# Are locusts just as good as crickets for Ts



## zelda91 (Jan 16, 2011)

I have encountered a few random threads every now and then the past year where people keep mentioning they wouldnt feed their Ts on Locusts and prefer crickets for the nutritional value. My question issss how so? I always feed my Ts a mix of both but more so with crickets and rarely with the odd mealworm when im out of the other 2. I would of thought locusts were the same if not better because of their own apetites and hygiene. But yeah if someone could just outline the basic answer or their own personal opinions id be very grateful :2thumb: google didnt really bring many results unless I missed something :blush:


----------



## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

i would say they're better, as they won't potentially eat a living tarantula, crickets will try. i've seen threads, reporting locusts causing dyskenesis of sorts. i'm unsure of how valid this is.

personally, i use dubia and surinam roaches as they have more good stuff lol


----------



## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

spinnin_tom said:


> i ould say they're better, as they won't potentially eat a licing tarantula, crickets will try. i've seen threads, reporting locusts causing dyskenesis of sorts. i'm unsure of how valid this is.
> 
> personally, i use dubia and surinam roaches as they have more good stuff lol


i wouldn't risk locusts just in case there is anything in the DKS rumours- better to be safe than sorry!


----------



## DannyB (Nov 8, 2009)

To be honest, i would forget the crickets and locusts and make roaches there staple diet as they offer more benefits with less, if any, drawbacks. You have a few tarantulas by the looks of it so it would be financially better getting a colony of dubia's, best thing i ever did in my tarantula keeping life.


----------



## empirecook (Sep 1, 2009)

Cue the DKS reply's...

Which should be ignored.


----------



## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

empirecook said:


> Cue the DKS reply's...
> 
> Which should be ignored.


 
yeah, as i said i'm not sure how valid that argument is.
if anybody can support it, with evidence, i'll rethink D:


----------



## zelda91 (Jan 16, 2011)

thanks for the replies  well i think just to play it safe I'll stop with the locusts lol never had a problem with crix anyway and iv never heard of locusts relating to dks but if theres even a fraction of truth in it then its worth scrapping locusts until theres a definate answer (if there ever will be one for DKS lolol) and as for the roaches iv always heard dubia roaches are the best staple diet for Ts the problem is most of mine are juveniles and slings, my only adult is a h. lividum but give another year or so and most should be sub adults by then and i'll prob think of setting up a colony :2thumb:


----------



## nunny (Jun 12, 2011)

mine get locusts and roaches.i dont touch the nasty crickets ,dont want to risk leaving them in and t getting eaten.they nibble lizards down to bone if left in too


----------



## Dayle (Jan 18, 2010)

i feed the majority of mine on locust


----------



## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

Dayle said:


> i feed the majority of mine on locust


have you had any adverse affects?
well your spiders lol


----------



## PeterUK (Jun 21, 2008)

zelda91 said:


> . . iv always heard dubia roaches are the best staple diet for Ts the problem is most of mine are juveniles and slings,



I've got a large colony of dubias and only use about a dozen a week but I also have a colony of Turkistan/Red runners and use several hundred a week and they are still multiplying (I've turned off the heat, thrown out all oothecas and may have to start freezing some soon)
Out of both species, I would recommend the turks over dubia any day of the week as the juv roaches can be fed to even the smallest slings and the adult roaches are adult cricket size so can be fed to all but the largest T's.


----------



## nunny (Jun 12, 2011)

PeterUK said:


> I've got a large colony of dubias and only use about a dozen a week but I also have a colony of Turkistan/Red runners and use several hundred a week and they are still multiplying (I've turned off the heat, thrown out all oothecas and may have to start freezing some soon)
> Out of both species, I would recommend the turks over dubia any day of the week as the juv roaches can be fed to even the smallest slings and the adult roaches are adult cricket size so can be fed to all but the largest T's.


dubias come in different sizes from tiny upwards,so they could also be fed to slings and juvies.wow sounds like you need to be selling some instead of freezing them


----------



## Graylord (Jul 17, 2007)

PeterUK said:


> I've got a large colony of dubias and only use about a dozen a week but I also have a colony of Turkistan/Red runners and use several hundred a week and they are still multiplying (I've turned off the heat, thrown out all oothecas and may have to start freezing some soon)
> Out of both species, I would recommend the turks over dubia any day of the week as the juv roaches can be fed to even the smallest slings and the adult roaches are adult cricket size so can be fed to all but the largest T's.


If you've got too many you should send some to me :Na_Na_Na_Na:


----------



## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

none of my lizards or t's will touch dubias- they all ignore them.


----------



## PeterUK (Jun 21, 2008)

nunny said:


> dubias come in different sizes from tiny upwards,so they could also be fed to slings and juvies.


Small slings cannot handle the smallest newborn dubia whereas the smallest slings can handle 2nd moult turks with ease and even possibly 3rd moult.



nunny said:


> wow sounds like you need to be selling some instead of freezing them


TBH I just cant be bothered about boxing them up and having to trek down to the PO just for a few £'s etc etc
Much easier to stick a few big cartons in the freezer. . . Problem solved. :whistling2:


----------



## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

Out of the three roach and the most nutrional followed by crickets and last is locusts.

I've posted this before, and considering its relevant I'll post again. However, its important to realise that by feeding locuts it doesnt mean you'll get issues with DKS. 

"Ive noted DKS in several species of Pokie and the common denominator for me was locusts. The symptoms seemed to last quite a time, with the tarantula completely petrified of food items and any disturbance caused a reaction not dissimilar to that of the cartoon character Tasmanian Devil. I uploaded a video to my YouTube account. The symptoms were also seen in Pokies that were fed locusts by Dan_Halen and Matt from Colchester.

I mentioned my findings in the BTS forum, under a thread questioning the use of mice as food.

The issue with locusts is the bacteria within their gut, like most living creatures, there's a balance within the gut of good and bad bacteria. It has been noted that lack of food and heat will result in an increase in bacteria diversity, the bad bacteria taking prominence and as a result a more worrying group of bacteria emerge - from the same family as e-coli and salmonella!

Gut loading is no bad thing, Ray Hale suggested flushing the locusts gut with high water content lettuce and maintaining a clean environment. Its important to continue to feed the locusts and maintain temperatures to avoid the issues Ive mentioned above."


----------



## DPK (Aug 21, 2011)

I heard its the substrate that holds the key for DKS, is there any truth behind this ?? i mean it must be true, as every single spider on substrate has got it:Na_Na_Na_Na: (no, im not being seriouse)

But beings we have a few people that have spiders with DKS, that have been fed locusts....

How about the 3x as many who do feed locusts to T's, who have never had any ill effects ? 

And just because it looks like, doesnt mean it is......

That being said, crickets are better when it comes to nutrition, but roaches are even better ~IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE~


----------



## jondee84 (Jun 1, 2011)

I have used both locusts and crickets but have stuck with crickets for various personal preferences.

Locusts tend to leap around a lot and have stronger legs so I tend to avoid them just for that fact alone and I don't want my T's injured.

They also tend to be quite hard work [in comparison to crickets] to keep healthy.

I have also heard the rumours of infestation yet no proof.

But the main thing is, my T's seems to act and look healthier on the crickets so my personal choice is crickets.


----------



## TalulaTarantula (Jan 21, 2011)

I use crickets, mainly because theyre always readily available cheap and fairly easy to keep, and im not sure whether im moving out or what so no point in me starting a roach colony, I also only feed by T's once a week and not all of them eat then so id be left with an abundance of roaches, ive tried locusts once, the small ones and my T's went crazy for them but havent used them since, Despite the fact i found them alot easier and cleaner than those bloody crickets.


----------

