Feeders other than crickets or roaches

I'm sick of relying on smelly, noisy, escaping crickets to feed my T's and reptiles, and I'm looking for alternatives. Dubia roaches and locusts are illegal here in Canada, so not an option. Superworms are too tough and bitey for most of my T's.

I've looked into different feeder species and it's easy to find info on their nutritional value, for reptiles. Not so much for T's. So I'm wondering if others here have had experience feeding different items such as:

"Phoenix" worms or "Reptiworms" (soldier fly larvae)
Hornworms
Butterworms
Silkworms
Waxworms
Mealworms

I'm leaning towards Phoenix worms, as they would work for my geckos and bearded dragon, and they have a long shelf life or can be bought at a small size and fattened up. Based on the nutritional breakdown I don't see any potential harm feeding them to T's, and they're available in a range of sizes, including small enough to feed to a sling. Thoughts?

I'm also planning to buy a few hornworms because I have a big LP who's refusing crickets and only reluctantly taking an occasional mealworm. I thought the colour, size and soft body might be more appealing. Again, I couldn't see any potential harm in feeding this species, and they're often used to feed sick or dehydrated reptiles.

Also speaking of the LP - I'm thinking of offering her a pinky mouse. She's about 6" legspan so I think big enough. Will they eat frozen/thawed or does it have to be a live mouse? Any tricks to get them to eat a mouse?

My 6.7" Lp ate a live Hopper mouse no trouble, but some keepers would say that is risky. I prefer feeding roaches as they do not smell bad like dead mice :coffee: cheers.

Ultum4Spiderz said:

My 6.7" Lp ate a live Hopper mouse no trouble, but some keepers would say that is risky. I prefer feeding roaches as they do not smell bad like dead mice :coffee: cheers.

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Thanks to 15 years with a finicky ball python, I am all too familiar with that deceased rodent perfume! :bruised:

I would only want to feed a mouse as an occasional treat. I've read that the larger T's will eat small rodents, reptiles or amphibians in the wild. I know it's a messy and smelly meal for a tarantula, though. I thought of trying it once, if the T doesn't eat it then it's back to the insects.