Pinheads harmful?

[DalilahBlue]

Ok, I have a bit of an odd one here...

My male L. vio is about 4-5 in. He stays burrowed 90% of the time, only coming out to snag any crickets that don't wander down his burrow fast enough.

I guess a cricket laid her eggs in the substrate before she was eaten as there are dozens of itty bitty crickets on the sides of his enclosure now.

Can they hurt him? I can come up with anything but I am paranoid. I really don't want to rehome him until I have to. He isn't due for a molt anytime soon.

 

[torstrum]

well I'd just try to remove as many as possible. I have no idea if he could eat them, but one thing to think about is that they're ALL going to crap, that may dirty up the place a bit, and many of course will just die and need to get scooped up later, after further dirtying up the place with their dead bodies

 

[Bast]

I would think he would be fine, provided he's not moulting. You could try adding a deep water source to attract the crickets, so they drown or a food trap (give them an easy way in to some cat food, but deep enough so they can't get out. Likewise, you could remove the water source altogether...they don't live very long without water. Then it will just be some up keep until all the bodies are gone

 

[DalilahBlue]

I'd not mentioned I'd gotten most of them out. But there are a few still in there. I may try a slightly deeper water bowl.

 

[Kurt Nelson]

If you got a water dish, they are more than likely just going to die or drown in the water dish. Unless your L.V is molting or has just molted I wouldn't worry about it. They aren't going to much on it's hard exo.

 

[spiderengineer]

with out out a food source they will die off quickly. to prevent future hatching cut the black tube at the end of the female this will prevent her from laying eggs

 

[DalilahBlue]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I was able to remove most of them while doing enclosure maintenance with a damp paper towel. The others I am hoping will drown in the slightly deeper water dish (went from a milk cap to a soda cap). This is the first time I have ever seen this happen.

They are annoying.

 

[Kurt Nelson]

Well, i'm glad you could even get pinheads. I can't even seem to breed them! LOL

 

[Tgirl1010]

I have to admit this made me giggle a bit because it made me think of when I was trying to breed crickets way back when. I couldn't get them to breed for anything, then I ended up with a ton in a G pulchripes enclosure (that was dry). Go figure!

 

[DalilahBlue]

They are annoying! I think I have finally gotten most of them.

 

[DalilahBlue]

Well, I have one VERY po'd L. vio

While doing my weekly tank maintenance I noticed little specks of mold from the dead pinheads.

Bob would have to be rehomed....

Fast forward about an hour and it is done. Holy crap.

But I do have to say he did well. Not even one threat display. And I got some descent pics.

 

[Bast]

He's adorable

 

[DalilahBlue]

Thanks! He's just a few molts away from needing a date!

 

[Bast]

Woo hoo!!