Dubia, crickets and super worms oh my!

[Ellenantula]

Another vote for B lats (red runners/Turkistan reds). Keeping them since 2014, never had an escape or infestation. My Ts adore them!

 

[matypants]

I’m convinced I just need to grab some supplies and make an order.

 

[Stardust1986]

I keep a colony of dubia for my T’s and beardie and to be honest, they’re a pain. They burrow down and play dead and just aren’t good at triggering a feeding response in my T’s. What change if any, should I make? Should I get into crickets or just buy super worms? Is there a better feeder for tarantulas as easy to keep as dubia roaches? Help a bro out y’all.

I recently made a post about my concern over superworms, I don't know their safe for Ts, dubia roaches are very nutritious, heres the pic that i wanted to show, well fed superworms (alive) bite through a plastic container

 

[Arachnophobphile]

I keep a colony of dubia for my T’s and beardie and to be honest, they’re a pain. They burrow down and play dead and just aren’t good at triggering a feeding response in my T’s. What change if any, should I make? Should I get into crickets or just buy super worms? Is there a better feeder for tarantulas as easy to keep as dubia roaches? Help a bro out y’all.

Keep your dubia colony. Dubia roaches are an excellent food source.

Save yourself the headache with them burrowing or hiding. Bury halfway or 3/4 of the way a small porcelain dish or other small slick surface dish in the enclosure.

Put a small piece of food, I use piece of carrot, and a water gel piece in the dish. Put 1 to 2 dubias in it and walk away.

Your tarantula will find it and eat when it wants to. Your dubias can't escape if you use the right dish, works like a charm.

I recently made a post about my concern over superworms, I don't know their safe for Ts, dubia roaches are very nutritious, heres the pic that i wanted to show, well fed superworms (alive) bite through a plastic container

What??? You do know to crush their head and about 1/3 down before feeding them to your T right?

 

[matypants]

I recently made a post about my concern over superworms, I don't know their safe for Ts, dubia roaches are very nutritious, heres the pic that i wanted to show, well fed superworms (alive) bite through a plastic container

Thanks for that info. I’m just tired of dubia roaches playing dead or burrowing down and making me retrieve them.

Dubia roach pros:
Nutritional
Sizes
Wont escape

Cons:
Play dead
Burrow
Slow to trigger feeding response

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Thanks for that info. I’m just tired of dubia roaches playing dead or burrowing down and making me retrieve them.

Dubia roach pros:
Nutritional
Sizes
Wont escape

Cons:
Play dead
Burrow
Slow to trigger feeding response

I gave you the info

 

[matypants]

Keep your dubia colony. Dubia roaches are an excellent food source.

Save yourself the headache with them burrowing or hiding. Bury halfway or 3/4 of the way a small porcelain dish or other small slick surface dish in the enclosure.

Put a small piece of food, I use piece of carrot, and a water gel piece in the dish. Put 1 to 2 dubias in it and walk away.

Your tarantula will find it and eat when it wants to. Your dubias can't escape if you use the right dish, works like a charm.

What a superb idea. Thanks for that!

 

[Stardust1986]

What??? You do know to crush their head and about 1/3 down before feeding them to your T right?

Yes, I do, and have had no problem...but the question I'm presenting is "is this a safe feeder for a T" I think I'm crushing the head properly, yet they slowly burrow", what if they can still bite?

 

[mack1855]

Ok.Use a razor blade and cut the head off.
Problem solved.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

What a superb idea. Thanks for that!

No biggy it works out pretty well. I'd hate to see you give up your dubia colony.

Yes, I do, and have had no problem...but the question I'm presenting is "is this a safe feeder for a T" I think I'm crushing the head properly, yet they slowly burrow", what if they can still bite?

That's the mistake I made when I first started using superworms. A long time member helped me and told me to make sure after crushing the head crush 1/3 down. That will stop them completely.

Never had any issues since

 

[Stardust1986]

That's the mistake I made when I first started using superworms. A long time member helped me and told me to make sure after crushing the head crush 1/3 down. That will stop them completely.

Never had any issues since

When you say crushing them a 1/3 down, you mean crushing 1/3 of the front part completely? Maybe I haven't been crushing them correctly. I thought crushing the head was enough, but if they dont move at all, does your Ts still respond?

No biggy it works out pretty we. I'd hate to see you give up your dubia colony.

From what I read, roaches are the most nutritious feeder, I'm going to stick with them as a primary food source

 

[Arachnophobphile]

When you say crushing them a 1/3 down, you mean crushing 1/3 of the front part completely? Maybe I haven't been crushing them correctly. I thought crushing the head was enough, but if they dont move at all, does your Ts still respond?

Yes, crush 1/3 down from the head, basically where the front legs are.

When I started with superworms I just crushed the head. That was until I came back later and it was moving around the enclosure and began to burrow. Then I started cutting the head off which in itself is disgusting due to the horrendous smell.

That was when a member told me to crush further down instead of wasting that part of the superworm as the T will eat it.

 

[Stardust1986]

Yes, crush 1/3 down from the head, basically where the front legs are.

When I started with superworms I just crushed the head. That was until I came back later and it was moving around the enclosure and began to burrow. Then I started cutting head off which in itself is disgusting due to the horrendous smell.

That was when a member told me to crush further down instead of wasting that part of the superworm that the T will eat.

This is great advise, it's new to me, thank you : )

 

[viper69]

dubia

MY AF G pulchripes used a roach as a foot stool for about a day. not all my Ts are into them.

It's all crickets here. No feeders is perfect IME.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Is it true that they can’t climb plastic surfaces?

They can't climb smooth plastic but containers eventually develop lots of micro scratches over time with repeated cleaning so there eventually comes a point where they can climb and escape, you can prevent escapes by lining the inside around the top with packing tape to create a barrier that they can't climb.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Seems like lateralis are the preferred feeder of arachnoboards.

Nope. I use the good old fashioned cricket Acheta domesticus.