# feeding small slings



## midnite3006 (May 21, 2009)

I have a couple of very small slings, roughly 1/2 cm body length if that. most of them eat very small cricket 2nd without a problem, however my b.vagans runs away from the live crickets, even if they are disabled and if i prekill it the T doesn't seem to find it. what else can i try to get this little guy to eat?


----------



## antcherry88 (Mar 28, 2011)

It will eat pre-killed if its hungry....if its not eating its not hungry. 

Unless there's something obviously wrong like a small or shrivelled abdomen I just normally leave it a couple of weeks and try again.


----------



## G18241 (Feb 28, 2009)

i used to just crush the heads of mealworms and they used to munch on those


----------



## sp1d8r (Feb 16, 2010)

Bean weevils, fruit flies or tropical woodlice are good for tiny slings... Possibly an impending moult could be the reason for not eating..


----------



## Xhrissy (Feb 15, 2008)

My sling eats waxworms, I was advised that they don't bite so it's safer for the baby T


----------



## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

midnite3006 said:


> I have a couple of very small slings, roughly 1/2 cm body length if that. most of them eat very small cricket 2nd without a problem, however my b.vagans runs away from the live crickets, even if they are disabled and if i prekill it the T doesn't seem to find it. what else can i try to get this little guy to eat?


Smaller crickets?

Feeder ants?


----------



## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

I use micros for tiny spiderlings, if it doesn't eat them then take them out as a moult may be due. 

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/spiders-inverts/707901-top-tips-thread-quick-faqs.html#post8430108


----------



## Curious jay (Jan 31, 2012)

Bean weevils, fruit flies, pinhead crickets, tropical isopods, springtails, mini mealworms, small calci worms, springtails, squat maggots... The list goes on and on.


----------



## HustleBones (Mar 19, 2013)

Can't go wrong with bean weevils for slings.

You can buy yourself a culture and never have to buy another one again.

What's also great is that they require 2 things only - A tub to house them in and black eyed peas/beans.


----------



## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

I've never personally rated bean weevils, they have quite arboreal tendencies which is sometimes ok for arboreal spiderlings but pretty useless for terrestrial and burrowing species. Also, I recall reading somewhere that they aren't the best staple diet for spiderlings, whereas crickets are.


----------



## martin3 (May 24, 2011)

If you get a colony of Turkestan roaches,''red runners'' you can feed all stages of your spiders, from sling to adult,..:2thumb:


----------



## Xhrissy (Feb 15, 2008)

Urghh cockroaches. I worry I'll knock the tub over and be finding them in my bed. Mmm.


----------



## sp1d8r (Feb 16, 2010)

mcluskyisms said:


> I've never personally rated bean weevils, they have quite arboreal tendencies which is sometimes ok for arboreal spiderlings but pretty useless for terrestrial and burrowing species. Also, I recall reading somewhere that they aren't the best staple diet for spiderlings, whereas crickets are.


Suppose any slings ive dropped them in front of them they leapt on them, for shy ones they would probably do a bolter an climb high.. suppose ur rite bout the staple they only eat beans not great variety for gut loading....


----------



## Bab1084 (Dec 9, 2011)

Maggots just squish its head so it doesnt bury itself.


----------



## midnite3006 (May 21, 2009)

ok thanks, will try half squished mealies


----------



## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

When I got my slings the smallest was 1cm if that and I fed them fresh killed maggots (tried mealies but they weren't interested), take a little tub to your nearest fishing tackle shop and they'll fill it and it's just a couple of quid and now mine are bigger they get baby turk roaches.


----------



## pcharlton (Mar 23, 2012)

martin3 said:


> If you get a colony of Turkestan roaches,''red runners'' you can feed all stages of your spiders, from sling to adult,..:2thumb:


lol i feed mine today there was 100s with the red cases hanging from the the rear lol the food had mad the humid on the high side. i am spliting them into 4 boxes now


----------



## martin3 (May 24, 2011)

pcharlton said:


> lol i feed mine today there was 100s with the red cases hanging from the the rear lol the food had mad the humid on the high side. i am spliting them into 4 boxes now


Yeah, wicked ain't they,? once you get it set up right they breed like crazy!!!


----------



## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

martin3 said:


> If you get a colony of Turkestan roaches,''red runners'' you can feed all stages of your spiders, from sling to adult,..:2thumb:





martin3 said:


> Yeah, wicked ain't they,? once you get it set up right they breed like crazy!!!


I started with just a small tub of various sizes and loads of egg cases, soon found out they breed like wild fire and I now have an established colony growing really well in numbers, it's not huge but it definately is growing.


----------



## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

I've always thought termites may make good feeder food.

Never see them sold.


----------



## Curious jay (Jan 31, 2012)

Mr Mister said:


> I've always thought termites may make good feeder food.
> 
> Never see them sold.


Termites would make terrible feeders for a multitude of reasons probably why you never see them sold.


----------



## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

Curious jay said:


> Termites would make terrible feeders for a multitude of reasons probably why you never see them sold.


Like what? A Praying mantis could eat a termite easily. Tiny slings fair enough, I guess I can see the potential to be wrong there, but as they grew, I really don't think a termite or two would be an issue for them, surely?

They cannot sting.


----------



## Curious jay (Jan 31, 2012)

Mr Mister said:


> Like what? A Praying mantis could eat a termite easily. Tiny slings fair enough, I guess I can see the potential to be wrong there, but as they grew, I really don't think a termite or two would be an issue for them, surely?
> 
> They cannot sting.


Like ants termites live in colonies.

#1 difficult to keep alive/ breed unless you have room in your back garden for a 6'+ termite mound.

#2 termites don't have stings but depending on species some workers can secret a sticky fluid from the mouthparts which could cause issues.

#3 they're pretty small unless you want to feed the soldier termites... Which are equipped with some powerful mandibles and I believe some species can excrete obnoxious fluids.

#4 they live in highly ventilated mounds and don't do we'll in high temperatures so for what they're worth it's to much hassle to keep something that's so finicky and lacks nutritional value in comparrison of say a cricket (easy to breed, easy to obtain and decent source of nutrition).


There's just a few reasons off the top of my head.


----------



## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

Curious jay said:


> Like ants termites live in colonies.
> 
> #1 difficult to keep alive/ breed unless you have room in your back garden for a 6'+ termite mound.
> 
> ...


I know.

I was just thinking for a little mantis or some such.

Good explainations though.


----------



## sjlees (Jan 16, 2013)

midnite3006 said:


> I have a couple of very small slings, roughly 1/2 cm body length if that. most of them eat very small cricket 2nd without a problem, however my b.vagans runs away from the live crickets, even if they are disabled and if i prekill it the T doesn't seem to find it. what else can i try to get this little guy to eat?


Sounds like a molt to me. When my slings were 1/2 cm body length, including vagans, they were taking down crickets twice their size.


----------



## Mitch636 (Mar 26, 2013)

sjlees said:


> Sounds like a molt to me. When my slings were 1/2 cm body length, including vagans, they were taking down crickets twice their size.


Is that live or dead? I've got some med crickets that I feed my bigger two but was thinking to buy some pinheads for my newly acquired sling but if that's the case then I will just find a tiny one and try that?


----------



## wozz90 (Jan 9, 2013)

My L.Parahybana that is a around 2cm takes medium crickets easily, which is nice as its the same as what i feed my mantis and my leopard geckos, makes feeding much easier just buying the size of crickets.

Yeah if you a bit concerned just find a smallish one out and see how it get on, I love watching mine take the cricket. :2thumb:


----------



## midnite3006 (May 21, 2009)

still not molted, can't get maggots over here, have got some fruit flies now


----------



## wozz90 (Jan 9, 2013)

Sweet let us know how he gets on. Out of interest what sized tub or whatever is he/she in?


----------



## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

midnite3006 said:


> still not molted, can't get maggots over here, have got some fruit flies now


Don't you have fishing shops in the Isle of Man then??


----------



## Colosseum (Aug 8, 2008)

Let me google that for you


----------



## midnite3006 (May 21, 2009)

AilsaM said:


> Don't you have fishing shops in the Isle of Man then??


We do but not allowed to sell maggots, ecosystem can't handle them apparently. or something like that


----------



## Mitch636 (Mar 26, 2013)

I stuck the smallest medium cricket I could find in with a 2cm h.lividum but didn't touch it. I left a small small cricket in and it went but took a few hours. Not sure if the other was too big or just wasn't hungry at the time.


----------



## midnite3006 (May 21, 2009)

fruit flies are working just fine  sling just took one, first time its eaten for weeks. they are buggers to get out of the box though without all of them escaping


----------



## martin3 (May 24, 2011)

midnite3006 said:


> fruit flies are working just fine  sling just took one, first time its eaten for weeks. they are buggers to get out of the box though without all of them escaping


Use a pooter,..


----------



## psta6140 (Nov 17, 2012)

Mini Mealworms


----------



## wozz90 (Jan 9, 2013)

or stick them in thr fridge to calm them down ^^


----------



## Mr Mister (Oct 12, 2011)

After how long do you separate slings, and is it species dependent?


----------

