Picky tarantula, or tricky roaches?

[ArvadaLanee]

I have been offering Blanche Dubia roaches for a while, but so far, she hasn't really gotten any, and I've ended up just giving her crickets instead. The Dubias like to get into one of her plants, or hide behind her water dish, so I kind of figured she just wasn't finding them. But her crickets get into her plant as well, and I always wake up to find them gone. She doesn't leave any evidence with the crickets. They're just gone. Then last night I decided to try the roaches again, and woke up to find roach pieces laying around the enclosure, plus one stuck to her leg! I am such a dork, and it almost made me cry, but I managed to cut the legs short on one of the bigger roaches, thinking that a big roach that couldn't climb up the pepper tree would be an easy target for her, but that particular roach is still alive and just hanging out in the middle of the enclosure like it's no big deal. One little guy did manage to make it up the pepper tree again, and lives another day. But the other little guys seem to have finally been caught by Blanche. I'm not sure if she just prefers her crickets, or if the Dubias have really been out smarting her all this time. Is it common for them to get a piece of food stuck on their leg like that? Is she saving it for later? Has she been hinting to me that crickets are her meal of choice, or just taking a while to learn how to hunt this new prey item? I wonder why she chose to eat the little guys, while leaving the big juicy guy to roam in peace. I am definitely getting the red runners next time, and maybe some horn worms. I thought I might find red runners at Repticon, when I went, but no luck. Just more dubias. At least Blanche seems to have finally gotten her first taste of them last night. Which means I don't have to go buy crickets today! Yay!

 

[MassExodus]

Hi What is your feeding schedule, and while I remember the name, what species is Blanche?

 

[ArvadaLanee]

Grammostola rosea, I believe. I offer food about every 10 days, but she doesn't always eat when I offer food. Usually I will offer a couple roaches first, but she normally doesn't eat them, so I give her crickets the next day.

 

[MassExodus]

Some spiders shy away from dubia at first. Once they kill and eat one, its usually no longer a problem. The lateralis are actually the best feeder/breeder I've ever seen. They'll quickly trigger a hit from any arachnid..they breed like crazy. It takes a few days to get used to their speed and figure out the best way to separate and feed them off, but once you get used to them, you may very well forget about dubias. Anyway, dont worry so much about it When they're hungr, they'll eat, and go right up a plant after a cricket or roach.

 

[ArvadaLanee]

Thanks. I'm not really worried, so much as curious. Blanche is such a funny little lady. She is just so fun to watch. She is always surprising me by doing unexpected things, like one day she walked upside down across the top of her enclosure, or one day I watched as she dug a little hole, and then filled it back in, seemingly for no reason, and then yesterday, I wake up to find her with that little piece of roach stuck on her leg. She cracks me up. One day, I saw her walking around with her body held high, almost like she was on her tippy toes. Out of all my pets, even the snakes, Blanche is the biggest mystery to me. I find myself often thinking, "What is she up to now?" And I never really quite figure it out. I don't know why she decided one day to walk upside down, or why she dug that hole, or whether she realized she has a roach part on her. She's just Blanche, my strange little lady.

 

[MassExodus]

They are interesting animals After 6 years keeping them, some of their behavior is still a mystery to me. I like to spout theories but the truth is they are mostly a mystery to me still. Maybe that's why we like them?