Risk of pesticide transmission?

[eggsbenedict]

I bought the right sized crickets for my T because I was going to need some more anyway if she isn't in premoult, and it occurred to me I may have made an error with gut loading. So I cut some slices of courgette/zuchini and put them in with the crickets, then this morning I realized that I probably should've washed the vegetables before feeding them to the crickets. Sometimes they can still have residue of pesticides on the skins, so I was wondering if there was a risk of the crickets having ingested a small amount of pesticide which could then be passed onto my T when she eats one. The crickets seem quite healthy and active with there being none of them dead. I'm wondering if these would still be safe to feed or if it's too much of a risk? If it makes any difference, they are just 3rd instar brown crickets I bought from the pet store.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

I bought the right sized crickets for my T because I was going to need some more anyway if she isn't in premoult, and it occurred to me I may have made an error with gut loading. So I cut some slices of courgette/zuchini and put them in with the crickets, then this morning I realized that I probably should've washed the vegetables before feeding them to the crickets. Sometimes they can still have residue of pesticides on the skins, so I was wondering if there was a risk of the crickets having ingested a small amount of pesticide which could then be passed onto my T when she eats one. The crickets seem quite healthy and active with there being none of them dead. I'm wondering if these would still be safe to feed or if it's too much of a risk? If it makes any difference, they are just 3rd instar brown crickets I bought from the pet store.

Yes and no

Depends on the vegetables and the pesticides. I feed my roaches apples. Most of the time I wash them good before slicing it. Sometimes I do not. My roaches never eat the peel and I never had any issues with my T's in that regards.

If it's fruit and vegetables it will be dependent on the type as in if they eat the outer part that is exposed to pesticides.

It's not worth taking a risk with it so remove it and always thoroughly wash any fruit and vegetables first.

 

[eggsbenedict]

Yes and no

Depends on the vegetables and the pesticides. I feed my roaches apples. Most of the time I wash them good before slicing it. Sometimes I do not. My roaches never eat the peel and I never had any issues with my T's in that regards.

If it's fruit and vegetables it will be dependent on the type as in if they eat the outer part that is exposed to pesticides.

It's not worth taking a risk with it so remove it and always thoroughly any fruit and vegetables first.

Some of them have been eating the skin of the courgettes which was my concern yes.

Fortunately they are not too expensive so it's no big deal going to buy some more.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Some of them have been eating the skin of the courgettes which was my concern yes.

Fortunately they are not too expensive so it's no big deal going to buy some more.

There is always canned fruit and vegetables which I've used for crickets and roaches. Crickets love mandarin oranges from the can.

 

[Ratmosphere]

There's always a risk. Always wash vegetables, even if they are organic.

I personally would not use them, others may see no issue with it.

How many crickets?

 

[eggsbenedict]

There's always a risk. Always wash vegetables, even if they are organic.

I personally would not use them, others may see no issue with it.

How many crickets?

Not sure, maybe like a hundred of them in there or something?

It's because I'm a new keeper I'm not keen to take any risks really, but wanted to just check with some of the keepers here.

I can also have a bit of a tendency to overthink.

 

[viper69]

Yes- which is why I use gut loading food from my herp hobby.

 

[kingshockey]

i just use meal worms cut to size just not worth the time or money spent since the pin head crix out grow the sling before i can feed them off or die.buying one pin head for 15 cents or whatever it is petsmart charges i am better off buying a cup of 25 meal worms once and have them last until my sling is big enough for supers or sdult sized crickets. plus no chirping ot stink either and worm food included with the cup

 

[Gevo]

Here's what I would do: Remove the unwashed produce, replace it with washed and peeled produce, and give the crickets a few days to eat the new produce before feeding them to any tarantulas. I always keep my crickets for at least a couple of days on fresh foods that I've given them so that I know what my tarantulas are eating. It also allows me to watch for any signs of disease in the crickets. We often don't know what these insects were being given before they came to us, so putting them on a "cleanse" (hate the word!) is good practice, in my opinion.

The issue of pesticides is a lot more complicated than just washing vegetables, unfortunately. Some pesticides penetrate the skins and can't be washed off anyway, and of those that stay on the skins and can be removed with washing, the quick rinse most people do may not be enough, with some possibly needing a longer time in the water, a scrub for some mechanical removal, or a cleansing agent. Health authorities that lay out acceptable amounts of pesticides on products for human consumption are doing so with human safety in mind, which is very different from insect safety, especially since a lot of the pesticides are meant to kill insects and not mammals like us, so they impact their systems very differently. This is why it makes sense that some keepers opt for purpose-made gut-loading food.

I do give my feeders fruits and vegetables, I do my best by washing or peeling them, I use stuff I grow in my own garden if it's summertime so I know there's nothing on it, and then I try not to worry about it too much beyond that.

 

[eggsbenedict]

Here's what I would do: Remove the unwashed produce, replace it with washed and peeled produce, and give the crickets a few days to eat the new produce before feeding them to any tarantulas. I always keep my crickets for at least a couple of days on fresh foods that I've given them so that I know what my tarantulas are eating. It also allows me to watch for any signs of disease in the crickets. We often don't know what these insects were being given before they came to us, so putting them on a "cleanse" (hate the word!) is good practice, in my opinion.

The issue of pesticides is a lot more complicated than just washing vegetables, unfortunately. Some pesticides penetrate the skins and can't be washed off anyway, and of those that stay on the skins and can be removed with washing, the quick rinse most people do may not be enough, with some possibly needing a longer time in the water, a scrub for some mechanical removal, or a cleansing agent. Health authorities that lay out acceptable amounts of pesticides on products for human consumption are doing so with human safety in mind, which is very different from insect safety, especially since a lot of the pesticides are meant to kill insects and not mammals like us, so they impact their systems very differently. This is why it makes sense that some keepers opt for purpose-made gut-loading food.

I do give my feeders fruits and vegetables, I do my best by washing or peeling them, I use stuff I grow in my own garden if it's summertime so I know there's nothing on it, and then I try not to worry about it too much beyond that.

My housemate who's an entomologist was suggesting something similar.

 

[Kada]

I have lost entire colonies from sprayed veggies. Twice. It can certainly happen. Now I use normally grow my own (we have farms) which are organic, or buy organic when I'm out. I also now always avoid store bought veggies which tend to be near impossible to wash/peel away the poison like most leaf vegetables, brocoli etc. I am for less sprayed crops like root veg and still wash/peel.

Chances are the crickets will die before the T

 

[eggsbenedict]

I have lost entire colonies from sprayed veggies. Twice. It can certainly happen. Now I use normally grow my own (we have farms) which are organic, or buy organic when I'm out. I also now always avoid store bought veggies which tend to be near impossible to wash/peel away the poison like most leaf vegetables, brocoli etc. I am for less sprayed crops like root veg and still wash/peel.

Chances are the crickets will die before the T

Yeah I think I've decided I'm not going to take any risks, as a first time keeper with a juvenile I really don't want to take any chances, no matter how small. I'd feel awful if my T got poisoned.

 

[Kada]

Luckily cricket food is a relatively easy thing to get clean and cheap. When I see a bag of organic carrots, sweet potato's etc on sale cheap I grab a few and freeze them.

A fun note, sweet potato leaves are quite edible and a common green vegetable available here. Your sweet potato tuber will sprout many places and just start growing. Crickets like the greens too. They are actually quite pretty plants, easy to grow. A gallon pot with a tub stuck in would grow a lot of veg once established they can make cool hanging baskets, ground cover etc if your into gardening. Only downside is they are tropical. My roaches aren't huge fans of the leaves, but love the tubers.

Edit. A Google exa.ple. quite pretty I find. Lots of leaf shapes and colors to choose

sweet potato potted plants - Google Search

 

[eggsbenedict]

Luckily cricket food is a relatively easy thing to get clean and cheap. When I see a bag of organic carrots, sweet potato's etc on sale cheap I grab a few and freeze them.

A fun note, sweet potato leaves are quite edible and a common green vegetable available here. Your sweet potato tuber will sprout many places and just start growing. Crickets like the greens too. They are actually quite pretty plants, easy to grow. A gallon pot with a tub stuck in would grow a lot of veg once established they can make cool hanging baskets, ground cover etc if your into gardening. Only downside is they are tropical. My roaches aren't huge fans of the leaves, but love the tubers.

Edit. A Google exa.ple. quite pretty I find. Lots of leaf shapes and colors to choose

sweet potato potted plants - Google Search

Yeah I'm going to take that advice and get hold of a gut loading food for crickets, I think most of the ones I've seen are marketed for reptiles though so I'm assuming those aren't going to be suitable for Ts?

 

[Kada]

I wouldn't overthink it personally. I wouldn't even stress on gutloading them prior to feeding them so much as just keep them well fed...spiders arent near as finicky as say frogs which often require special supllementation. get a prepared food if you wish and throw in some fresh stuff to munch on once in a while.

Crickets will eat loads of plants, not just table fruit n veg. Many species really love fungus and fermenting stuff. You could use weeds to feed as well so long as they aren't a toxic species, just choose ones with less Fibre. Mine get whatever isn't pretty from the farm. Sometimes I throw in some grass stems to chew on, squash leaves when I'm about to till the field etc. Doesn't have to be supermarket stuff Our company exports seeds wholesale and for certain seeds that have loads of fiber attached to the seed and hard to clean, I throw the seeds into a bin of crickets and they pick the seed coats clean. So they get mango, rambutan etc. Banana peel etc etc. Key point is make sure the source is safe

 

[Introvertebrate]

I feed my crickets Purina Start & Grow chick feed. The non-medicated variety. My mealworms seem to like it to.

 

[Introvertebrate]

Luckily cricket food is a relatively easy thing to get clean and cheap. When I see a bag of organic carrots, sweet potato's etc on sale cheap I grab a few and freeze them.

A fun note, sweet potato leaves are quite edible and a common green vegetable available here. Your sweet potato tuber will sprout many places and just start growing. Crickets like the greens too. They are actually quite pretty plants, easy to grow. A gallon pot with a tub stuck in would grow a lot of veg once established they can make cool hanging baskets, ground cover etc if your into gardening. Only downside is they are tropical. My roaches aren't huge fans of the leaves, but love the tubers.

Edit. A Google exa.ple. quite pretty I find. Lots of leaf shapes and colors to choose

sweet potato potted plants - Google Search

I've been wanting to try a sweet potato plant in a terrarium. It's at least as pretty as Pothos.

 

[Gevo]

I wouldn't overthink it personally. I wouldn't even stress on gutloading them prior to feeding them so much as just keep them well fed...spiders arent near as finicky as say frogs which often require special supllementation. get a prepared food if you wish and throw in some fresh stuff to munch on once in a while.

I don't see gutloading as being so much about any special nutrition with tarantulas. For me, it's more about cycling out whatever they were eating before and spotting any illness so I don't feed sick crickets to my tarantulas.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

All I feed crickets when I get them once in a great while is the roach chow I have and apples. Sometimes I'll feed oranges. That's really all they need as they are going bye bye soon.

 

[TheraMygale]

I cant afford to overthink it anymore. The grains i get organic. But the vegetables i peel for what its worth.

Even organic produce is exposed to “natural” pesticides.


When i can get my hands on organic carrots i do.

I feed carrots and apples.

For the mealworms and superworms, i offer organic wheat bran, organic cornmeal and organic oats as bedding

For some reason, potatoes seem to attract mites more. So i dont give those.

My house is currently too dry for mites anyways. I just got the heating system fixed: leftover dog and cat hair was blocking the vents. And vents had been cleaned by previous owner. DISGUSTING. Since thats been handled, heating has been way more productive and my house reads below 60.

So everyone is getting water.

The fruits and veggies in the feeder bins dont make it through 2 days without drying up.

No one is eating now too, everyone is fat. So i am just mainting the feeders.

I started to add a papertowl with drops of water on it to “cover” the produce.

I dont use “gutload”. I know tons of people do and it works just fine. Which is my conclusion to why none organic will work if atleast washed and peeled; gut loading products are not natural.

Even cat and dog food has disgusting ingredients in it and people feed that to their crickets.

So yeah, do the math. You could give a 100$ ultra pure carrot, and still kill your feeders.

Do what makes you less anxious and dont overthink it.

Imagine what they feed at the petstore you get your feeders…

For the record, i have attempted to breed mealworms and its working. I have my first hatchlings and some even look yellow to the eye. If the pesticides were bad, everything would have died.

I have friends working at a reknowned botanical garden. The plants they use are from big collections, for the live insect collections. You think they let that get out of control with bad bugs? What substrate do you think they use?

Just food for thought.

Oh, and why not while i am at it: vitamins. Does are not organic ans are in mammal food. And fishflakes? Lol.

These have been proven stables for cockroaches and crickets.

If you have a low tolerance for pesticide risk, keep organic and get carrots. Its an easy vegetable to grow compared to anything in the melon family. Your feeders will never truely be pesticide free/organic unless you breed them yourself.