I figured out why some people have so many tarantulas

[Nightstalker47]

I have a question for those with really large collections. What do you do with them if/when you go out of town?

Most important thing to do is ensure that everyone has a filled water dish. Feed all the slings/juvies and moisten down all the enclosures for the moisture loving species.

Luckily spiders don't require much attention, so it's not typically an issue unless your going to be gone for very long periods of time.

I would personally rather not have anyone mess around with my spiders while I'm gone, just in case something goes wrong. Longest I've left them so far is two weeks and never had a problem.

 

[Trenor]

I've been cycling males and duplicate females out recently and at the last tally, I had 88. I will likely be sending two more males off next week for breeding. So the number is bouncing around from week to week. A lot of them are multiple sling sets but I am running 16 females and 10 confirmed males (which I am finding dates for as soon as I can).

Keeping doesn't take a lot of time. I do feeding/watering/cleanup in sections throughout the week so it's not a big task all at once.

I've decided to keep the number under 100 (total) though I'd like to get it down to around 50 personal keepers. With only that many, with the space I have, I'd be able to put together some really nice enclosures for them. They are set up correctly and have nice homes, but I could really trick out some permanent homes with the extra space/money/resources.

 

[boina]

nothing....feed and water before you leave and again when u return. They need us a lot less than many believe....even a small sling can go 2 weeks between meals.

Yep, exactly that. Unfortunately my cat sitter refuses to even entertain the idea of watering tarantulas, so they just have to make do.

 

[boina]

sorry, double post.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Yep, exactly that. Unfortunately my cat sitter refuses to even entertain the idea of watering tarantula

That's probably for the best, inexperienced people working around fast venomous spiders is an accident waiting to happen. Especially when your keeping more then just NW terrestrials.

 

[Garth Vader]

Good to know. My collection is growing and I have wondered about going out of town. My husband also wants to know what he should do with them if something happens to me so I guess I will be working on some directives for my will. Lol.
And it is October. Pumpkins everywhere. Seemed like the right time so I ordered a Hapalopus sp Columbia spiderling.

Now I just need a few more avics and a GBB and I am SET! (and yeah, that is the addiction talking). ,

 

[Trenor]

My husband also wants to know what he should do with them if something happens to me so I guess I will be working on some directives for my will. Lol.

I put together a list of people who I know will take care of them. So my family can contact them should I check out. Along with instructions to just give them away (to those people) if they want them. That's about as much as I can do.

 

[SkittleBunny]

After I breed my curly hair tarantulas I'll go from 9 tarantulas to over 500, but ill probably sell most of them. My personal pet tarantula collection i hope will exceed 20 or 30 within 2018

We are all crazy tarantula people here, and I love it.

 

[Garth Vader]

I put together a list of people who I know will take care of them. So my family can contact them should I check out. Along with instructions to just give them away (to those people) if they want them. That's about as much as I can do.

That is a good idea. We have people lined up for the dogs and the kid so probably should for the Ts as well.