Moths from outside?

Armstrong5

Arachnosquire
Joined
May 6, 2010
Messages
58
Just wondering what yall guys thought about feeding moths from outside. I dont do it on a regular basis and none of my more expensive T's get them but its really awesome to watch...they will jump and catch them in mid air...even my rosie that never moves will jump around to catch it! Its really something to see!
 

Merfolk

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Messages
1,323
Did for years with my big regalis. No problems but I might have been lucky. We had people here loosing many animals to pesticides soaked WC moths..
 

LirvA

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
117
Catch them and throw them into outside spiders spider webs
 

Armstrong5

Arachnosquire
Joined
May 6, 2010
Messages
58
Yea I've been doin it for a long time I live in the middle of the country on about 100 acres. I have never sparyed or put out any pesticides on my property so its not that I was worried about just didnt know if anything the moth ate or something like that could harm them. Yeah I always give them to the big writing spiders we have around here.
 

Merfolk

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Messages
1,323
Like I said, no trouble most of the times, but on the other hand we had a guy here a few years ago who fed big moths from outside to his juvie Pokies and he happened to live near some industrial farming facility... he lost several specimens overnight, on a single feeding... : ( and posted pictures of a row of Pokies in death curl... This is rare but can happen. It's a risk you take, like when you handle or else. Don't be surprised to find some disapproval here regarding this issue ; )
 

Embers To Ashes

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Messages
269
I think some moths have stuff on their feet that can harm Ts, but dont quote me on that. I had a T die on my because I fed it moths from outside.
 

LeilaNami

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
2,164
Yea I've been doin it for a long time I live in the middle of the country on about 100 acres. I have never sparyed or put out any pesticides on my property so its not that I was worried about just didnt know if anything the moth ate or something like that could harm them. Yeah I always give them to the big writing spiders we have around here.
The problem with that is a male moth in particular can potentially travel a 100 miles following sex pheromones. A female travels quite a bit. Just because you don't use pesticides doesn't mean the moths came from an area that did the same.
 

ZergFront

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
May 2, 2009
Messages
1,956
You could but you'd be taking the risk of getting a moth that is immune to pesticides. Just because the moth was resilient to the poison doesn't mean your spider will be, too.

Maybe if you can catch enough of the same species and learn how to care for them, you can start your own colony and then feed off a different generation.

You could always get waxworms, though which develop into moths. Pokies and Psalmos really dig 'em. YouTube and some forum threads have care sheets on how to prepare feed for them. I raised a few generations before. I get those pollen pills they sell at some health food stores and mix the contents in with honey and Whole Grain. Just don't ever put them in the fridge. The worms develop these little brown spots and eventually die. Only had a few survive from pet store waxworms that were from a fridge.

If you even change out the substrate or transfer waxworms to a new bin/cage/jar, make sure any eggs or tiny larvae that could have been missed are destroyed. They are a detrimental pest to honeybees.
 
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