walking sticks? ::lol::. not a lot of meat on the "bones" for most species i see... but with their somewhat rarefied diets i bet they rock some excellent trace nutritionals.
All my attempts at culturing walking sticks have failed. I have had 2 different CA native species and one species from TX. I have not had success keeping them alive nor with getting the eggs to hatch out.
Im still thinking termites ...I have yet to try keeping a colony, but I do find them in the woodpile now and then and most of my trues seem to love them. From what I gather, termites are one of the most nutritional "bugs" available.
Another thing Ive been experimenting with is earthworms. I seem to have 2 or three species around my yard. The super slick fast ones seem to excite my scorps and my tigers but they do often get away and borrow fast ...to what future end who knows. I figure the pedes eventually run into the worms when digging around.
Ive chopped up one largish earthworm and was able to feed a dozen widow slings with it. Obvious problems with this method is the lack of squirming movement (small chunks stop moving quickly) and because earthworms lack an exoskeleton they dry out very quickly.
BTW when it comes to widows it SEEMS that my longest living individuals tend to be the ones that I feed a very diverse selection of feeders. I try and feed my widows woodlice, pill bugs, earwigs, beetles, centipedes, grubs/larva, spiders etc.. every other feeding time.
BTW, Ive had poison deaths from local crix and roaches, but never from any of the creepy crawlers I mentioned above.
I also lately discovered that some of my more picky exotic slings which I have had a difficult time feeding with the usual suspects instantly react to a struggling mosquito in their webbing. I have been pondering the possibilities of raising mosquitoes for my next attempt at rearing the more exotic and finicky old world latros.
steven i have done earthworms and night crawlers....and i didnt have, to good of a result to want to continue...most of my t's would strike at them but eventually lose interest...even my antinous which is my most prolific eater, just didn't like them for some reason?????
maybe its something you have to ween them on, before they actively take an interest??but im curious to see if you have the same result....let us know..... _________________ "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." Albert Einstein
steven i have done earthworms and night crawlers....and i didnt have, to good of a result to want to continue...most of my t's would strike at them but eventually lose interest...even my antinous which is my most prolific eater, just didn't like them for some reason?????
maybe its something you have to ween them on, before they actively take an interest??but im curious to see if you have the same result....let us know.....
Agree... Ts dont seem all that into earthworms though with the few Ts Ive kept I have gotten them to eat em. I had a Chilean rose that would always eat something new/strange once and then never again. She did this with worms, feeder fish, pinkys, raw beef etc. Always enthusiastic the first try and then completely uninspired next time round.
I've been using silkworms and they are great feeders for all my pets. I originally bought them for my BD's but they work for everything. They really like to move, won't burrow, don't have hard exos, the only problem would be feeding them. They only eat mulberry leaves. _________________ AbYsS
Eddy H.
Im still thinking termites ...I have yet to try keeping a colony, but I do find them in the woodpile now and then and most of my trues seem to love them. From what I gather, termites are one of the most nutritional "bugs" available.
I've been using silkworms and they are great feeders for all my pets. I originally bought them for my BD's but they work for everything. They really like to move, won't burrow, don't have hard exos, the only problem would be feeding them. They only eat mulberry leaves.
remember that giant tree in my backyard, above the fountain, the swinging bench, and the food?
that's a mulberry tree.....and we've got several others on the property.....maybe i should raise silkworms??? _________________ -Neshan W. Sarkisian
B 4 α Q RU/16 Q T Π ???
"I just cant <EDIT> without a roach in my mouth"
-Cacoseraph
For sure. Theyre excellent feeders the only problem I hear is that they need a lot of food (if you want them really big) and they are sensitive to dirty hands so a sanitizer is a must. _________________ AbYsS
Eddy H.
Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:58 pm Post subject: 2/10 . . . Cucumber beetles (striped and spotted)
Cucumber beetle (striped and spotted)
The Striped Cucumber Beetle,Acalymma vittatum (Fabricius) and the Spotted Cucumber Beetle, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber.
Feeding/Breeding - Adults feed on seedling cuc plants. Adults lay eggs on soil near plant. Larvae hatch and eat roots. First gen of adults emergers late June early July and eats foliage and flowers. Second gen emerges September/October. Spotted beetle is general pest and will feed on corn and nut plants. Striped is more specific and only feeds on cuc ("cucurbits") plants.
Feed - Adults overwinter. Become active in spring temps and feed on weeds and early plantings. Larvae and adults feed on foliage of host plants (Potato, tomato, eggplant, pepper, tobacco and other solanceous plants)
Breed - Each female can 500+ eggs in a 4-5 week period. Larva hatch from eggs in 4-15 (4-9) days. Larval stage lasts 2-3 weeks. Full grown larva burrow in ground to pupate. Pupation lasts 5-10 days, at which time adult emerges. Adult females must feed for up to a week before egg production starts.
INITIAL FEEDER SPECIES SUMMARY:
This is a very attractive species. If the larva and adults will eat readily available foliage this could be an excellent candidate. If larva and adults would eat potatos and other fruits/vegs/tubers/legumes as opposed to their foliage that would maximize feeder species potential. One possible problem is highly adaptive chemical control resistance. This could possibly allow for us to poison our predators via bioaccumulation via these guys.
8/10
now i see where it gets its name, Necrophila americana, likes to eat the dead...Yum _________________ “Look down at me and you see a fool;
look up at me and you see a god;
look straight at me and you see yourself.”
There may be people who like centipedes. I have seen people handling tarantulas and scorpions, but never a centipede handler. I would regard such a person with deep suspicion...Now what sort of man or woman or monster would stroke a centipede on its underbelly "And here is my big good centipede." If such a man exists, I say kill him without more ado. He is a traitor to the human race.
Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:37 am Post subject: katydids, grasshoppers, locusts
katydids, grasshoppers, locusts _________________
Quote:
There may be people who like centipedes. I have seen people handling tarantulas and scorpions, but never a centipede handler. I would regard such a person with deep suspicion...Now what sort of man or woman or monster would stroke a centipede on its underbelly "And here is my big good centipede." If such a man exists, I say kill him without more ado. He is a traitor to the human race.
Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:54 am Post subject: Re: katydids, grasshoppers, locusts
cacoseraph wrote:
katydids, grasshoppers, locusts
And lions and tigers and bears, Ohh my _________________ “Look down at me and you see a fool;
look up at me and you see a god;
look straight at me and you see yourself.”
Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:57 am Post subject: Re: katydids, grasshoppers, locusts
wburke17 wrote:
cacoseraph wrote:
katydids, grasshoppers, locusts
And lions and tigers and bears, Ohh my
i call dibs on raising the grasshoppers. you can raise the lions _________________
Quote:
There may be people who like centipedes. I have seen people handling tarantulas and scorpions, but never a centipede handler. I would regard such a person with deep suspicion...Now what sort of man or woman or monster would stroke a centipede on its underbelly "And here is my big good centipede." If such a man exists, I say kill him without more ado. He is a traitor to the human race.
Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:01 am Post subject: NONMELTING worms
NONMELTING worms
forget about worms that melt at >= 80*F. i want all temperature worms or none at all!
Anecic - (worms, surface to mid burrower) lives in vertical burrows extending from surface to mineral soil layers. eat surface debris "They also tend to be very large worms and have bellies with less pigmentation than their backs. These worms have a long generation time, do not do well in high density culture and require the stable burrow environment in order to thrive. In the absense of this burrow, anecic worms will neither breed nor grow." http://mypeoplepc.com/members/arbra/bbb/id17.html
"The worms we use in vermicomposting systems, like Eisenia fetida, are in the epigeic category. In nature epigeic worms live in the top soil and duff layer on the soil surface. These small, deeply pigmented worms have a poor burrowing ability, preferring instead an environment of loose organic litter or loose topsoil rich in organic matter deeper soils. Epigeic species feed in organic surface debris and have adapted beautifully to the rapidly shifting, dynamic environment of the soil surface.
We use epigeic worms because we can duplicate their ideal environment in a bin or bed, because they are voracious processors of organic debris, because they do well in high density culture, and because they are so very tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions and fluctuations. " http://mypeoplepc.com/members/arbra/bbb/id17.html
"This is not to say these are the ONLY other species, but they are two that are routinely found south of the Mason Dixon line and in many areas of irrigated soils in the southwest. Here in the Pacific northwest our soils are home to many worm species, including E. fetida, but no A. gracillus or P. excavatus as these species cannot tolerate cool temps for any length of time" http://mypeoplepc.com/members/arbra/bbb/id17.html _________________
Quote:
There may be people who like centipedes. I have seen people handling tarantulas and scorpions, but never a centipede handler. I would regard such a person with deep suspicion...Now what sort of man or woman or monster would stroke a centipede on its underbelly "And here is my big good centipede." If such a man exists, I say kill him without more ado. He is a traitor to the human race.
Has anyone tried dermestid beetles? You can get cutures of them from bio supply houses for cleaning skeletons. My field zoologist friend who has used them in the past for this purpose says that they are quite prolific, easy to raise and don't stink. The food you feed them stinks. He hasn't fed them to anything though. Here's a link:
http://www.carolina.com/manuals/manuals2/DERCUL%20(1).pdf _________________ "I hold your opinion above all others, tribe elder." - Neshan W. Sarkisian
I have CDO. It's like OCD, but the letters are in alphabetical order, like they should be.
Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:49 pm Post subject: Lepisma saccharina
Silverfish! As I was chasing down one of the many silverfish I am always running into, I had a thought. They must breed easily, and their dietary requirements are meager at best. I'm always in need for small invert food. So I have 4 adults so far in a container with damp paper, and all I have to do is pick up a towel in the bathroom, and I always find at least one a day.
Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:04 pm Post subject: How about Lobster Roaches?
I ordered 1000 Lobster Roaches from www.aaronpauling.com, and I'm sure I can spare a few *hundred* of those if anyone wants some starters. I'll bring 'em to the BBQ (with some melted butter and lemon juice). ;-)
I don't know what sizes I'll have yet -- they should get here tomorrow.
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