Feeding Tarantula and Scorpions in winter

[jdeangelis]

Do We slow down feeding in wintertime?

How long can a tarantula live fairly comfortably without food?

We have a mean cricket direase in California, might need to go out of state.

Thank you.

 

[JimM]

Do We slow down feeding in wintertime?

How long can a tarantula live fairly comfortably without food?

We have a mean cricket direase in California, might need to go out of state.

Thank you.

Move out of state because of crickets?
That's just silly.

Use lats.

 

[jdeangelis]

Not move out of CA but buy crickets out of state!

Thank you for your share.

 

[KnightinGale]

Hello!

Short answer is: I think most people keep a fairly consistent feeding regimen (especially if they have alot of tarantulas). It is easiest to keep track of. If any tarantula decides to fast for awhile (as they do, for pre-molt or overfeeding or just because) then one simply has to make sure to remove uneaten food the next day and try again next feeding time. Personally, I like to keep my guys at a fairly consistent abdomen size. I like a nice, rounded, plump abdomen...without it looking like it is going to explode or impede movement in any way. If any start looking thinner or fatter than this I feed them more or less to suit.
Now the longer answer involves more questions really. The biggest one being "what is winter for my tarantula or scorpion?" You are thinking of your own winter, but one of your species may be wild-caught from around the world and be feeling that it should be summer. Or, you may have an old-world species that is captive bred and therefore has been acclimatized to your seasons since being a spiderling. Either way, tarantulas will generally adjust to their captivity and its attendant seasons in time It is unlikely your feeding regimen will emulate their natural one regardless. In their natural environment they are likely to find times of plenty and fasting that are unpredictable because of rains, droughts and other factors. The only thing I might take into consideration as far as winter/summer feeding is that if it is actually cooler in your house in the winter, then all your inverts might slow down a tad and be less inclined to eat as much. However, your house will not be cool enough for certain species to wall up their burrows and retreat into a sort of torpor as they would naturally, so you must keep feeding them enough to fuel the metabolism they are maintaining.
So in conclusion...not really. It was a good question though, and I hope that helped make things clear..at least a little bit.

 

[Le Wasp]

Cricket disease? Do you have more info on this?

Also, short answer: depends how cold your T area gets. Colder = slower metabolism = less eating.

 

[SonnyAZ]

Search Cripavirus outbreak, there was a thread a few weeks ago about this being in Europe and Canada and creeping into the states. I have not seen an impact as of yet though.