Molting A. Avic, cricket stuck in cage

[Fever Rae]

I ordered an A. Avicularia from my local pet store and picked it up yesterday morning. She came in a shallow deli dish filled with dirt (kind of a red flag, I think) and was packed alongside lizards, hermit crabs and snakes. So I figured she flung the hair off her abdomen out of stress and I thought her brown, dull color was due to being covered in dirt (poor thing had it clumped on her feet).
She settled in before I could even lift the cage off the ground! Started building a web immediately. Can tell she is going for a tunnel style. She was so busy building, I thought maybe I should throw a little cricket in there in case she works up an appetite. Rookie mistake, trying to feed a T the first day I get one, I know.
However, this morning she has stopped working on her house and made a little picnic blanket on the ground. I think she is in fact molting and not just "dirty." She is in an awkward position for me, because she's resting against the door of the cage so I'd have to open it from the top. The cricket I threw in is still alive and hiding in a place I can't get to it (behind the log, marked with white in photos).

Also attaching photos of the T in her web blanket, and the web she was building before she came to the ground. The cage is 8x8x12 inches. Ambient humidity is 70-72, but it's probably around 78-82 on the ground. Temp is 70-72F. Always 75F inside the log she was very fond of yesterday. I'd say she is three inches long herself.

There is a wealth of information here, and I've seen some say that I really shouldn't worry much. But I'm super paranoid the cricket will try to munch on her during her molt. Will it get stuck in the web blanket she built? If it does, should I stab it to death with a skewer?

 

[Little Grey Spider]

Open it from the top and grab the cricket with tongs. Random question, but where is the water dish?

 

[Fever Rae]

Open it from the top and grab the cricket with tongs. Random question, but where is the water dish?

It's right in front of her, shallow corner dish. I put a sponge in there to help with humidity, but I'm seeing literally no one else does that so I'll probably take it out.

Edit: I can't reach the cricket with the tongs when he's behind the log. The log is against the glass and moving it would disturb her.

 

[Little Grey Spider]

It's right in front of her, shallow corner dish. I put a sponge in there to help with humidity, but I'm seeing literally no one else does that so I'll probably take it out.

Edit: I can't reach the cricket with the tongs when he's behind the log. The log is against the glass and moving it would disturb her.

Remove the sponge immediately. Sponges are a no no.
You offered skewering the cricket. Skewer it and pull it out on the stick. Or use a paintbrush to prod the cricket out into the open and pull it out using tongs. I mean, maybe the photos are deceiving, but it doesn't look too difficult to remove.

Edit: Also, yes a cricket can maneuver on webbing. And she doesn't appear to be molting (yet) so if the cricket has been in there too long, I'd do what I could to get it out.

 

[Fever Rae]

Remove the sponge immediately. Sponges are a no no.
You offered skewering the cricket. Skewer it and pull it out on the stick. Or use a paintbrush to prod the cricket out into the open and pull it out using tongs. I mean, maybe the photos are deceiving, but it doesn't look too difficult to remove.

Edit: Also, yes a cricket can maneuver on webbing. And she doesn't appear to be molting (yet) so if the cricket has been in there too long, I'd do what I could to get it out.

I did try getting it out when she first rejected it, but it hid inside the log (there's a little crack at the base it slips into when I first went to poke at it). I will try again tonight when I get off work, and I will remove the sponge as well.
The cricket is tiny, like not even an inch long, is it really that much of a risk?

 

[Little Grey Spider]

I did try getting it out when she first rejected it, but it hid inside the log (there's a little crack at the base it slips into when I first went to poke at it). I will try again tonight when I get off work, and I will remove the sponge as well.
The cricket is tiny, like not even an inch long, is it really that much of a risk?

Crickets, even smallish ones, are opportunistic little buggers. Yes, even a less than one incher (which a 3/4 is a pretty big cricket imo) can kill a molting tarantula.
Edit to add: I buy what my lps advertises as "large" and they are about an inch long.

 

[Fever Rae]

Crickets, even smallish ones, are opportunistic little buggers. Yes, even a less than one incher (which a 3/4 is a pretty big cricket imo) can kill a molting tarantula.
Edit to add: I buy what my lps advertises as "large" and they are about an inch long.

Could I take her out of the cage to get to the cricket? Or should I not mess with her since she's gonna molt soon? I will have to shake the log a bit to scare the cricket out, and I know that would be stressful for her to experience.

 

[PidderPeets]

Could I take her out of the cage to get to the cricket? Or should I not mess with her since she's gonna molt soon? I will have to shake the log a bit to scare the cricket out, and I know that would be stressful for her to experience.

If you can leave her in there while taking out the cricket, leave her in there. Moving the log a bit won't be an issue if you don't touch the T. If I'm seeing correctly and her abdomen is completely bare and the exoskeleton is pitch black, she is extremely close to molting. If she's building a molt mat, she likely will be flipped on her back and molting within a day.

Leaving a cricket in with a molting Avic that hasn't had the chance to establish a safe web den to seal off is extremely dangerous, especially if she molts right there on the ground. Even adult Ts can become food for a single cricket of chewed on when molting. Hopefully your new T doesn't start to molt while you're at work.

As already stated, remove the sponge from the water dish. Sponges trap bacteria and make it harder for Ts to drink. They won't drown as long as they're healthy and capable of moving.

Also, do not worry about humidity. Focusing on humidity in an Avic enclosure is how you kill it. All sources that tell you to strive for specific humidity numbers are outdated and/or just plain incorrect. Just keep the enclosure dry with a water dish and you'll be fine. If you use any type of air conditioning, space heaters, etc. that might dry out the air (common during winter), you could add a bit of water to the substrate every so often, but it should still be kept predominantly dry

 

[cold blood]

I ordered an A. Avicularia from my local pet store and picked it up yesterday morning

In the future, order from a tarantula breeder or dealer...this will not only allow for better selection, healthier specimens, a reliable scientific name so you know what you actually have...better packaging, which makes for a healthier t when it arrives....but it will also provide you will significantly better pricing...generally speaking, there is no more expensive place to buy a t than from than a pet store.....And a pet store is also far and away the least reputable (along with online care sheets) place to get your care info from.

So I figured she flung the hair off her abdomen

Avics don't do this, rather they press or rub the hairs off instead of flicking like many species would. That said, when shipped, they do tend to get those hairs everywhere and its generally the only way you see really balding avics. Balding is of absolutely no concern....its like getting a bad haircut in terms of healh.

She settled in before I could even lift the cage off the ground! Started building a web immediately

This is a good sign...generally means a good set up...and your set up at a glance, appears to be proper, or at least passable.

I thought maybe I should throw a little cricket in there in case she works up an appetite. Rookie mistake, trying to feed a T the first day I get one, I know.

We've been hearing this a few times lately, and I am at a loss as to where people are getting this from. There is nothing wrong, and I mean absolutely, positively nothing at all wrong with feeding the same day you get a t. Its surprising how often they do eat, and when they do, it promotes webbing, which actually can help with the acclimation process. I feed all ts I get (unless they are really plump) within 24hrs of receiving them.

But when a t is busy webbing, it would generally be best to wait....they aren't like mammals that work themselves to a hunger state....and often webbing, especially excessively, can be a good sign of an impending molt.

this morning she has stopped working on her house and made a little picnic blanket on the ground.

Keep an eye on that...generally when avics molt, they seal themselves in a tube....yours may simply have not had enough time...but if its not molting and spending time on the ground, it can be a red flag. I will explain this in a bit.

The cricket I threw in is still alive and hiding in a place I can't get to it

With avics its always best to keep things off the ground that provide hiding places for feeders. I make it a point to eliminate these places prior to putting the t in...not something a new keeper would expect to know, so its good info to take forward with you.

Ambient humidity is 70-72,

Do not...for the love of God, do not measure your humidity or concern yourself with specific numbers...or the word for that matter. This shows your research into avics has been in the wrong places (most places are the wrong places, which is a big issue with new people getting into the hobby).

Avics do NOT require high humidity, in fact the opposite is true, they need excellent ventilation to prevent even moderate ambient humidity from becoming a life threatening issue.

Think about it like this, if humidity was a requirement for their survival, they would live on the damp ground, under things, where moisture content stays high all the time....instead, they live high in the trees, where things dry very quickly, even after heavy rains due to wind and airflow being maximized.

Avics should be kept predominantly dry, with excellent ventilation and lots of elevated cover.

What we typically see when an avic is kept too damp and/or with a lack of sufficient airflow, is...first the appetite goes...next we see the t spending an inordinate amount of time on the ground (the red flag I mentioned earlier). Next, they generally die.

It can be a lengthy process, which often sees the keeper thinking there isn't enough "humidity" and adding even more moisture (or worse yet, putting it into a high humidity ICU), as that's what much of the general (and terrible) info out there would lead you to believe.

This rampant poor care info is what led to the term, SADS, or sudden avic death syndrome...this does not exist, its merely a product of improper care, and because people do not (did not) realize this and believe the care is spot on, they see the deaths as a random mystery...when in fact, it was because they housed their t in a veritable death trap from the start.

Poor care info and this high humidity focus has killed more captive avics than probably all other reasons combined.

Temp is 70-72F. Always 75F inside the log she was very fond of yesterday

Temp numbers are also over blown....basically any temp between 70 and 90 is good. Night temps can even dip to the upper 60's (for some species, not avics, temps can drop much much lower yet).

The cricket is tiny, like not even an inch long, is it really that much of a risk?

If the t molts in the open, without the benefits of an enclosed tube, it will be. That freshly molted t will literally be the only food available for the cricket, and it will munch.

If however the t makes an enclosed tube to molt in, this will protect the avic during the process, as while a cricket can walk on web, it cannot break through it, for this reason Avicularia are one of the only group of ts that you really don't need to generally concern yourself with this issue...unless they molt in an area not encapsulated by webbing.

 

[Fever Rae]

If you can leave her in there while taking out the cricket, leave her in there. Moving the log a bit won't be an issue if you don't touch the T. If I'm seeing correctly and her abdomen is completely bare and the exoskeleton is pitch black, she is extremely close to molting. If she's building a molt mat, she likely will be flipped on her back and molting within a day.

Leaving a cricket in with a molting Avic that hasn't had the chance to establish a safe web den to seal off is extremely dangerous, especially if she molts right there on the ground. Even adult Ts can become food for a single cricket of chewed on when molting. Hopefully your new T doesn't start to molt while you're at work.

As already stated, remove the sponge from the water dish. Sponges trap bacteria and make it harder for Ts to drink. They won't drown as long as they're healthy and capable of moving.

Also, do not worry about humidity. Focusing on humidity in an Avic enclosure is how you kill it. All sources that tell you to strive for specific humidity numbers are outdated and/or just plain incorrect. Just keep the enclosure dry with a water dish and you'll be fine. If you use any type of air conditioning, space heaters, etc. that might dry out the air (common during winter), you could add a bit of water to the substrate every so often, but it should still be kept predominantly dry

I managed to chase the cricket out without disturbing the T or damaging her web! However now I need to replace her substrate with something dry. I'll have to ruin her molt mat but the main web will be unharmed.

When you google "A. Avic/pink toe tarantula care," I swear every caresheet on the first page told me to maintain humidity. The amount of misinformation regarding that is very worrying, especially since humidity KILLS them! Very glad I posted my concerns in this amazing community, y'all probably just saved this Tarantula's life.

In the future, order from a tarantula breeder or dealer...this will not only allow for better selection, healthier specimens, a reliable scientific name so you know what you actually have...better packaging, which makes for a healthier t when it arrives....but it will also provide you will significantly better pricing...generally speaking, there is no more expensive place to buy a t than from than a pet store.....And a pet store is also far and away the least reputable (along with online care sheets) place to get your care info from.


Avics don't do this, rather they press or rub the hairs off instead of flicking like many species would. That said, when shipped, they do tend to get those hairs everywhere and its generally the only way you see really balding avics. Balding is of absolutely no concern....its like getting a bad haircut in terms of healh.

This is a good sign...generally means a good set up...and your set up at a glance, appears to be proper, or at least passable.
We've been hearing this a few times lately, and I am at a loss as to where people are getting this from. There is nothing wrong, and I mean absolutely, positively nothing at all wrong with feeding the same day you get a t. Its surprising how often they do eat, and when they do, it promotes webbing, which actually can help with the acclimation process. I feed all ts I get (unless they are really plump) within 24hrs of receiving them.

But when a t is busy webbing, it would generally be best to wait....they aren't like mammals that work themselves to a hunger state....and often webbing, especially excessively, can be a good sign of an impending molt.


Keep an eye on that...generally when avics molt, they seal themselves in a tube....yours may simply have not had enough time...but if its not molting and spending time on the ground, it can be a red flag. I will explain this in a bit.

With avics its always best to keep things off the ground that provide hiding places for feeders. I make it a point to eliminate these places prior to putting the t in...not something a new keeper would expect to know, so its good info to take forward with you.
Do not...for the love of God, do not measure your humidity or concern yourself with specific numbers...or the word for that matter. This shows your research into avics has been in the wrong places (most places are the wrong places, which is a big issue with new people getting into the hobby).

Avics do NOT require high humidity, in fact the opposite is true, they need excellent ventilation to prevent even moderate ambient humidity from becoming a life threatening issue.

Think about it like this, if humidity was a requirement for their survival, they would live on the damp ground, under things, where moisture content stays high all the time....instead, they live high in the trees, where things dry very quickly, even after heavy rains due to wind and airflow being maximized.

Avics should be kept predominantly dry, with excellent ventilation and lots of elevated cover.

What we typically see when an avic is kept too damp and/or with a lack of sufficient airflow, is...first the appetite goes...next we see the t spending an inordinate amount of time on the ground (the red flag I mentioned earlier). Next, they generally die.

It can be a lengthy process, which often sees the keeper thinking there isn't enough "humidity" and adding even more moisture (or worse yet, putting it into a high humidity ICU), as that's what much of the general (and terrible) info out there would lead you to believe.

This rampant poor care info is what led to the term, SADS, or sudden avic death syndrome...this does not exist, its merely a product of improper care, and because people do not (did not) realize this and believe the care is spot on, they see the deaths as a random mystery...when in fact, it was because they housed their t in a veritable death trap from the start.

Poor care info and this high humidity focus has killed more captive avics than probably all other reasons combined.


Temp numbers are also over blown....basically any temp between 70 and 90 is good. Night temps can even dip to the upper 60's (for some species, not avics, temps can drop much much lower yet).


If the t molts in the open, without the benefits of an enclosed tube, it will be. That freshly molted t will literally be the only food available for the cricket, and it will munch.

If however the t makes an enclosed tube to molt in, this will protect the avic during the process, as while a cricket can walk on web, it cannot break through it, for this reason Avicularia are one of the only group of ts that you really don't need to generally concern yourself with this issue...unless they molt in an area not encapsulated by webbing.

I wish every beginner Avic owner could read this response. Extremely informative, answered questions I didn't even know I had. Considering the wild amount of misinformation about the humidity, you probably just saved my T's life. After lowering the humidity by 10% she went back to building her web. I was panicking a bit earlier and jumped to conclusions about the molt.
Right now there's damp coco fiber substrate mixed with spagnum moss. I can replace with with dry substrate without destroying her web. I don't want to stress her out so I'll wait for her to hide.
I also removed the sponge! She has only been in there for a little over 24 hrs since arrival, so I don't believe it's too late to fix her environmental conditions.
Here's a better picture of her enclosure (minus the water dish I'm about to clean). It has ventilation at the bottom with a screen mesh top. I don't use the heating pad; she gets enough warmth from the snake's lamp across the room.

 

[cold blood]

I managed to chase the cricket out without disturbing the T or damaging her web! However now I need to replace her substrate with something dry. I'll have to ruin her molt mat but the main web will be unharmed

Just leave it dry out...no need for wholesale changes, especially considering she may be nearing a molt. With the relatively open top, it should dry fairly quickly. Simply remove the damp moss.

edit: Your set up looks great...nice job.

 

[PidderPeets]

I managed to chase the cricket out without disturbing the T or damaging her web! However now I need to replace her substrate with something dry. I'll have to ruin her molt mat but the main web will be unharmed.

When you google "A. Avic/pink toe tarantula care," I swear every caresheet on the first page told me to maintain humidity. The amount of misinformation regarding that is very worrying, especially since humidity KILLS them! Very glad I posted my concerns in this amazing community, y'all probably just saved this Tarantula's life.

You don't need to tell me. We have people come on here very regularly with the same story: they follow the care sheets they find online and often wind up having problems. And the care sheets are almost always wrong. Pet stores are usually just as clueless, or will even relay the incorrect information found on caresheets. I've had to tell pet store employees on numerous, numerous occasions just how wrong their setups are.

Actually, a little while after giving you info on your Avic, I went to a local pet store for feeders and had to inform the only employee I could find that they had about 3 months worth of crickets in their Avic's enclosure. And the poor thing was as close to molting as yours looks!

It really is a shame how prevalent completely incorrect (and in some cases dangerous) information is, and how hard to find actual proper care info is. But that's why so many of us on here make ourselves available and try to help at any chance we can. Never be afraid to ask for help on here. There's almost always at least one person around to help

 

[Ungoliant]

It has ventilation at the bottom with a screen mesh top.

I wouldn't worry about it until after she molts and hardens up, but at some point, I would replace or cover the mesh lid. When a tarantula that climbs on a screen lid, it can get its tarsal claws stuck in the mesh. If that happens, it is likely to amputate the stuck leg and/or fall in an attempt to get free.

A common replacement is acrylic with holes drilled into it. If you're handy, you can make an entirely new lid. If you're less handy, here is basin79's fix:

See also: Replace screen tops!