Pre-killed Prey

[protist]

Hello everyone.

I'm about to receive my first pair of tarantulas tomorrow. Two dwarfs species: Cyriocosmus leetzi and Neischnocolus sp. Panama. Very excited.
I understand that they will scavenger feed as slings but start to prefer live prey as adults. I'm wondering if there's a chance they'll take pre-killed prey as adults as well. After watching a ton of feeding videos, I can't help but empathize with some of the larger feeder insects, especially the roaches. It's just the way tarantulas kill tends be so drawn out and murdery... worse than snakes even. I'd rather decapitate the poor things before I throw them in with the T's if possible. If it's not possible, I'll probably stick to mealworms and crickets as they seem considerably less sophisticated than roaches.

As a side note, how does everyone else rationalize throwing live feeders to these little serial killers?

 

[kingshockey]

i feed my adult a genic prekilled prey all my ts get prekilled mainly cause i dont like to hassel with feeding crickets gf doesnt allow roaches in the apartment either so its pre killed superworms only for me ts are not serial killers predators yes i dont understand why you want them for a pet if you feel or see them in that manner

 

[BoyFromLA]

Tarantulas are natural born killers, they hunt.

 

[mack1855]

As I side note, how does everyone else rationalize throwing live feeders to these little serial killers?

And,why do you want to keep T,s?.If this is the way you feel.Just keep roaches then.And feed them veggies.I must assume you don't watch any nature shows,such as National Geographic?
Or David Attenbourgh?.

 

[Blueandbluer]

No rationalization needed; they are built to eat other critters. There's no vegan cricket mash that I'm aware of. Pre-killed does work just fine but if live feeding isn't your bag, you might have the wrong hobby. I hope that doesn't come off as mean, I sincerely don't mean it to, but... there are plenty of veg-eating bugs that are a lot of fun that may be a better match.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

As I side note, how does everyone else rationalize throwing live feeders to these little serial killers?

That's what they're built to do.
Honestly, it's the best part of having them.

 

[protist]

i feed my adult a genic prekilled prey all my ts get prekilled mainly cause i dont like to hassel with feeding crickets gf doesnt allow roaches in the apartment either so its pre killed superworms only for me

I'm glad to hear this. My gf is the same way lol. Luckily there's a Petsmart that sells feeders within walking distance.

And,why do you want to keep T,s?.If this is the way you feel.Just keep roaches then.And feed them veggies.I must assume you don't watch any nature shows,such as National Geographic?
Or David Attenbourgh?.

I love nature docs! I wouldn't be here asking about feeding insects to the tarantulas I plan to keep in my house if I wasn't a fan of nature.

Tarantulas are natural born killers, they hunt.

No rationalization needed; they are built to eat other critters.

That's what they're built to do.
Honestly, it's the best part of having them.

I completely get that it's natural and what tarantulas have evolved for, but I'm trying to keep this as humane as possible. I doubt most feeders have a capacity to lament their death or anything, but surely they're capable of experiencing negative stimuli so some degree. Like I said, I'm willing to throw them live feeders, but I'd prefer to pre-kill them if possible. I've also been considering putting them in the fridge first to sort of slow down their "thought process."

Open to suggestions.

 

[BoyFromLA]

Open to suggestions.

It’s just an over thinking, which makes simple pick-toss-observe process way too complicated.

 

[mack1855]

I love nature docs! I wouldn't be here asking about feeding insects to the tarantulas I plan to keep in my house if I wasn't a fan of nature.

Well,you understand about nature then.Your willing to feed crickets but not roaches because they are "sophisticated".If you end up at some point with a T that will not take prekilled,and I have
had that happen after accepting prekilled as a sling,then what?.Bottom line,IMO,and you asked,is if your not willing to go all out for proper care of a T,dont get one.
Yes,a t will sink its fangs into a dubia/turkistan roach and suck its insides out.In order to live and reproduce.
But you have seen a lioness take down an impala but thats different than a T taking a roach???.How so???.

 

[CommanderBacon]

I hate both crickets and roaches, so I don't have a problem feeding them to my Ts, but I tend to keep superworms and a mealworm colony because those don't smell as bad or make any noise.

Both of those species of tarantulas are amazing hunters. I recall my spiderling N sp. Panamas were not as keen on prekilled prey, although my Cyriocosmus sp will eat pretty much anything.

Applying the human concept of suffering to insects and judging primitive ambush predators by their eating habits seems wild to me, but that's just my $.02. I suspect you'll be decapitating your crickets as callously as I do now in a year or so.

 

[Paul1126]

Adults will eat pre killed prey

 

[Matts inverts]

They would but it’s better to feed live feeders. Also, why would you want a t if you don’t want to feed it’s natural diet. Also, why do you think mealworms are better. When I feed them, they tend to wiggle and move and it seems to be worse. If you feel you can’t feed live, you can prekill

 

[Craig73]

Two great T’s you’re getting. They are super tiny as slings so you will be doing pre-killed for awhile if you get smaller specimen (mine started off about 1/8”).

Live prey is not some long dawn out murderous blood shed full of torture and pain. The Hunger Games is about the hunt and a quick kill...two of the three of us are good with that. Throw the feeder some holly water, a pat on the back and a thanks for their service. There’s worse titles than being known as the minister of death...I think.

 

[Polenth]

Tarantulas usually take down their prey quickly. That's what the whole venom thing is about. Your idea of trying to kill a cockroach by pulling off the head is going to be much more drawn out and the reverse of what you're hoping.

Freezing is a gentler way to prekill most feeders, as they'll slow down and go dormant. Also convenient, as the frozen food will last for ages and you can freeze when the feeders are the sizes you need. But there's no guarantee that any particular spider will accept prekilled, so it's good to get over any squeamishness about predator/prey interactions.

If you need to rationalise it somehow, remember that you're only alive because you eat other living things. You can switch around which ones, but there's no avoiding it. Your tarantulas are no different. Also, feeder colonies will suffer if they get overcrowded, so you're going to have to remove individuals one way or another.

 

[Matts inverts]

Think about it like a leopard gecko, you can feed it pellets and pre killed food but they also don’t get enough nutrients and not enough enrichment.

 

[Matts inverts]

Also, to prekill, you are going to have to kill the food. At least the tarantula can do it more quickly and it would not be complete torture. It’s just how nature is.

 

[viper69]

Hello everyone.

I'm about to receive my first pair of tarantulas tomorrow. Two dwarfs species: Cyriocosmus leetzi and Neischnocolus sp. Panama. Very excited.
I understand that they will scavenger feed as slings but start to prefer live prey as adults. I'm wondering if there's a chance they'll take pre-killed prey as adults as well. After watching a ton of feeding videos, I can't help but empathize with some of the larger feeder insects, especially the roaches. It's just the way tarantulas kill tends be so drawn out and murdery... worse than snakes even. I'd rather decapitate the poor things before I throw them in with the T's if possible. If it's not possible, I'll probably stick to mealworms and crickets as they seem considerably less sophisticated than roaches.

As a side note, how does everyone else rationalize throwing live feeders to these little serial killers?

You can do it, but it's not the best. They are hard wired for MOVEMENT. Pre-killed can be a good path to starvation for some specimens, though that is rare. I say this is HIGHLY dependent upon the "personality" of the specimens you have. Leetzi has an excellent feeding response. However this does not translate to them eating pre-killed readily as rule, specimen dependent. Often this behavior can mean the specimen is less likely to eat dead prey. H sp columbia IME rarely goes for dead for example.

You can feed live prey to Ts as small as 1/8" or smaller. They are born hunters. Your concern for feeders is misplaced and puts your Ts in potential jeopardy, "murdery", that's a huge joke. You will own WILD ANIMALS soon, DEAL WITH IT, or get out of the hobby.

Everything is food for something else

but I'm trying to keep this as humane as possible

This notion is ridiculous IMO.

I've also been considering putting them in the fridge first to sort of slow down their "thought process."

This slows them down, and less likely to be discovered by a T, good luck w/that.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

A few points...

1. Decapitating a cockroach does not kill it. I learned by accident that cutting one in half doesn't kill one either. This goes for mealworms, superworms, and all of the other beetle larvae used as feeders. Like with a roach, if you cut a mealworm in half, the end with the head and legs still move and crawls around.

2. Justification of feeding live insects to a tarantula is easy. No matter if it is by my action or the tarantula's, the insect is going to die and be digested by the tarantula so the tarantula can live and be healthy. I would rather the tarantula do the killing. It is a consequence of choosing to have a predatory insectivorous arachnid in my care.

3. Tarantulas kill by crushing its food with those two large, muscular chelicerae and fangs, and not with venom. Even if it appears an insect is suffering, they are not. An insect's nervous system is distributed and can appear to be alive and kicking even when it is half crushed. For a quicker death of the insect, use feeder insects that are about the same size or smaller than the carapace of the tarantula. The less the tarantula has to struggle to subdue its food, the faster it can crush it and kill it.

4. If you don't like using large heavily armored cockroaches like Blaptica dubia, which is very understandable, then use large adult crickets. There really isn't a reason to use dubia roaches for anything other than the largest of adult tarantulas. Out of all of the available feeder insects people use regularly, crickets are the softest bodied and are more quickly and easily crushed to death by a tarantula. For the record, I stopped using dubia roaches as feeders because their shells are too tough and it was hard to watch them struggle in the fangs of tarantulas not large enough to crush them in one or two movements of the fangs and chelicerae.