Are crickets sufficient for large Ts?

[aspieguy]

Hey,

I once heard a breeder say that for large Ts crickets aren't sufficient for them. I guess it isn't natural to be fed a strict cricket diet, but I don't think I have much choice. None of my local pet stores sell roaches, and the out-of-town ones charge like $15-$30 a roach! That's a lot of money to feed just one T. But, yeah, are commercially bred crickets sufficient for large Ts? I can maybe try pre-killed mice?

 

[Kris-wIth-a-K]

i just use crickets. Go yo a bait store if you are in that kind of a town. They usually have ex. Large crickets. Our's does and it works well.

 

[Ictinike]

You could always feed them 2-3 at a time like most..

They'll most likely catch them all and make a big old bolus whence done..

You don't have to feed just one

 

[Vespula]

Crickets fine for mine. They seem to enjoy them.

 

[LirvA]

Are Ts expensive to feed? How much are crickets usually? Still haven't gotten my first T yet and wondering what I should expect to pay to feed it.

What about Dubias?

 

[bobusboy]

Are Ts expensive to feed? How much are crickets usually? Still haven't gotten my first T yet and wondering what I should expect to pay to feed it.

What about Dubias?

at my LPS crickets are about 5$ for 50-100 depending on what size you get. So considering they only need 2-4 crickets a week they're dirt cheap. Nicest part is a Tarantula wont die in a few days on you so long as it has water. Which is nice if you need to take a vacation or something.


Dubias i think most people run a colony of their own so its self sustaining but about 50$ start up cost i think and then buying water crystals and making a veggie/catfood cocktail to feed them. (still cheap though)

 

[LirvA]

I saw some of RobC's vids on Dubia colonies, pretty cool.

 

[ZergFront]

Are Ts expensive to feed? How much are crickets usually? Still haven't gotten my first T yet and wondering what I should expect to pay to feed it.

What about Dubias?

Don't know about dubia cost but you can get more for your dollar at online stores than LPS. Last time I saw crickets at a LPS, I almost laughed because they were $10 for 50 when at Flukers or other online stores I can get over 100 for $9 or little more.

Tarantulas will eat as much as they can hang onto and put it into one big bolus. Usually they'll toss it by the water dish.

 

[jeryst]

Our LPS sells boxes of crickets from some place called "The Bug Company". Cost is 2.99 for a box of 20-30 small to medium crickets, or 3.99 for a box of 50-60 medium-large crickets.

One caveat though. The company does seem to misrepresent what they sell.

Any time I buy a box, even though it says 50-60 med-large crickets, I rarely get more than 25 live crickets out of the box, along with a half dozen dead ones. A good portion of them are very small, so I think the company is ripping people off, but at least its convenient. The box acts as a home, and includes dark spaces, food, and water crystals, so you don't have to set up some special enclosure, or keep running to the LPS to buy a couple of crickets.

 

[Terry D]

Wow, you guys have some ridiculously expensive pet shops. They're 82 cents a dozen for large at mine and theres always an overcount of 1-2 per dozen.....roughly 3.28 plus tax for 50. If you have a club card (ridiculous not to) it saves you 10% on top of that.

 

[Wh1teshark]

The only petshop in town that sells them for about 40 cents per cricket, so you guys are lucky!

We don't have many reptile or tarantula hobbyists around here though.

 

[PitViper]

I buy 6 dozen crickets a week for my slings and scorplings and its $1 a dozen + 6% tax, feed my adult Ts Lateralis roaches.

 

[Bill S]

The only petshop in town that sells them for about 40 cents per cricket, so you guys are lucky!

Ouch!!! They must be some VERY NICE crickets. At that price, I'd definitely look into breeding my own.

Fortunately, I've got a couple local sources of crickets at far better prices.

 

[Merfolk]

Large amounts of crix could feed any Ts, given that they eat them all and that's not the only thing you feed. But my large Ts totally ignore crickets and go ape for anolis, hoppers and frogs. When I cannot find any of these, superworm are accepted, but they tend to burrow quick. Basically, I ceased feeding crickets to anything over 6 inches legspan. I pretty much feed only verts, but every 4-6 weekes.

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

Hey,

I once heard a breeder say that for large Ts crickets aren't sufficient

Well if they weren't, I don't think many of us who have large Ts would still have them. If they werent sufficient, health problems would begin to show. I feed all my Ts crickets only and many others do as well. No health problems yet, complications, or starving. This hobby has been around and from what I understand, crickets have always been the main diet. All my Ts are thriving and I feed them nothing but crickets (that is until I get a roach colony of course).

Why are all these threads popping up questioning what feeders are sufficient what aren't and if mice are safe or not? I swear this is the fifth or sixth thread this week on this subject.

 

[AbraCadaver]

What I usually did when I fed crickets(given, I never had a superlarge T, but she was underfed when she got here) was give her one, wait till she killed it, give her another, wait till she killed it, and then gave her a third.. She would then slurp happily away on all three in turn, and chuck out a large pile of cricket goo at the end of her feast. Worked brilliantly, she fattened up nicely! Though, now she's skinny again as she's in premolt.. But that's another story.

 

[Mdcrinos]

crickets

Small local bait stores have been the best for me for feeding my adult T's. 2 dozen for a buck "huge crickets".

 

[roaddog]

Mine take beef heart if I am looking for a change in diet.

 

[GForce14063]

I feed my tarantulas mainly crickets once in awhile I will feed my T. spinipes a occasional fuzzy mouse. I go through 6000 crickets a month to feed my collection and I have had no problems except phlorid flies that seem to come with the crickets.

 

[Anansis]

Hey,

I once heard a breeder say that for large Ts crickets aren't sufficient for them. I guess it isn't natural to be fed a strict cricket diet, but I don't think I have much choice. None of my local pet stores sell roaches, and the out-of-town ones charge like $15-$30 a roach! That's a lot of money to feed just one T. But, yeah, are commercially bred crickets sufficient for large Ts? I can maybe try pre-killed mice?

Roaches are illegal in Canada wherefore you won't find them at pet stores.