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  • #1

    Killer Krickets

    Hi,

    There was that time a company I mail ordered from sent me a tub of Extra Large Locusts instead of Extra Large Crickets. So I thought I'd keep them as a treat to Cora. When there was only one left, I put the locust in with the crickets and you won't believe what happened... The crickets ate the locust alive! I'm having second thoughts putting these meanies in with Cora. Also a cricket tried to eat me. It was nibbling my skin and had scraped some of it off.

    I was wondering, which would be better for one tarantula... Crickets or locusts? Also, I think adult crickets may be slightly too big for a 3 inch juvenile Smithi, but then again, when she strikes the crickets don't stand a chance, since she's like four or five times their size.

    Thanks!

    ~Chris
    Tags: killer, krickets
  • #2
    Crickets are omnivores, they will eat a locust if they can overpower it.
    Locusts, as herbivores are less of a problem when left in a tarantulas tank, as they wont give it a nip, they might still disturb a moulting spider though.

    Crickets make up the staple diet of all my spiders, with the odd fruit fly / locust / mouse as a treat depending on spider size

    My 3" Brachypelma Klaasi eats adult crickets with no problem at all, she can't get enough of them.
    And he piled upon the whale's white hump, the sum of all the rage and hate felt by his whole race. If his chest had been a cannon, he would have shot his heart upon it.

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    • #3
      Sirunus,

      You REALLY need to make sure your crickets are well fed, there are a few reasons for this ...

      1. A hungry cricket is far more likely to try to take a chunk out of your spider if it gets a chance (ie if the spider unexpectedly moults).

      2. A hungry cricket will eat other, already dead, crickets. You then feed that cricket to your spider and your spider gets a meal that is full of dead rotting cricket.

      3. A hungry cricket has less meat on it, and doesn't make a nutritious meal.

      Well fed crickets generally do not eat one another, nor do they attack things that move. They only do this when they are hungry, or when the pickings are easy.

      Repeat after me ... "Feed the food, then feed the spider ... Ohmmmmm"
      show me all of it, then i'll decide

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      • #4
        so what would be the best thing to feed the crickets on ?

        just got my first T a couple of months ago, and it's happily munching its way through ikkle crickets ( its only a 1cm B. Smithi sling) greedy little oik decided it wanted 5 last night.

        have heard mention of a slice of potato or fish flakes or ...... for cricket food.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Cookie Monster
          so what would be the best thing to feed the crickets on ?
          Sorry to Sirinus for hijacking this post, but to 'Cookie Monster' firstly welcome the the world of arachnids, tis little'un may be your first , but believe me it won't stop there !!!

          In answer to your question about feeding the crickets. I have always 'gut loaded' mine with a piece of well washed fruit (such as apple) or as you mentioned potato - this is mainly for the moisture side of things.

          I also feed goldfish food flake as this then provides the crickets with a good quality food source that is high in nutrients. It is also cheap and easy to work with. I find that they will devour quite a bit of it, I always place it in a plant pot dish to keep things clean.

          This method has never given me or my spiders any problem whatsoever.

          Hope this is of some use.

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          • #6
            Mine get dry cat food, and a water dish to drink from if they are large enough. Baby crickets get their moisture from lettuce leaves to eat, plus the cat food.
            And he piled upon the whale's white hump, the sum of all the rage and hate felt by his whole race. If his chest had been a cannon, he would have shot his heart upon it.

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            • #7
              The crickets are fattened up with bug grub, lettuce, and baked beans!

              I have a new problem with the crickets. My tarantula is refusing to eat anything and there's a cricket running around in there and I can't catch it. It keeps on hiding. Any tips?

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              • #8
                If you can't catch the cricket to remove it, then try to kill it first, it's not crucial to remove every one of them alive :P
                And he piled upon the whale's white hump, the sum of all the rage and hate felt by his whole race. If his chest had been a cannon, he would have shot his heart upon it.

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                • #9
                  In which year did god stop handing out common sense?

                  You are big, it is small ... maybe the tank is small too, it won't be hard to find and catch. Stop faffing about and remove it, it's not hard.
                  show me all of it, then i'll decide

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                  • #10
                    You are big, it is small ...
                    On the other hand you are slow it is fast, admittedly i've never had any problems removing crickets, however sometimes it can be a bit of a chase to get the little sod

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                    • #11
                      It's alright I took it out last night.

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