Best food?

[Meghan New]

Hi, my name is Meghan, I'm new to this forum. I've had a female G. rosea for about 3 months now, and I was just wondering what you thought was the best feeder for a tarantula? I've been feeding mine crickets, but I've been reading on other forums that roaches and mealworms are better. Loads of people say crickets smell and are noisy, I haven't had any of these problems! Is it just down to personal preference? Thanks for the replies!

[James Heeley]

Hi I feed Dubia roaches coz they breed like anything, and yes i have found that adult crickets can get noisy an a bit whiffy! Ive never tried mealworms though, and now i have a good roach colony going so i have enough for all my slings and adult t's

[Colin D Wilson]

Hi Meghan, welcome to the forum.

Yes you're right ... the choice of food is down to the keeper really.

Crickets can get smelly if you leave them in the tub, a good idea is to move them to a larger dry (escape proof) tank and let them get a little more air movement and then you can feed them to keep them alive for future feedings. You will have to watch out for any breeding that goes on though as the little micro crickets can get everywhere and be a bit of a nusience.

Roaches are kept by keepers that usually have a large collection of spiders as they breed easily and can be self sustaining, after you've bought the initial breeding colony you only have to outlay for roach food (scraps will do though)
Saying this though some keepers with only one spider will keep roaches as it's not as wastefull as buying a whole tub of crickets just to feed a few out of it before they "go off" and die.

Mealworms are like a little energy pack and a lot of keepers are using them now, they come in most sizes to suit (from micro to large 3inch bullworms (or morio).

Locusts are a good food source, and are readily available in different instars (sizes of nymph .. from small (1/2 inch) to adult)

Waxworms are used often, there's a high fat content in them and some keepers worry if this will affect the spider, if you offer them occasionally (like you should do reptiles) then it won't cause any issues (if at all it does anyway with tarantulas)

The best thing in my opinion (if possible) is to feed a varied diet from all the above, and give the spider a variation of prey items just as it would come across in the wild.

[K Smith]

Ditto what Colin said

I feed mine a varied diet, not just for the tarantulas sake, but it's a change in routine for me too. I hate dealing with brown crickets they just seem to end up all round my house theyr so fast! I usually feed black cricks to all my T's, all of varying sizes corresponding with the size of the diner. I've bought some mealworms this week for a change, mini size to my slings (they seem to love them) and normal size or morio to everything else. My bearded dragon dines on locusts for his staple so i sometimes throw a few in for the T's aswell.

I don't think it matters what you feed your T. I suppose our T's nowadays have a really varied diet compared to the early days of T keeping when there were just mealworms.. It's probably heaven to them getting something random and juicy thrown in when in the wild they dine on if/when whatever goes walking passed.

It's correct that cricks do start to smell when left but that's usually after a couple of weeks or so, and even then you can only smell it by sticking your face in the tub. I usually transfer the cricks to a clean tub whenever it happens and provide fresh bug grub and a slice of potato

[Colin D Wilson]

compared to the early days of T keeping when there were just mealworms..

I actually remember running around in a field in the early 70's collecting field crickets, grasshoppers and digging for beetle grubs under rotting fallen trees after my Dad did the library thing and got a natural history book and we found out what they ate in the wild.
Hasten to add ... don't do this now ... there's too many toxins and chemicals floating around

[Andrew Oels-Wallis]

I have a colony of Dubia roaches and red runners in the same tub, as they all get on with each other and eat the same foods (cereals/green leaved veg/fruit/carrots). They are also all different sizes for the small to large Ts I have.

I was keeping black crickets, but they don't 'alf pong after a week or so, and the roaches just seem to go on and on. The red runners don't grow that large, but are a great prey item, as they move around a lot and get themselves noticed, whereas the Dubia roaches bury themselves if not pounced on straightaway.

I will get some mealworms too, as they are a good alternative, and keep well in a secure tub with something to bury themselves in.

[Peter Roach]

I actually remember running around in a field in the early 70's

OMG . . . you . . . is . . . OLD

[Colin D Wilson]

OMG . . . you . . . is . . . OLD

Yup ..... Colin "Methuselah" Wilson ......that's me..... 969 years old and just waiting for the flood mate

[Meghan New]

Thanks for the replies I'm not sure about keeping a colony of anything, the girls I live with at uni aren't too keen on the tarantula, never mind a colony of roaches!

[Colin D Wilson]

Do you know anyone with lizards or the like?

If you only have the one tarantula then you could maybe "pinch" the odd food item on a regular basis and once in a while buy them a box of food as a replacement ... would save having half a box of crickets hanging around and would work out a lot cheaper for you.

[K Smith]

Do you know anyone with lizards or the like?

If you only have the one tarantula then you could maybe "pinch" the odd food item on a regular basis and once in a while buy them a box of food as a replacement ... would save having half a box of crickets hanging around and would work out a lot cheaper for you.

My wife's the reptile keeper. I always steal her bugs for my T's hehe