From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2001-04-25 15:00:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Eating spiders
>We have quite a few spiders this time of the year--our house is old and I
>don't use pesticides. (And I think the spiders keep worse pests under
>control, so I'm not inclined to get rid of them.)
>
>Several of my ferrets really enjoy eating spiders. They will watch a spider
>and then pounce. They don't play, they gobble, so the spiders don't have
>time to fight back.
>
>Excluding the dangers of bites from black widows, can eating spiders harm
>ferrets?
Over the years I recall internet mentions of one kit suspected killed
by a venomous spider in Australia (Do not know type.), and maybe two
or three who abscessed dangerously from brown recluse bites.
There is another consideration. Spiders top part of food chain; if
insecticides are used in the area they may concentrate in the
spiders. It seems doubtful,though that spiders would be a major
dietary component for your ferrets.