T not interested in roaches

[SunRoseSpider]

Hi everyone!

I usually feed my N. carapoensis crickets and recently got some cockroaches to see if he would like them as well, but he isn't interested. The ones I got are dubia roaches and compared to the usual crickets they are not as active and move slowly around the enclosure, if at all.

I was wondering if the reason my T isn't interested in them is because he can't detect their presence, as in, does his food need to be moving in order for him to know it's there and attack?

 

[jrh3]

Red runners are the way to go for tarantulas when using roaches. I stopped using dubias when I got out of the chameleon hobby (which i miss, lol). Red runners move around more.

 

[Westicles]

Hi everyone!

I usually feed my N. carapoensis crickets and recently got some cockroaches to see if he would like them as well, but he isn't interested. The ones I got are dubia roaches and compared to the usual crickets they are not as active and move slowly around the enclosure, if at all.

I was wondering if the reason my T isn't interested in them is because he can't detect their presence, as in, does his food need to be moving in order for him to know it's there and attack?

Not sure about your situation, but my female T. albo will not touch a mealworm, but will always take crickets. Maybe a preference thing?

 

[NMTs]

Wait another week or so and try again - it'll eat the Dubia when it's hungry enough.

 

[cold blood]

They will eat the roaches, you just need to present them right.....dubia will burrow or freeze, both things make them hard to hone in on and eat.....so never just drop in a roach unless its a mature male (they dont burrow and are active)...instead, crush the dubia's head and leave it ON ITS BACK....do this and you will get a feeding response from darn near every t.

 

[greeneyedelle]

Personal opinion, dubias aren't worth the effort. They're definitely cheaper, but what I've noticed is that because their exoskeletons are so tough, they're much harder for the t to liquify and you end up with a larger bolus anyway. Compared to red runners which I've yet to find leftovers of in any one of my t's enclosures, not to mention the drastically different feeding response, they're definitely worth paying a tiny bit extra for if you have access to them. AND--whether this is through fault of mine or not--they survive a lot longer than dubias. If dubias "live a long time" when compared to crickets, red runners are basically immortal.

 

[SunRoseSpider]

They will eat the roaches, you just need to present them right.....dubia will burrow or freeze, both things make them hard to hone in on and eat.....so never just drop in a roach unless its a mature male (they dont burrow and are active)...instead, crush the dubia's head and leave it ON ITS BACK....do this and you will get a feeding response from darn near every t.

So I tried feeding him a roach again this week after crushing its head and putting it in on it's back, T approached it and tapped it with his foot a few times before still deciding it's not interested, and then moving away. I think he just wants crickets tbh

 

[NMTs]

So I tried feeding him a roach again this week after crushing its head and putting it in on it's back, T approached it and tapped it with his foot a few times before still deciding it's not interested, and then moving away. I think he just wants crickets tbh

View attachment 414796 View attachment 414797

Well, it's getting closer to eating it! That's a pretty big roach for that T. I'll bet it would eat a smaller one, but if you have access to crickets and it eats those without a problem, might as well just stick with crickets...

 

[SunRoseSpider]

Yeah, this is actually the smallest roach I could find! He's still a juvie too so maybe when he's adult we will try again. But for now he's pretty content with crickets so I'll just be sticking to that. I get live-food from a local reptile store so they don't have a lot of invertebrate-friendly small options to go with aside from cricket

 

[Dry Desert]

phone bugged out when i was editing and duplicated my post xD

Crickets stink and are a pain in the ass generally.
Dubai's are also a pain with the head crushing, burrowing, best to feed males etc.

As others have said, and from my own personal experience, Red Runners are the way to go.
Order online if not available locally, well worth it in the long run.

 

[rock]

Hi everyone!

I usually feed my N. carapoensis crickets and recently got some cockroaches to see if he would like them as well, but he isn't interested. The ones I got are dubia roaches and compared to the usual crickets they are not as active and move slowly around the enclosure, if at all.

I was wondering if the reason my T isn't interested in them is because he can't detect their presence, as in, does his food need to be moving in order for him to know it's there and attack?

If you stick with the roaches, your Ts will eventually eat them. I’ve seen a G pulchripes dig up a dubia weeks after I put it in the tank. Crickets are just less armored, easier to consume, so they’ll be eaten first.

Personal opinion, dubias aren't worth the effort. They're definitely cheaper, but what I've noticed is that because their exoskeletons are so tough, they're much harder for the t to liquify and you end up with a larger bolus anyway. Compared to red runners which I've yet to find leftovers of in any one of my t's enclosures, not to mention the drastically different feeding response, they're definitely worth paying a tiny bit extra for if you have access to them. AND--whether this is through fault of mine or not--they survive a lot longer than dubias. If dubias "live a long time" when compared to crickets, red runners are basically immortal.

IME B dubias live for years individually, I haven’t kept B lateralis as they posed an infestation risk where I reside. If you have a colony the nymphs aren’t as tough as the adults, so they might be preferred by smaller tarantulas.

 

[liquidfluidity]

As above, I don't keep red runners for fear of infestation. I do breed Dubia and have had good luck at it. Unfortunately quite a few, most, of my Ts won't eat them....I just plan to keep trying. I have a couple outlets for excess so no big deal to have extra Dubia on hand.

I usually buy enough crickets to last a week or 2. Haven't had much smell issues. I keep them on substrate, feed them chic feed, and mist the side , 1 , of the enclosure every few days. This is all done in a large critter keeper.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

B. lateralis, (Red Runners) are literally my favorite feeder to use. In fact it's all I use now and triggers all my T's to munch them.

If you live where it's not illegal to own them give them a try.

For my larger T's I'll give them 2 to 3 roaches at each feeding.

Your tarantula won't chase them you say???? No worries these roaches will run right toward your T. If they run down in the burrow first, (for terrestrials) again...no worries because they'll come out and head towards your T anyways.

With Dubias I can't explain it. I had some of my T's just have their foot stuck on it and wouldn't let go while it was in my tongs. Other times they used the Dubia as a foot rest.

Lateralis is equivalent to using the best bait/lure reeling in a trophy fish kind of feeder.

I don't know I love'em. I was worried at first when I got them as they are extremely fast and invasive. Now..no big deal.