Is this in your Avic's cage? Feeding Avics (or any other strictly-arboreal species) superworms is a huge pain, due to the fact that they hardly ever get on the ground and are unlikely to find it. I reserve them for when the T is well established and I can drop the worm in a web rather than onto substrate.
That image is heartbreaking. Great (but sad) example for why you don't leave live feeders loose in an enclosure - not even something as seemingly harmless as a mealworm.You have to get it out...it will not die, it will remain dormant till a food source presents its self, then it will emerge as a big black beetle....the next foid source will be when your t molts.
In the future, crush the head before feeding....same goes for mealies and dubia....it doesnt kill the feeder, but it prevents them from burrowing.
take the T out, and dig out the worm.
Empty and start over...there is rarely an easy way.
Im not a fan of traditional tong feeding for any t....but I do things a bit differrent...because I utilize sterilite tubs, i can ventilate with a drill bit thats larger than a superworm....so when i feed almost any t, i just hold the worm by the t and let them take it....more of an untraditional tong feed, but in a way that a t cant damage its fangs on a tweezers....its a ridicolously easy way to feed ts....they dont want to eat, fine, i dont need to re capture the feeder, just drop it back in the container of feeders.
yes a broken fang can be bad, so I try to hold the worms by one end and let the T bite the further end. maybe this is a bad method idk nothing bad has happened yet.
This is going to sound like one crazy idea, prob no one will recommend it, but you MIGHT just consider emptying the tank to find it.
It is.
Honestly? I'm afraid to... She has only been in there 3 days and is still settling in. She only started building a web today. She is from Petsmart so not the most socialized spider. I want her to feel comfortable in her new home and I think she will freak out and bolt of I disturb her. I am not ready to hold my T either because I never held one before and she is still a little jumpy...This is going to sound like one crazy idea, prob no one will recommend it, but you MIGHT just consider emptying the tank to find it.
And she will settle back in when the change is done...its not a big deal, especially this early.....I mean, she's 3 days in.
And she will start again tomorrow...the t has no job and an unlimited amount of web it can make.
Spiders are not social animals, no t is "socialized".
Ts have no feelings or emotions. Avics tend to bolt in short bursts, its not likely run across the room or go far.
There is never a need to hold any t, that wouldn't be the right way to go about things.
Your T is better off being disturbed now, rather than after it settles in IME. Socialized? Have no idea what you are talking about there, they aren't social animals.
alright fine, I'll just drop the dead worm from now on...dont want to risk broken fangs.
You can do whatever you want. If it dies, that's your fault. We won't lose sleep over it.
NOW with more area to climb and free of Super Worm.
On the bright side this was a good lesson to learn now rather than 6 months down the line. Good luck with your new TUPDATE! Tank is empty. no sign of the worm. hopefully thrown out with the ground material
No sign of it on on the wood or plants. Cage rebuilt AND improved