Should I dust my crickets?

[CitizenNumber9]

So I have this calcium powder that you dust insects with before feeding them to reptiles, should I use this on the crickets I feed to my T's? Would it make a difference? I got it for free at the reptile show but I don't have any reptiles to use it on.

 

[LordWaffle]

No, you do not. You probably shouldn't either. While there's no actual evidence to support this, some people believe that too much calcium in a T's diet can cause their exoskeleton to harden too much and cause bad molts. Usually I'm not a "better safe than sorry" person when it comes to non-scientific concepts, but since the T will get plenty of nutrients without the dust, there's no reason to risk a complication for zero added benefit.

 

[AzJohn]

No one knows enough to say if tarantulas would benefit from vitamin dusted feeders. We just don't understand their dietary needs well enough. I will say that countless numbers of tarantulas have been raised from sling to 20 years old without any vitamins added.

 

[Hobo]

They don't need it, though I wouldn't think it would be harmful.
There was a local pet store that fed everything in their store with dusted feeders, and their tarantulas were fine.

 

[Stan Schultz]

So I have this calcium powder that you dust insects with before feeding them to reptiles, should I use this on the crickets I feed to my T's? Would it make a difference? I got it for free at the reptile show but I don't have any reptiles to use it on.

Read Mice, Calcium, and Molting. Especially the text box under the photo of the shed skin.

And once you get that webpage under your belt, it would probably be a good idea to back up the webtree a few branches and read the entire Spiders, Calgary website.

DO NOT FAIL TO READ STAN'S NEWBIE INTRODUCTION!

AND, DO NOT FAIL TO READ THE FOUR BOOKS RECOMMENDED IN STAN'S RANT!

Best of luck. Hope this helps.



We need to learn to view the world from the perspective of a large, fuzzy spider!

 

[Poec54]

Give your crickets something nutritious to eat, prior to feeding them to your spiders. I don't know of any spider collector/breeder who dusts their feeders. Calcium doesn't cause molting problems, they eat a fair amount of vertebrates in the wild.

 

[CitizenNumber9]

Thanks everyone! You guys really answered my question

 

[viper69]

Ts will consume nutrients more from good gut loaded insects, than dust which is on the outside of crickets. Never dusted myself....Only gutloaded my feeders.

 

[NGLepine]

Ts will consume nutrients more from good gut loaded insects, than dust which is on the outside of crickets. Never dusted myself....Only gutloaded my feeders.

Also keeping in mind, within moments of being dusted, the cricket has already begun cleaning itself of said dust!

 

[viper69]

Also keeping in mind, within moments of being dusted, the cricket has already begun cleaning itself of said dust!

Which is partly why I said that. T's often leave a bolus, if dusted, it would be a calcium, vit D3 bolus