Can I feed my feeders tomatoes?

[aprilmayjunebugs]

Admittedly, I go a bit beyond expectations when it comes to feeding my hissers and mealworms, both of which I raise myself because it's easy and fun. I don't give them any veggies or fruits that aren't human worthy, they are fed on hamster pellets, apples, oranges, carrots, and celery, occasionally lettuce if I have some around. I rinse and peel and rinse again and even rinse pre peeled and cut out cores. I try to make sure they get their produce at least once a week, sometimes twice a week. I have been avoiding giving them tomatoes since I think I've read the leaves and stems can be toxic to some inverts, but I have more than I'm going to eat myself so I'm wondering if anyone knows for sure if it's safe or not.

 

[BoyFromLA]

Well, it’s better to be safe than sorry, but aside from that, I personally would not feed tomatoes solely because they get messy after awhile.

 

[Scorpiobsession]

I know tomatoes are directly related to deadly nightshade and only a few animals can eat them, including humans. I would guess that they're not safe but you could always experiment with a couple. However I wouldn't feed a feeder that has tomatoes in its digestive tract in fear that the animal eating it could be injured.

 

[aprilmayjunebugs]

Well, it’s better to be safe than sorry, but aside from that, I personally would not feed tomatoes solely because they get messy after awhile.

Yeah, getting the ratio down is hard when the population is always changing, I give them a smidge less than I think they can eat overnight and I usually remember to take out the leftovers the next day but the few times I forgot,

I know tomatoes are directly related to deadly nightshade and only a few animals can eat them, including humans. I would guess that they're not safe but you could always experiment with a couple. However I wouldn't feed a feeder that has tomatoes in its digestive tract in fear that the animal eating it could be injured.

That sounds familiar. I guess I could do an experiment but probably not worth it in this case, sounds like I should steer clear. But I'll keep that in mind for future inquiries.

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

[The Snark]

I know tomatoes are directly related to deadly nightshade

Solanine, atropine, tomatine. Why take the chance?

 

[aprilmayjunebugs]

Solanine, atropine, tomatine. Why take the chance?

Not going to, glad I asked.

I'm no plant scientist, I've killed more cactus and succulents than I care to admit.

 

[The Snark]

I've killed more cactus and succulents than I care to admit.

Join the club. We need jackets.

 

[RoachCoach]

Join the club. We need jackets.

Be them straight or green. I would be more than willing to help you with your gardening endeavors.

 

[RoachCoach]

At first glance I thought you were feeding your hissers hamster turds. Which is probably not bad, I'm just kindof irked I just glanced over it like "ya, hamster pellets. Hissers are coprophages."

 

[Edan bandoot]

I've fed crickets the tomato flesh before and there were no consequences but I'm pretty sure the stem and leaves have insecticidal properties

 

[Matts inverts]

I don’t feed oranges or tomatoes because there is high amounts of toxic acids that transfer to the animal. That’s why they only say to feed it to roachs when breeding and don’t feed it if you are using them as feeders.

 

[RoachCoach]

I don’t feed oranges or tomatoes because there is high amounts of toxic acids that transfer to the animal. That’s why they only say to feed it to roachs when breeding and don’t feed it if you are using them as feeders.

This is only partly true. Just like us some animals can get gout. There lies the conundrum, but also the answer. You should absolutely never feed your pets feeders that are fed a restricted diet regardless of diet. Some inverts carry a ton of fats and some super high in protein. If you are feeding just protein feeders, then you are just asking for gout. Humans can eat just protein and live. Until scurvy sets in. G.I. Joe and your dusty old drill sergeant had it right all along. A balanced diet. Don't get me wrong. I will likely eat myself into an early grave. Only because I choose to. My animals don't get to choose. I/we am/are their advocate.

 

[aprilmayjunebugs]

At first glance I thought you were feeding your hissers hamster turds. Which is probably not bad, I'm just kindof irked I just glanced over it like "ya, hamster pellets. Hissers are coprophages."

I mean, I guess if I were just trying to keep them alive that would probably do the trick. That's funny though

 

[The Snark]

Hissers are coprophages.

New take on the old phrase 'Eat <snip> and die'. Eat <snip> and thrive.

I've fed crickets the tomato flesh before and there were no consequences but I'm pretty sure the stem and leaves have insecticidal properties

The problem comes in with carbonic gas and other wonderfuls of our chemical world. Tomatoes are one of the prime targets of the little marketing ploy. They are harvested green and rock hard. Then a zap of gas or a bath and they turn into those red delicious looking objects found in the produce section. That is why commercially produced tomatoes are completely flavorless. They aren't ripe, just molecularly accelerated.

 

[RoachCoach]

New take on the old phrase 'Eat <snip> and die'. Eat <snip> and thrive.


The problem comes in with carbonic gas and other wonderfuls of our chemical world. Tomatoes are one of the prime targets of the little marketing ploy. They are harvested green and rock hard. Then a zap of gas or a bath and they turn into those red delicious looking objects found in the produce section. That is why commercially produced tomatoes are completely flavorless. They aren't ripe, just molecularly accelerated.

Imma just put this here

 

[Edan bandoot]

New take on the old phrase 'Eat <snip> and die'. Eat <snip> and thrive.


The problem comes in with carbonic gas and other wonderfuls of our chemical world. Tomatoes are one of the prime targets of the little marketing ploy. They are harvested green and rock hard. Then a zap of gas or a bath and they turn into those red delicious looking objects found in the produce section. That is why commercially produced tomatoes are completely flavorless. They aren't ripe, just molecularly accelerated.

None of that in my garden

 

[The Snark]

Imma just put this here

Zing! How did you find that so fast?
Pour those 4 foot deep harvesting tubs fulll of ripe tomatoes the only thing that gets delivered to the packing plant is tomato puree and soup.

I would be more than willing to help you with your gardening endeavors.

My dad was a gardener. I think I inherited several dozen generations of anti gardening genes. I may be alone in the universe in being unable to get Descanso Rock rose to grow-thrive-survive.

None of that in my garden

Given the extremely complex chemistry of the seemingly simple tomato, ... a questionable insect diet.


I keep thinking of the adage some botanist said regarding Nightshade berries. "Half of one might get you high and three might kill you."

 

[aprilmayjunebugs]

I don’t feed oranges or tomatoes because there is high amounts of toxic acids that transfer to the animal. That’s why they only say to feed it to roachs when breeding and don’t feed it if you are using them as feeders.

Interesting, I have not seen that about breeding but I have seen a lot of people say their roaches go nuts for oranges, I didn't use them at first because I was skeptical about the acidity. They do seem to love them. Something to think about. I will probably refrain from feeding oranges to the ones I am feeding off soon. I switched from cat food to hamster pellets recently because I read that the high protein in cat food could result in high uric acid content that could kill them, I'd had a couple of premature deaths and I thought that might be part of the problem.

 

[RoachCoach]

Zing! How did you find that so fast?
Pour those 4 foot deep harvesting tubs fulll of ripe tomatoes the only thing that gets delivered to the packing plant is tomato puree and soup.
If there is something my tiny brain can hold onto easily, it is SciShow videos. I don't know how to velcro my shoes, but you can be damn sure I know what video was posted when.

I mean, I don't even know how to quote on here yet...

 

[The Snark]

Just ran across this entirely by accident. https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/tomato-italy-history/index.html