Any reason she would stop eating f/t?

For the past 11 months she has been slamming f/t rats with out second thought. About a month and a half ago she stopped taking them. She would def be interested, comes out of her hide and follows the rat as I move it around but doesn't take it.

After not eating for a month, a week ago i got a live small rat and she took it seconds after I dropped it in the tank.

Nothing has changed with my husbandry and the temps have stayed the same. She has 2 similar hides on the hot and cool side of the tank. The ambient temps are mid to low 70s, however this is the temp it's always been and I've never had a problem with it.

The only thing I can think of that's changed is that she is starting to wear her hide as a hat, but I've ordered larger hides.

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My working theory is that sometimes they get bored with F/T. Give it some time and offer F/T to her again. She could switch back for the same reason she switched off, i.e. no real good reason at all...

Sometimes they just decide to be that way. I've got a pastel enchi doing that to me right now, following the rat and everything but just not taking it. Eventually she'll get hungry again, and eat the darn rat. I'll offer every week until she does. She's also getting close to 1000 grams, and most animals I've had seem to take a bit of a break around that time.

As long as your animal isn't losing weight, I wouldn't be too worried about it.

So would you suggest waiting it out or feeding her live rats once a week?

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Either is perfectly acceptable. Do you have the patience to wait out a fast? If so, keep offering F/T. If you need / want to keep putting weight on her, then stick with live for now.

It happened to me too with my BumbleBee.
He would take frozen/thawed no problem at all the first couple of months I had him.
Then out of nowhere he stopped. Just like your BP, he would come out of his hide and follow the mouse but he just wouldnt strike.

I tried the tough love method, but after a month I gave in, tried live & what do you know, he went for mouse within seconds. Ive been feeding him live ever since. I do try f/t every once in a while but its always a no go.

I always wonder what happened.:confused:

You can do whichever is best for your situation. If you have access to live rats and she'll eat those, you can continue to feed them. If you want to keep her on F/T, you can wait her out, which will not harm her.

I always just wait them out. I'm patient, and they'll eventually get hungry enough to see things my way.

Only ever had one animal that beat me at that game, and I suspect she was a wild caught female. The only thing she would eat was live gerbils.

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Originally Posted by Shadera

You can do whichever is best for your situation. If you have access to live rats and she'll eat those, you can continue to feed them. If you want to keep her on F/T, you can wait her out, which will not harm her.

I always just wait them out. I'm patient, and they'll eventually get hungry enough to see things my way.

Only ever had one animal that beat me at that game, and I suspect she was a wild caught female. The only thing she would eat was live gerbils.

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On average, how long did you have to wait before they got hungry enough to eat f/t? I'm a patient person so I can def win this game.


Also interestingly enough, like francisco_24, I too have a bee.

I have always found that they hit between 900-1200 gms they stop for a while. That sexually maturity moment some sooner some later but I find they all do it. Some stop for a few weeks some a few months. It is just part of the natural cycle. Weigh her and keep everything correct and she will start sooner or later.

I would not change her diet they often don't do well with change. You may end up with a mouse eating royal and then need to switch her back.

I have a pet idea so i'll mention it. I have noticed with my collection they often go off food during winter leading up to breeding season. I have noticed that if the humidity starts to go up and sit in the high 60s low 70s for a few months mine start again. (breeding in wild populations is linked to some environmental trigger as they all lay at almost the same time.)
I have never read what that trigger is but it is set to align with the wet season so perhaps increased RH may signal an end to the season. It is just a guess on my part. I have not been trying this for long enough to say it works but this one time (this year) they all started again with in the same month and weeks sooner than last few years.

Mine is only 420g, so she's pretty small. The other thing I thought of that's changed is the ambient temp. Her tank has always been in the low 70s and she's never had any problem. Now it's somewhere between 76-80 since it's getting warmer outside, wonder if she just likes lower temps.