Maintenance Techniques for fast T's

[bborysow]

Hi All,
Would anyone like to share their personal techniques for catching, and moving some of the very quick Tarantula species. I'm looking for ideas to make cage cleaning, or animal moving a little less risky for the spider. I've had some little Usumbaras bolt from a cage while cleaning, and was only lucky they did not dissapear on me all together. Larger animals, or calm species are not so hard, they are easier to constrain, or manage.
Thanks.

[woody]

I was kinda wondering about this myself. I have a small Heteroscodra maculata that is hell on wheels. It will need to move in to a new home soon enough and I don't feel like sustaining a bite from it. I know some people use refrigeration but I'd rather not attempt that.

[arachnomania]

I usually cup them inside their aquarium then I clean out their tanks. For this reason I keep their tank fairly empty using only one piece of bark per specimen. I take this piece of bark out then it is fairly easy to cup them. I've only used the refrigeration method once and it was to seperate 25 1/2" Usumbara's as they are quit fast as described by Brian. Another method I used was to put the aquarium in a wet bath (no water, just wet sides) so it is a little harder fo most species to bolt up the side and gives you a bigger advantage of cuping them. As I am typing this I am looking at the many aquariums in my computer room and I notice that I have many different ways of catching these fast bugers depending on their enclosure, size, species. Doing this for over 13 years now, it is many reasons that I am fast at this task at hand. Experience helps me get an idea as to what movement a particular species will do, busy lifestyle help me be stupid and take many idiotic risk's I would not do with a clear head. I am still quit amazed by the fact that I have never been bit. It has come real close on MANY occasions but I am proud to say that I have no fang scares on my body. Hope this helps as there is no 1 particular fool proof way of dealing with all species and sizes of tarantulas.
P.S: My #1 tool that I use would have to be my 12" forceps, altough I also use the regular sized forceps and the 10" plastic coated ones. And I am not just saying that so you will buy some off of me.

[Tim and Julie B]

Hi Robert! Great advice! I would love to know the proper technique to use with the forceps. I am very worried about hurting my T's. I hope you will countine to post on here. I am sure there is so much you can teach us! :D Tim B.

[marisa]

Me too! I don't often read much of anything about dealing with the T's hands on.

So far, for both my T's we have cupped them and then it was simple and safe to move them into the clean tank. My species are both slower, but my birdeater is still making me think.....how to cup a 10 inch spider? LOL

Thanks for the tips so far!

:D

Marisa

[Colonel SB]

I nerver use forceps or the cupping method, they best way is to shoo them onto your hand...If the spider will not tollerate this then it's hands off. As for moving our T's around we use a similar method to Robert. We will put the spider into a appropriatly sized plastic container wile cleaning the cage... A note arborial T's tend to run up so use this when moving your aniamals, place the holding tank above your spider and the nshoo it into it.

[arachnomania]

Here are the instructions to use the forceps. You will need rubber tip forceps. Tips wraped with electrical tape will also work fine. You need to grab the tarantula from the side and one tip on top of the carapace and the other tip underneath. I can manage to pick up an Adult Goliath with this method using 10" forceps. My idiotic talent comes in handy with this one. First I need to bug the Goliath till he gives up the fight but is still reared up (usually 1-2minutes). I then procede to stupidly but quickly place the forceps at desired holding area. You need to have a steady hand for this one. 1 species I always have problems picking up would have to be by far the H Maculata (togo starbust) as they will squirm out of anything. I will do my bast to post more and more on this site as I am already real busy answering my e-mails at arachnomania2002@yahoo.com
Please feel free to ask your questions there as I check my e-mails 3-4 times a day.
Take care........