What a strange lot we are! Some of us pamper
are Arachnid friends as if they were kin,
offering choice tidbits and treats. But,
flippancy aside let's have a look at what our
Arachnids get fed and the benefits/risks of each.Crickets:
These are probably the most widely used
creatures that most of us use to feed our
Arachnids and there are few moral or dietary
issues to be concerned about. Simply, crickets
are excellent food, and for most species are
ideal. Are there any risks in offering our
charges crickets? Apart from the occasional worry about intestinal parasites and the risk
from feeding your Arachnid when it's about to
moult or as a young spiderling offering a too
large cricket the dangers are almost
non-existent.
Live or dead? Does it matter? According to a
recent thread, Arachnids in many cases don't care
whether there crickets are active or not. So if
you feel that you don't want to put the crickets
through the ordeal of being eaten alive, then put
them out of their misery before you place them in
Arachnids tank, either way your Arachnids
shouldn't mind.
Locusts:
These large 'hoppers are great for larger
species for much the same reasons as crickets. I
have heard that Locusts are more prone to
intestinal parasites than crickets and therefore
should be used with caution.
Mice:
Some of you I know swear by them for your
Arachnids and for some of the largest tarantulas
they are good for occasional use. I for one do
not approve of feeding live mice[1] to Arachnids (or
any other creature).
Apart from the distress to the mouse there is
a serious risk that your pet will get damaged by
a cornered mouse. Some of you know how difficult and
messy it can be to try and patch up a bleeding
tarantula. If you are going to feed them mice,
please for your sake, the mouse's and our pets use
frozen mice that have been thawed out for ten
minutes in hot water.
Others:
Heart: A number of
breeders and enthusiasts use this.
Liver: Some also claim
to have tried this with success.
Moths: My B. emilia
loves these.
Worms: These apparently
go down well with Scorpions, but don't use the
red fishing ones!
Mealworms: Some swear
by them, but not one of the mainstream offerings.
Daddy Long-Legs: My B.
emilia loves these also.
Got any more?
Of course we could turn this article on it's head
and look at the bugs that we (the human race)
eat........
But that's another story! .....See here
for a sample
[1] In the UK
it is actually illegal to feed live vertebrates to another vertebrate
or invertebrate.
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