OUCH! B.dubia can bite.

jebbewocky

Arachnoangel
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Oct 1, 2009
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Got bit by a dubia the other day. Didn't break the skin, or even leave a mark, but it hurt pretty bad.
I also got bit by a field cricket I caught on a walk (I just caught it for fun, didn't bring it home or anything), and that bit even harder.

>_<
 

Moltar

ArachnoGod
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Apr 11, 2007
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I'm guessing you weren't bitten but actually stabbed with a leg spine. They use them for self defense and lemme tell ya, those suckers are sharp! I have had a male actually draw a tiny bit of blood from my thumb when I tried to pinch his wing tips.
 

jebbewocky

Arachnoangel
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I'm guessing you weren't bitten but actually stabbed with a leg spine. They use them for self defense and lemme tell ya, those suckers are sharp! I have had a male actually draw a tiny bit of blood from my thumb when I tried to pinch his wing tips.
I got the leg spines off of one of my B.giganteus as well---OUCH!
My L.parahybana avenged me on the dubia at least.
 

omnibus2

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Jul 14, 2010
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wow, that is scary. I thought most roaches used as feeders couldn't cause any pain whatsoever.
 

popkin

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Jun 15, 2010
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I've actually been bitten by a ladybug, seriously the things that aren't supposed to bite apparently don't read that they are not biters lol
 

HepCatMoe

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Apr 3, 2007
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i used to work at a petstore, and people would always ask about things "can it bite?"

i would always tell them "if it has a mouth, it can bite."

course, i would usually point out that the critter in question didnt have any teeth or was only a couple inches long.
 

hassman789

Arachnobaron
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Dec 2, 2009
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I had no idea crickets could bite until they started biting me. It usualy happens to me when I'm trying to get it it cast a leg. Once one bit me really hard and left a little dot (very tiny blood blister) and did not go away for a long time.
 

Galapoheros

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I've been bit by dubia too, but only when they crawl on my hand and sense food, I've never been bit in defense. I felt a "chomp, chomp, chomp", took a closer look and saw they are trying to eat. Lol, somebody where I used to work didn't believe crickets could bite. I grabbed one of the local ones by the head and showed him, he jumped back when it bit him, ....HA!
 

pouchedrat

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Aug 17, 2008
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I think my fingers and hands are too calloused from years of working in a bakery and being an arts and crafts freak to even feel bites from something like a dubia, lol.
 

Auditor

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Aug 14, 2010
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I've been bitten several times by feeder crickets. I found the mature crickets have formidable mandibles. They can't break skin on palm, but I had one bite hard on the side of my finger some months ago--enough to cut my skin and draw blood. I was amazed!
 

Teal

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THIS is why I use tongs to handle all my feeders lol I have no desire to be chomped on by tiny little bugs that are going to die!
 

Sleazoid

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Jul 18, 2010
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I hate it when a cricket bites you, or their leg spine or whatever it is. It hurts more than most snake bites in my opinion.
 

elportoed

Arachnobaron
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Nov 28, 2007
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I have on occasions handle the dubias by hand once in a while. I never got bitten by them, but the leg spines can be pretty painful. The crickets can deifinitely give you a painful bite.
 

NevularScorpion

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does anyone here get any infection or inflation of the area where you guys got stung ?
 

Stopdroproll

Arachnoknight
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Aug 27, 2006
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Maybe you are allergic to them? Some people can't handle their roaches or they get rashes.
 

GhostMouse

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Sep 2, 2020
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It always confused me when people said they can't bite because I mean how do they eat the food they are given if they can't? I'm glad they aren't generally inclined to but I'm always nervous they might because I used to catch crickets and grasshoppers as a kid and they can really give you a good sharp pinch, and I mean sure, it's not like I'm doing that bullet ant sting ritual or whatever, but somehow it startles every time. Dubias seem to have very small mouths and mostly decimate things by numbers and determination so it prob doesn't hurt as much as grasshoppers and crix whose mouths are huge and have a lot of power behind them. But I don't trust em, nope nope lol. I prefer to let bugs crawl on me than to restrain them in any way, as a (slightly) more rational adult. Not always possible when dealing with feeders of course, but my trusty great big tweezers help.
 

Bob Lee

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Sep 10, 2018
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It always confused me when people said they can't bite because I mean how do they eat the food they are given if they can't? I'm glad they aren't generally inclined to but I'm always nervous they might because I used to catch crickets and grasshoppers as a kid and they can really give you a good sharp pinch, and I mean sure, it's not like I'm doing that bullet ant sting ritual or whatever, but somehow it startles every time. Dubias seem to have very small mouths and mostly decimate things by numbers and determination so it prob doesn't hurt as much as grasshoppers and crix whose mouths are huge and have a lot of power behind them. But I don't trust em, nope nope lol. I prefer to let bugs crawl on me than to restrain them in any way, as a (slightly) more rational adult. Not always possible when dealing with feeders of course, but my trusty great big tweezers help.
This is a decade old post :rofl:
 
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