Crickets or Locusts

[Shellob]

The pet store where my daughter got her Chilean Rose recomended little locusts rather than crickets to feed it on, but you all seem to feed yours on crickets.

We got the little beasty 2 days ago now and have decided to wait a couple of days before we fed it.

What do you think?

The pics a little blurry, im sure i'll get better though.

 

[TheDon]

I dont think it would really make a difference... I wish I could get locusts around here cause I would love to try something diff then crickets mainly.

I would give them both but maybe more crickets then locusts.

peace

Mark

 

[the new guy]

my g. rosea and a. avic will not eat anything other than crickets. the g. rosea will play with wax worms, but thats about it.

 

[Iowa T Keeper]

the ppl at the pet store said my smithi wouldn't eat meal worms, but I offered her one just to see for myself and she ate it right up. They just didn't care enough to put it next to her aparently

Also are those rocks on the ground of the cage?

 

[Shellob]

Its a coarse vermiculate substrate, but they do look rocky. Quite soft though.

 

[luther]

Most Ts will take locusts just as happily as crickets. The problem with locusts is that they climb glass tanks and hang about on the roof and walls. This means that unless your terrestrial tarantula grabs them the moment they are dropped in the tank they will be hanging about for days. Arboreal tarantulas, on the other hand, will benefit from this.

I've tried crippling locusts before putting them in with my terrestrials. Its a horrible thing to do and I don't recomend it. I'd rather feed them crickets. Try different sized crickets and vary between brown and black.

Superworms are popular with most Ts too, but if they escape they can live under the substrate for months. Eventually a smooth black beetle will emerge. Superworms have strong jaws and can damage a spiderling or molting adult, so be careful.

 

[Vys]

Locusts seem a bit vicious with their saw-legs, but from what I've seen of them they pose no real danger to a T. As for the T wanting and catching it, I've seen a G. aerostriata (not quite fully grown) eating medium sized locusts. My Avic avic retreated to her net when locusts were tried and hasn't emerged in one and a half years.

 

[Shellob]

I put in a locust, and then things got wierd.

The locust made a b-line for the spider, they faced each other head to head.

The Spider reared up, legs poised above the insect.

The locust moved closer and began stroking the underside of the spider with its antenae.

The spider raised higher - a deadly strike surely was to come next.

The locust edged closer, still stroking the spider, and it began to raise itself too, almost climbing the spiders legs.

The spider didnt move..

Locust walked away and hid in plastic plant...

The spider still didnt move, a little later I saw a bubble of clear liquid hanging like a dew drop from the spiders jaws, was it drewling?

And have I found a cunning "spider whisperer" locust?

 

[Iowa T Keeper]

That is wierd. Both of my T's really nab stuff. There isn't hesitation or anything. I suppose if she wasn't really hungry or maybe not exactly sure about whether it was food or not. Who knows I am sure their friendship will not last too long tho

 

[abstract]

Agreed - this sounds like my spiders typical reaction to prey when they are pre-molt.