Bamboo Tweezers a safer alternative to steel tongs?

[Charles McCarty]

I ordered my first T (a 1 1/2" A. geniculata from fearnottarantula) today. I've been watching videos and reading forums as much as possible. While I'm waiting for it to show up I figured I would purchase any thing else I might need. So to my main question, would something like these bamboo tweezers be worth using?

 

[Yorkshire]

I have some of these, they're not great to be honest. They're not very grippy and the smooth nature of the bamboo means that feeders are often able to squirm free before I can get them into the T's enclosure.

Mine also broke at the joint not long after starting to use them which I fixed with tape.

I wouldn't recommend

 

[Chris LXXIX]

To me they are just the next, fancy, 'Exo' stuff

 

[FrDoc]

By “safer” I am thinking you mean for your T? Tongs should be used to drop food into the enclosure, and near the specimen, not to actually tong feed which has the potential of damaging your spider’s fangs. Another consideration is a T’s ability to climb. If you get tongs such as those pictured close to some species you are going to have a T bolting up the tongs and up your arm. I use much thinner, 12 inch steel tongs and just last weekend I had an A. geniculata that is about 6 inches DLS run her big butt almost to my hand before I could react and get the lid to her enclosure shut before she was out. I guarantee that if I had been using those bamboo tongs pictured, she would have been on me, and she wasn’t happy.

 

[SuzukiSwift]

Welcome to the hobby!

I’ve never used them but I’ve used steel for years and they’ve never failed me.

However, to be clear, don’t use metal tweezers to touch the tarantula, if they strike at it they can possibly damage their fangs. Using a paintbrush or straw will ensue your T doesn’t hurt itself

 

[Charles McCarty]

Thank you all for your help. I think I got the jist of it. I've seen YouTube videos of people using tongs, and read forum posts warning about possible fang damage. So I thought bamboo would be safer, especially since I've read that A. Geniculata think anything going into their habitat is food. Also I have a very nice soft bristle paint brush just to move her as needed (is it ok to call it a her before gender is known?).

 

[FrDoc]

Sure, call it her, send positive waves in its direction. By the way, the paint brush, it will attack it, and the water drops falling into its bowl, etc., etc.. They are truly one of the most tremendously entertaining T’s, if you find explosive rage against all things moving entertaining. I do.

 

[SuzukiSwift]

Thank you all for your help. I think I got the jist of it. I've seen YouTube videos of people using tongs, and read forum posts warning about possible fang damage. So I thought bamboo would be safer, especially since I've read that A. Geniculata think anything going into their habitat is food. Also I have a very nice soft bristle paint brush just to move her as needed (is it ok to call it a her before gender is known?).

Yes I usually call my slings her as well, positive thinking!

And you are correct, this is one of my favourite species. They grow big, great colours, usually always in the open and they eat everything without question, you made a great choice.

Here is my old girl doing her stretches after hitting about 7.5 inches (she has since passed away last year)

 

[SonsofArachne]

I actually have 2 bottle cap water dishes so my while my A. geniculata attacks one I can then fill the other. She even picked one up off the substrate the other day, for a second I thought she was really going to try to eat it.

 

[Ungoliant]

Thank you all for your help. I think I got the jist of it. I've seen YouTube videos of people using tongs, and read forum posts warning about possible fang damage. So I thought bamboo would be safer, especially since I've read that A. Geniculata think anything going into their habitat is food. Also I have a very nice soft bristle paint brush just to move her as needed (is it ok to call it a her before gender is known?).

Not tong-feeding will go a long way toward preventing fang injuries. Genics are perfectly capable of finding prey you drop in the enclosure.

As far as maintenance is concerned, yes, it may grab what you are moving (or the tongs), but I've never seen/heard any of my tarantulas bite the tongs. I think when they grabs, they can tell it's not food.

 

[AnObeseHippo]

(is it ok to call it a her before gender is known?).

No, they’ll get offended that you assumed their gender. Best to not go that route and just let them tell you how they identify

 

[FrDoc]

@Ungoliant The anecdote I shared above about my A. genic climbing the tongs was a first for her. I try my best not to be TOO surprised by what my T’s may do, but that one really raised my eyebrows. I was serious about her making it almost all the way to my hand with pokie speed before I could get the lid closed to the point where the tongs I was holding were still in the enclosure, but she couldn’t get out. She held on for at least ten seconds about two inches from my hand with the lid of the enclosure separating us. During that time I distinctly felt her violently strike the tongs at least three times. Between strikes I could actually feel her fangs scraping the tongs. I was very worried about damage to her fangs, but nothing resulted. During the incident, an observer hollered (quite unnecessarily), “Don’t open that lid!” Her violence was that obvious to even one uninitiated.

I love her even more now.