still haven't eaten, I'll try the crushed cricket trick. Thanks for the advice.


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## MysticKigh (May 20, 2004)

I have a terrarium set up for my crickets size small and up... they live for weeks on end   Maybe you don't smile at your potential food often enough ;P


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## Professor T (May 20, 2004)

MysticKigh said:
			
		

> I have a terrarium set up for my crickets size small and up... they live for weeks on end   Maybe you don't smile at your potential food often enough ;P


I smile when there's steak on my dinner plate...does that count?


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## ahkiu (May 20, 2004)

i find keeping really tiny slings a real pain. Pinhead crickets are hard to catch and die really easily. So for my slings that i had i used to just give them a meaty hind leg off a big cricket. this was fine and the t's ate them although i never tried this with aboreals


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