Oak & Maple Leaves: Fresh, Dried, or Both?

[Darcy]

I have 3 PPs. I just read they like to munch on maple and oak leaves. We have a TON of trees in our yard, and we don't use pesticides. But do the hermies like fresh leaves? Dried leaves? Or both? If dried, do I need to wait until fall when they drop off the trees?

Thanks!!

[wodesorel]

You can use them any time! Fresh from the tree, or green and dried, or brown and dried (on or off the tree) in the fall. Dried leaves in the fall will last you all winter until the next year, and during the spring and summer they really really love fresh branches:

[Darcy]

Thank you!!! Btw, your PPs are gorgeous!!!

[Sweetp]

I have 3 PPs. I just read they like to munch on maple and oak leaves. We have a TON of trees in our yard, and we don't use pesticides. But do the hermies like fresh leaves? Dried leaves? Or both? If dried, do I need to wait until fall when they drop off the trees?

Thanks!!

Hi
I collect leaves throughout the year for my crab family from my maple, oak,pear trees.
You would be surprised how much my little ones can consume in a few days.
Below are the steps I take

1) find 3 large cotton pillow cases ( write across bottom of each pillowcase name of tree branches collected ), 3 large rubber bands, 9 large/strong pegs, 3 strong coat hangers (I use the wire type )
2) view trees to locate branches with healthy leaves (I try to find branches with a mixture of large, medium and small leaves)
3) cut branches so they are around ¾ lenght of the pillowcase you are planning to use.
4) remove bad leaves and branches with no leaves (removing empty branches will make it easier to collect dried leaves later on)
5) rinse branches under the tap for a few moments then lightly shake to remove water. The allow to dry before next step
(I try to collect my branches the day after it has rained for a few days that way I can skip this step)
6) wrap rubber band around cut end of branches then place branches (tip first) into the pillowcase
7) attach pillowcase to clothes hanger using 2 pegs ( I use 1 peg to attach rubber band around branches to the hanger so branches are hanging freely in pillowcase
I then place the hanger holding the pillowcase on a small clothes line located in darken room near a open window( good air flow assist the drying process)
9) finally allow a few weeks for the leaves to dry. You can remove all the leaves once dried from the branches and store then in a paper bag if you like.
I prefer to leave the dried leaves on the branches in the pillowcase as it keeps the leaves clean and easy to collect .
10) I normally pick a few handfuls of each type and add then to the tank as required.

This way you have leaves available whenever you need them throughout the year. I hope this information helps.

Kind regards
Sweetp

[wodesorel]

That is a serious undertaking, Sweetp!

I just go where I know there hasn't been pesticides or fertilizers used, and rake up giant lawn bags of fallen Maple and Oak leaves in late October/Nov. The bags get deep frozen for around 30 days to kill off any bugs that may be hiding out before I use them. Negative 10 degrees for that long will kill pretty much everything that is native to our area. Ohio insects and arachnids aren't built to survive that kind of extreme cold for very long!

[Sweetp]

That is a serious undertaking, Sweetp!

I just go where I know there hasn't been pesticides or fertilizers used, and rake up giant lawn bags of fallen Maple and Oak leaves in late October/Nov. The bags get deep frozen for around 30 days to kill off any bugs that may be hiding out before I use them. Negative 10 degrees for that long will kill pretty much everything that is native to our area. Ohio insects and arachnids aren't built to survive that kind of extreme cold for very long!

I used to rake up leaves too at a large local park but after spotting a cat peeing on a pile of leaves I had finished raking made me decide to stop. It was my mum who pointed out that I should just cut fresh branches from her garden (oak trees) and my own (maple, pear)
I don't freeze the leaves but I do check them before giving them to my crabs.

I am just surprised how much they go through especially in the warmer months.
Just happy I can provide a natural food source that they like.
What type of leaves do your crab family prefer the most ?


Regards
Sweetp

[wodesorel]

EEK! Yeah, that would be disturbing!

Oak leaves seem to be just slightly more prefered than maple, but that may just be noticing it because they get a bit more oak in their diet. Two of the roach species I keep will only eat maple leaves, and they go through a lot since it's a favorite food for them and helps the babies grow. Since I keep mixed bags of the two leaves (where I collect is a grove of Maples and Oaks together), the hermits get the rest of the bucket once all the maple has been sorted out.