Attention crazy breeders, dealers and mass keepers...

[Snipes]

:? You guys make it sound that being in the general area of a nw will give you an itchy nightmare. I guess i am lucky. I have mostly nw, and i dont get hairs in me (or i dont react to the hairs) unless they kick them off. I have handled my B. smithi with no itchies, but then again, she is pretty calm. How did you get so many hairs in ya Sheri?

 

[syndicate]

i also keep quite a few newworld hairkickers but have never really had a problem with the itching.is it something that just starts gettin to you after years of keeping the nw species?>

 

[Sheri]

Yeah - as time goes on, you become more and more sensitive to them.

Obviously, I minimize exposure, but when you have itchy bugs to unpack and house... well, it has to be done.

Now, earlier today, Lelle sort of tried to clean out one of the containers one was shipped in - dumping the hairs into the TOILETTE.

Of course, I didn't realize this until after I had sat down (having that disadvantage being female and all). Lemme tell ya, I knew what I was sitting on before standing up to confirm. There were hairs all over the seat.

Lelle was able to endure fits of laughter while hosing it down with the showerhead.

I still want some apophysis.

 

[Steve Nunn]

Lelle was able to endure fits of laughter while hosing it down with the showerhead.

LOL, I'll bet he was

Lelle's been doing this for years, check for many red bumps on his ass, evidence he should look after the snakes while YOU look after the spiders, LMAO

Steve

 

[phormingochilus]

To cope with the itching I keep mainly old world specimens ;-)

Regards
Søren

 

[SpiderZone2]

Like they said, some people are more sensitive to them. I however am not. I have 4 L. parahybana's, 1 B. smithi, 300 N. chromatus, 2 N. coloratovillosus and 1 A. geniculata. They all will flick hairs, but I noticed just depends on the time of day they are fed and if you disturb them or not. Sometime I noticed them flicking hairs after the lids are already being closed. I try to disturb them as little as possible. Except for the ones in aquarium's, I never take the total tops of the containers. Less happening for an escape also. Just enough to do what I have to do and put them back where I keep them.

 

[Sheri]

Like they said, some people are more sensitive to them. I however am not.

How long have you been keeping them?

 

[Tony]

Yea, good question...After 9 years, I hate the thought of any kicking at all....
The HEPA filter has been mentioned by a few, and I hear it does wonders....
(no I dont have one...):?
T

 

[Crotalus]

I guess keeping NW is like drinking despite the fact you end up the next day with a severe hangover, or in this case a severe itch

 

[Crotalus]

LOL, I'll bet he was

Lelle's been doing this for years, check for many red bumps on his ass, evidence he should look after the snakes while YOU look after the spiders, LMAO

Steve

Well atleast I wasnt the one using the toilet and found out the hard way

 

[stargell]

At the risk of sounding like a complete idiot...

...I now know what these occasionally itchy small red welts I have on my right quadricep are.

I thought I was the one person in the world immune to the bristles. Guess I was wrong!!!

 

[insect714]

Just keep in mind that if you are washing right after dealing with them use COLD water, if you use warm water it only opens your pores up and allows the hairs in further. ( it is the same as working with fiberglass, 'cept fiberglass can kill you)

Jon Insect

 

[TheDarkFinder]

How long have you been keeping them?

I have be keep kickers forever, like 22 years now. No problem, none. When I first got them I used to get a little bumps but that has gone away. I can clean out any NW species and not really have a problem. My hand will get little dots from the hairs that last 2-3 mins that nothing. My wife is a little more reactive, she been keeping for 12 years, and wears long gloves to clean the cage. For T. blondi and M. robustum Heavy misting of the enclosure before you clean it out keeps them from getting the hairs airborne.

With a gentle hand and proper housing I find that NW do not kick all that much. They do lay down a layer on the molting bed but nothing more.

I have been moving to more and more NW, love them.

 

[stubby8th]

So all in all I just grin and bear it. Give me a giant hair kicker over anything spastic that bites as a first resort any day!

- Lonnie

AMEN brother. Most hairs don't even bother me (except my L.parahybana, 'itchy').

 

[Brian S]

None of my NW spiders seem to bother me (thank god). However I did have one of my M robustums try to escape and it ran across my arm and it did bother me just a little.
My T blondi hardly ever flicks hairs at me which is good. My worst hair flickers are Brachys and they dont bother me. Of course poison ivy/oak doesnt bother me either

 

[syndicate]

how many years of working with nw species did it take before some of u guys /girls noticed problems?

 

[Snipes]

With a gentle hand and proper housing I find that NW do not kick all that much. They do lay down a layer on the molting bed but nothing more.

I guess thats why i dont react so much. My boehmei will put his leg up, but rarely kicks. My smithi has never kicked at all at me. huh boy, i am getting some L parahybanas soon, maybe i will change my mind

 

[cocopuff]

Interesting!

I did not know poeple suffured that much from urticating hairs. I never had an itch from my NW (have them for about 3 years?). The only itch I have is when I put my hand in my cricket container. Aaaahh. My skin is reacting badly to them.

Can you developp intolerance to urticating hairs? Can it get worse, or better?


Thank you,

 

[Steve Nunn]

Hi,
Just for the record, you guys that don't suffer after keeping for a long time, you're the exception to the rule

Most people after spending years and years working with NW spiders, develop a hyper sensitivity to the setae and cannot stand even one hair getting into the skin.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[Sheri]

Here is another thread that describes the worsening reaction.

And I guess I can only expect it to continue to get worse.

Interestingly, my oldest son had a reaction this morning for the first time.