Will small slings eat dead mealworms?

[Maikeru]

I have a tiny P. Cambridgei who makes me so nervous with how skinny it is. I've seen it eat a stunned tiny red runner nymph, but it doesn't seem to want anything to do with prekilled roaches. I thought to get some canned mealworms, but I haven't seen any eating yet. My understanding is that slings will scavenge on the dead. Perhaps this does not include canned mealworms? I just got the worms yesterday, so maybe it's a little early to panic about the lack of eating.

P.S. it used a prekilled roach nymph to help fortify its hide rather than as food. Lol

 

[BoyFromLA]

Post some pictures of the whole enclosure of your tarantula. It might be helpful to answer better to your question.

 

[DaveM]

Chopping up prekilled food into sections so that there is exposed flesh sometimes helps encourage slings to feed.

 

[Maikeru]

Filet a la tarantula! Lol ok mealworm sections then

Post some pictures of the whole enclosure of your tarantula. It might be helpful to answer better to your question.

I will when I get home. Thanks

 

[basin79]

All sizes of tarantulas will feed on prekilled. From slings to adults.

@cold blood has a great pic of a sling eating a slice of mealworm.

Here's a pic of my Chaerilus sp celebes (scorpion) doing the same. That's 3 segments of a mealworm. Arachnids aren't fussed. If they find food they'll eat it.

 

[BoyFromLA]

It’s an okay set up, but it can be better.

• Just a simple vertical cork bark
• Minimal substrate

Would be much helpful for your sling.

Below is example set ups:

 

[Maikeru]

All sizes of tarantulas will feed on prekilled. From slings to adults.

@cold blood has a great pic of a sling eating a slice of mealworm.

Here's a pic of my Chaerilus sp celebes (scorpion) doing the same. That's 3 segments of a mealworm. Arachnids aren't fussed. If they find food they'll eat it.

View attachment 387344

So it's better to cut the dead mealworms up to make them more appetizing?

 

[Finikan]

So it's better to cut the dead mealworms up to make them more appetizing?

When I use mealworms (very seldom) I cut them to avoid burrowing and coming up later to disturb a molting tarantula.

 

[Maikeru]

The ones I have are dead though

 

[mack1855]

Why don't you use prekilled live?.

 

[Maikeru]

Why don't you use prekilled live?. View attachment 387370

I guess because the can was six bucks. Maybe they just won't eat them if they aren't barely dead on the dead continuum lol.

It’s an okay set up, but it can be better.

• Just a simple vertical cork bark
• Minimal substrate

Would be much helpful for your sling.

Below is example set ups:

View attachment 387345

View attachment 387346

Thank you! I don't have cork bark but I think I can find a small piece of wood in stick formation.
I put a lot of substrate because I thought all slings potentially like to dig, even arboreals?

Chopping up prekilled food into sections so that there is exposed flesh sometimes helps encourage slings to feed.

Thank you I have now tried this! We shall see

 

[Finikan]

I put a lot of substrate because I thought all slings potentially like to dig, even arboreals?

I never catch my arboreals on the ground, let alone digging. In fact, I doubt they'd care if there was any substrate at all!

 

[viper69]

Why are you using canned anything????????????????

 

[Rozwyrazowana]

I never catch my arboreals on the ground, let alone digging. In fact, I doubt they'd care if there was any substrate at all!

I guess you have Avics, they don't dig or really use substrate, but Psalmos do. Psalmos build web tunnels that often start with a burrow in the substrate and then go up, they also use substrate to hide their webs. Avics make clean, white webs, Psalmost make dirty webs with substrate attached. I have two P. cambridgei that I've had since they were tiny slings and they both used burrows at some point.

 

[basin79]

So it's better to cut the dead mealworms up to make them more appetizing?

Well I did because the scorpion was tiny. Plus it let's them get to the insides.

So LIVE mealworm, not from a can. Squash head flat. Sharp knife or scissors and then cut a section out.

 

[Smotzer]

If im not mistaken the prekilled mealworms the Op is referring to are dried canned mealworms whhichh will not work. @Maikeru You need to get live meal worms and then cut them up.

 

[Weightsandwebs]

Depending on the size they will eat a pre killed meal worm dropped in but it helps if you cut it into two or three pieces and they will eat and carry parts around

 

[DaveM]

If im not mistaken the prekilled mealworms the Op is referring to are dried canned mealworms whhichh will not work. @Maikeru You need to get live meal worms and then cut them up.

That's an important point. Huge bags of dried mealworms are sold for feeding birds, but I hope no one thinks that these could be acceptable for feeding tarantulas. No dried feeders!

 

[Smotzer]

That's an important point. Huge bags of dried mealworms are sold for feeding birds, but I hope no one thinks that these could be acceptable for feeding tarantulas. No dried feeders!

I’m glad you see it too! Might be okay for that or a lizard but certainly not a tarantula!!

 

[TGod]

I was feeding my Lasiodora Parahybana sling on chopped up mealworms and he happily munched on them. He's never eaten whilst I've had the lid off tho. How long are you leaving the feeder in for?