I offered my GBB sling a superworm. It hasn't taken food in almost 2 weeks. I think it my be in pre-molt but I still offer food every few days just in case. Well this time it looked like he might take it so I hesitated to grab it an pull it out as it was crawling under a leaf. I went to grab it and missed. I quickly lifted the leaf to try again and poof! It disappeared like some kind of magician. Now I can't find it anywhere. I can only assume it quickly burrowed into the substrate. So now what do I do? I am about to leave for a 4 days. Do I disturb my T and get him out so I can tear apart its whole setup to find the thing? I am not sure what to do....
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Need advice, superworm disappeared
- Thread starter Matthew
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- 1,034
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- Southern CA
You need to find it. Sounds like molting is imminent, and that little opportunistic carnivore can't be left in with your molting tarantula. I wouldn't remove the spider. I'd just fish around with some long forceps until you find it. Try holding the tank up over your head with a flashlight and look up at the bottom. You might get lucky and spot it.
Then feed roaches instead. They won't mess with a live animal whether it is molting or not. If you must feed super worms, I'd crush the head first.
Good luck! Hope you find it quickly and easily.
Then feed roaches instead. They won't mess with a live animal whether it is molting or not. If you must feed super worms, I'd crush the head first.
Good luck! Hope you find it quickly and easily.
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- 5,547
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- Outside San Antonio, TX
Theres no rush. They take awhile to pupate, and when they emerge as beetles they stumble around the cage like idiots. I've yet to read about a worm eating a molting spider. Not saying it hasn't happened, just never heard of it. The beetles however, will eat anything that doesnt eat them first.
Thanks. It is going to be really hard to find it without disturbing the spider and probably wrecking its web den. I did try to disable the worm by crushing it behind the head a short ways. Didn't work obviously but it is injured.I am going to have to do it though. I'll try to work around ts hide the best I can. but I think ultimately I will have to disturb the sling. If I wasn't leaving for 4 days I might be more patient since I could keep an eye on things. The more I think on it the more nervous it makes me so I'll have to find it if for no other reason than so I can relax.
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I found it. I had to excavate 95% of the enclosure but managed to do so without ruining the web den the spider created and without having to directly disturb the spider. So it went as well as I could have hoped for.
I really wish I could find red runners locally. I couldn't even get them at Repticon last weekend. I guess I can try crickets but I don't love that option either. Thanks everyone for the advice. With the worm out of there I can rest easy while I'm away.
I really wish I could find red runners locally. I couldn't even get them at Repticon last weekend. I guess I can try crickets but I don't love that option either. Thanks everyone for the advice. With the worm out of there I can rest easy while I'm away.
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It seems there is no “perfect” feeder. I ran out of superworms (and couldn’t get my tarantulas to eat as much as I thought they should with superworms) and temporarily went back to crickets. Now I have been thoroughly reminded how much I dislike crickets. I think next I’m going to try to start a roach colony.
Just yesterday I heard something beig noisier than usual in one of my enclosures. Took a look and sure enough it was a beetle from a superworm my GBB hadn’t eaten. Its actually a cool lookog beetle.
Just yesterday I heard something beig noisier than usual in one of my enclosures. Took a look and sure enough it was a beetle from a superworm my GBB hadn’t eaten. Its actually a cool lookog beetle.
- Messages
- 810
- Messages
- 5,547
- Location
- Outside San Antonio, TX
No ****? I've never managed to get one of my spiders to eat one..
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I was surprised too!
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- The Oregon rain forest
I cut the superworm heads off for small Ts...they still flip around for a long time for the T to notice. My large pokies like to dig for them I've noticed so I toss them in. Ive only had problems with crickets in the past. Never seen a beetle emerge yet...knock on wood.
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- Southern CA
Why not just start a colony? They are probably the easiest and most adaptable of all the feeder roaches.
Its really easy. Get a smooth sided 18 gallon bin. I prefer the clear ones because they are smoother, and its a myth that they need dark or opaque walls. Cut out some vent areas and hot glue in some metal window screen. Then stand up six 12x12" egg flats with some cardboard in between each flat. Throw some dog or cat kibble in one corner and some "wet" fruits or veggies in the other front corner, and put the bin somewhere warm. Then let the little roaches do what they do. It seems to take for ever for the colony to get going, but once your third generation hatches, you'll have more than you know what to do with.
I have thousands of them. I don't mind sending you some for free if we can figure out how to ship them economically. It might be cheaper to just order some from a company that does it all the time.
Thanks. That is a generous offer, but I only have one T with no plans to add to that any time soon. I wouldn't be able use enough of them to keep the colony under control plus I am just not that interested in keeping roaches anyway. I looked at ordering, but they are expensive to order online because of the shipping. Too expensive. The roaches themselves are cheap enough but then it is another 15 to 30 dollars to get them ship. Not spending that on a roach. I'll figure something out eventually. I may eventually just give in and decide to keep a colony, but for now I think I will go with Arachnoclown's advice and start clipping off heads of the worms.
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How warm is too warm? I’m guessing my garage in the summer is too warm but I just don’t have any other place for a colony. At this point I sure have enough Ts to justify it though!
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- 6,382
- Location
- The Oregon rain forest
Here's my endless supply of superworms....
- Messages
- 6,382
- Location
- The Oregon rain forest
Here's my redrunner pinhead setup....I have an adult as well.
- Messages
- 6,382
- Location
- The Oregon rain forest
- Messages
- 6,382
- Location
- The Oregon rain forest
My Madagascar hissing ****roaches are growing extremely fast.
- Messages
- 6,382
- Location
- The Oregon rain forest
The only feeder i dont reproduce are crickets....they stink. I still buy them but they are assassinated by my Tarantulas that day.
- Messages
- 5,547
- Location
- Outside San Antonio, TX
@Metalman2004 you can keep them anywhere..stuff them in a closet if you have to, but if you have a lot of spiders, roach colonies are a MUST, imo. They're easy to breed, easy to keep, and you know exactly what your spiders are eating, because they were raised and fed by you. Lats should have completely replaced crickets in this hobby by now, I don't understand why they haven't, other than fear of infestation maybe?
