- Joined
- Jul 31, 2005
- Messages
- 661
Prison Break! I have a P. Metallica that is about 1 and 1/2 inches long. I should have been more careful having been around Ts for over 7 years.
It recently molted and since then has eaten two 3/4 size crickets over the last week. I decided to try feeding a couple of pin cricks about 3/8 of an inch long. I removed the top of the tall deli cup and placed it back on top lightly so I could lift it quickly and drop the cricks in quickly and replace the top and then snap it down. Prior to that i would just peel back part of the top, poke in a crick and close it quickly. As I lifted the top to drop in the crickets and replace it, I saw the spider scoot up the back side and down again. At first I thought I had replaced the top in time, but I wanted to look straight down on it just to make sure it didn't get out. It Did Yikes! it was on my computer desk in back of the cup. My desk is littered with objects of all kinds, and is not a good place to cup capture a tarantula. While I was staring at the little Gooty dumbfounded he teleported to the edge of the desk and went upside down on the bottom side. OMG maybe his bite could kill my cat? My wife and son won't appreciate an encounter either. It's On the Loose. What do I do?
It could live for months on stray roaches and crickets and appear now a then to terrorize people! Or I could buy Roach motels and build a subdivision in my office and kitchen. Worry Worry. OH crap!
I searched in vain for an hour and contemplated it being loose in the rest of the house ( there is enough space under the pocket door for it to get into the house proper) Cringe!
After another hour an idea began to gel inside my mind. After casing the room for a while it looked as if my computer tower was the most likely area for it to hide. Aha! The tower is in the right hand corner of the room alongside the desk. It's hard to reach but I have to try something because it might still be in the office, if I wait I will probably never find it, it's small and can hide almost anywhere. Soooo I shut down and start disconnecting all the cables, it's hard to reach and a pain but it might turn it up. Please!!! OK loosen the screws and open the side of the tower. Where where,where? I thought I saw something scoot out of the corner of my eye. Something like the shadow of Freddie Kruger on the wall. Well maybe not, but I saw something. I got on the floor and looked under the desk whose lower shelf is only 2 inches above the carpet. I see something, it moves, It's Him.. or Her or It? I reach under with a flat box I had handy, it moves again! Then I lose sight of it again Crap! I get my windup flashlight and crank it a zillion times and get down on the floor lying on my side and I see it clearly against the back wall near a small cable. There is hope maybe! About that time it starts moving to the left which is the door uh oh! and he's also starting to climb the wall. I must do this right. I go around the side of the desk and look down where it is climbing the wall, I shine the light at it and pick up it's deli cup whose bottom is still covered with peat moss. It keeps coming and coming and I try to cup it, it's tough because there is only 6 inches between the desk and the wall I missed, doh! One more time YES!!! I got it, He, She Victory? Well at least I neutralized what could have been a really rotten day.
I held the cup against the wall while the Metallica tried in vain to slip thru the crack. I called to my wife for some cardboard or plastic to cover the cup. Finally I had to tap the side to get the spider down so I could put the cap on. Relief!! I was a bit stressed out after that and needed a little rest. Half an hour later the Sling had already eaten the 2 little crickets I had put in earlier, I think he was less stressed than I was Phew!.
It recently molted and since then has eaten two 3/4 size crickets over the last week. I decided to try feeding a couple of pin cricks about 3/8 of an inch long. I removed the top of the tall deli cup and placed it back on top lightly so I could lift it quickly and drop the cricks in quickly and replace the top and then snap it down. Prior to that i would just peel back part of the top, poke in a crick and close it quickly. As I lifted the top to drop in the crickets and replace it, I saw the spider scoot up the back side and down again. At first I thought I had replaced the top in time, but I wanted to look straight down on it just to make sure it didn't get out. It Did Yikes! it was on my computer desk in back of the cup. My desk is littered with objects of all kinds, and is not a good place to cup capture a tarantula. While I was staring at the little Gooty dumbfounded he teleported to the edge of the desk and went upside down on the bottom side. OMG maybe his bite could kill my cat? My wife and son won't appreciate an encounter either. It's On the Loose. What do I do?
It could live for months on stray roaches and crickets and appear now a then to terrorize people! Or I could buy Roach motels and build a subdivision in my office and kitchen. Worry Worry. OH crap!
I searched in vain for an hour and contemplated it being loose in the rest of the house ( there is enough space under the pocket door for it to get into the house proper) Cringe!
After another hour an idea began to gel inside my mind. After casing the room for a while it looked as if my computer tower was the most likely area for it to hide. Aha! The tower is in the right hand corner of the room alongside the desk. It's hard to reach but I have to try something because it might still be in the office, if I wait I will probably never find it, it's small and can hide almost anywhere. Soooo I shut down and start disconnecting all the cables, it's hard to reach and a pain but it might turn it up. Please!!! OK loosen the screws and open the side of the tower. Where where,where? I thought I saw something scoot out of the corner of my eye. Something like the shadow of Freddie Kruger on the wall. Well maybe not, but I saw something. I got on the floor and looked under the desk whose lower shelf is only 2 inches above the carpet. I see something, it moves, It's Him.. or Her or It? I reach under with a flat box I had handy, it moves again! Then I lose sight of it again Crap! I get my windup flashlight and crank it a zillion times and get down on the floor lying on my side and I see it clearly against the back wall near a small cable. There is hope maybe! About that time it starts moving to the left which is the door uh oh! and he's also starting to climb the wall. I must do this right. I go around the side of the desk and look down where it is climbing the wall, I shine the light at it and pick up it's deli cup whose bottom is still covered with peat moss. It keeps coming and coming and I try to cup it, it's tough because there is only 6 inches between the desk and the wall I missed, doh! One more time YES!!! I got it, He, She Victory? Well at least I neutralized what could have been a really rotten day.
I held the cup against the wall while the Metallica tried in vain to slip thru the crack. I called to my wife for some cardboard or plastic to cover the cup. Finally I had to tap the side to get the spider down so I could put the cap on. Relief!! I was a bit stressed out after that and needed a little rest. Half an hour later the Sling had already eaten the 2 little crickets I had put in earlier, I think he was less stressed than I was Phew!.
