# Candles and incense... Harmful?



## Ixithel (Sep 29, 2012)

I've read somewhere that fumes could be a cause of dks in ts. I occasionally burn candles, mostly unscented and have been wanting to burn incense. My ts are on one side of the room and my candles are set up on the other. I do this occasionally, maybe once or twice a week for a couple hours. 

Some argue that tarantulas are more fragile then others believe. I keep a window open and like i said, do not burn often. Am I harming my 8 legged horde? 

Ive got multiple opinions, most say no to incense, some no to everything. I'm personally unsure about the incense but i do not see how candles could kill them. What are your thoughts?


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## AlexRC (Sep 29, 2012)

I'm no expert, but I don't think that what you do can really be harming them.  Just thinking about it, I would think that the heat of a candle would do more harm to them than any fragrance it can give off.  Probably be more dangerous to fart on them, lol.  Incense on the other hand do cloud the air with smoke in the area where they're burned, so I can see why it may pose a threat, but at the same time can see how it wouldn't.  T's use oxygen at a way lesser rate than us humans do, and I'm not sure how sensitive they are to the smoke, but I can't imagine it really being a threat unless it was burning like right above or near their cage to the point where their enclosure was full of smoke.  Just some basic thought of mine, I know I didn't cover all specific scenarios but like I said, basic thought on the topic.
I'd love to hear more about it from others as well.


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## Ixithel (Sep 29, 2012)

I wonder if smoking cigarettes or pot would harm them too. I don't smoke but its a thought... Also on perfume or febreeze. I keep that out of the room since i read that thing on dks. Im also interested in opinions on those things.


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## Callum93 (Sep 29, 2012)

Cigarettes would harm them IMO as some of the chemicals are quite powerful insecticides


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## MarkmD (Sep 29, 2012)

I don't think your candles will do much harm considering they are at the other side of your room with a window open, smoking does harm T's and not recommended. I don't know about deodorant like lynx or others I haven't had a problem so far but I don't use them right  next to my Ts.


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## Storm76 (Sep 29, 2012)

Considering that T's react badly to most kinds of chemicals (parfum, hairspray, deo and whatnot) I'd personally put them somewhere where you don't use that stuff...


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## Formerphobe (Sep 29, 2012)

Considering that *I* react negatively to nearly all artificial and some 'natural' scents, I would never knowingly/willingly expose any of my animals to them either.  I even went through and 'cleaned' my daughter's rooms of their bottled and candled 'foul humors' and have banned said foulness from the house.  I am a smoker, but do so outside because I choose not to impose my second hand smoke on anything 2-, 4- or 8-legged.  Not to mention that nicotine, in varying quantities, is toxic to all.  Many tarantulas probably encounter cannabis in plant form, but I daresay they never considered smoking or eating it.  A plain, unscented candle is probably not going to harm them.  

During power outages, we have used kerosene and oil lanterns with no obvious ill effects on the arachnids, though I minimized their exposure to them.

Sidenote on Febreze: when it first came out, I tried it.  Not only did it gag *me*, every dog and cat in the house would vomit for 24 hours after I had used it, even though I allowed it to dry thoroughly before allowing them in the Febrezed area.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Alltheworld601 (Sep 29, 2012)

I say better to be safe than sorry...Im not an expert either on this but its a subject that I would like to become more affluent in, because it really interests me.  From all Ive read, Tarantulas dont breathe very often.  am I correct in saying that?  I remember reading that they take maybe two actual breaths an hour.  Please correct me if that is inaccurate though.  but if that is true, these chemicals are probably not as harmful if only used for a short amount of time, than they woudl be to us, or cats and dogs, etc. However if they are airborn, such as cigarette smoke or febreeze, then i suppose the particles land everywhere, including your T.  They could be ingested while grooming.  I really have no idea.

I dont use anything artificial.  I do smoke cigarettes, but not in my bedroom where my Ts live.  I wont even run through that room with a lit cigarette for like 10 seconds on my way outdoors, because I know there are insecticides in my cigarette.  I dont wear perfume or spray anything at all in that room.  In fact I have taken to using natural soaps and deodorants too, because I occasionally handle my Ts and I dont want anything getting on them that could be hazardous. 

but I am also really, really paranoid.

I probably wouldnt burn incense in there, but i dont see how candles could hurt.  thats my two cents

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kazaam (Sep 29, 2012)

Smoke isn't good for any organism.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Alltheworld601 (Sep 29, 2012)

Kazaam said:


> Smoke isn't good for any organism.


Its true.  We move next week and are leaving all our bad habits behind, including cigarettes.


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## Kazaam (Sep 29, 2012)

Alltheworld601 said:


> Its true.  We move next week and are leaving all our bad habits behind, including cigarettes.


My dad said that 7 times so far.


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## Legion09 (Sep 29, 2012)

My wife has decided to use incense a few times while I was not around...but I walked in on it.  I'm not a fan of the stuff, but the T's seemed to not mind....it was probably 5 feet from them.  No ill effects observed.  I am also a vaper.  I use an e-cig device pretty consistently during the day at my desk.  All of my T's are at my desk and none have reacted to it at all.  Granted...the vapor of an e-cig has damn near nothing in it to be harmful, especially when compared to the smoke of a cigarette.


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## catfishrod69 (Sep 29, 2012)

I smoke cigarettes in my invert room everyday. I blow the smoke up to the ceiling and away from the enclosures. Been doing this for over 2 years, with no problems.


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## Ixithel (Sep 29, 2012)

I remember I used candles a lot when the power went out over here and the snow came down... let me tell you they were loving the candles then T.T poor things.


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## Alltheworld601 (Sep 29, 2012)

Kazaam said:


> My dad said that 7 times so far.


its definitely a hard thing to do.  ive only quit and come back one time, i think i have perfected my technique though.  plus...our insurance will cost an extra $500 a year if we smoke, so...looks like we are a little backed into a corner this time!  I wont miss that habit, thats for sure.  be glad you are a nonsmoker (if you are, you sound like you are).


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## MarkmD (Sep 29, 2012)

I went cold Turkey on smoking now stopped for 6.5 months its just will power, you think you need it but realise that its not worth it, plus I saved loads of money, give it a try.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kazaam (Sep 29, 2012)

Alltheworld601 said:


> its definitely a hard thing to do.  ive only quit and come back one time, i think i have perfected my technique though.  plus...our insurance will cost an extra $500 a year if we smoke, so...looks like we are a little backed into a corner this time!  I wont miss that habit, thats for sure.  be glad you are a nonsmoker (if you are, you sound like you are).


I'm not a non-smoker, but I can go without smoking for months.

Reactions: Like 1


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## poisoned (Sep 29, 2012)

I'm currently living in 1 room apartment and Ts are exposed to cigarettes, pot, incense and candles all time. This room is always well ventilated, but me and my GF are hardcore smokers. I mostly own slings and none has shown any ill symptoms yet. Although, that's no warranty they won't, but I think this isn't much of a problem for them. It's hard to kill a mosquito with chemicals, let alone Ts.


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## MarkmD (Sep 29, 2012)

Its not the best thing to smoke around T's it kills us so it will eventually kill them.


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## Lenxx (Sep 29, 2012)

Kazaam said:


> I'm not a non-smoker, but I can go without smoking for months.


See, this is something ill never get my head around... If you can go without sigarettes for months, why would you then even consider taking another one again...? ::

I used to smoke 20 sigarettes daily for over 15 years. Stopped instantaneous, and havent smoked since. Its all about what *you* deside. 
To those trying to quit smoking... Stop _trying over and over_. And Do It. 

On the subject, i use both candles and incense, but i try to be aware what kind of incense i use. Some are known to be insecticide. I dont wanna use those :coffee:

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kazaam (Sep 29, 2012)

Lenxx said:


> See, this is something ill never get my head around... If you can go without sigarettes for months, why would you then even consider taking another one again...? ::


It temporarily reduces stress,, which is great (IMO)
I don't always have a lot of stress but whenever I do I prefer to smoke one instead of going into some kind of ridiculous ''stress release therapy'' which costs a whole lot more than cigarettes do.


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## cacoseraph (Sep 30, 2012)

there probably is a very neglible effect but i would guess letting them go one day extra in too dry of an eclosure w/o proper hydration would be far more deletorious.  there are tons of ppl who smoke tons and haven ot had any noticeably higher death rates.  i kept a black widow that i blew smoke into her container every time i smoked at home for more than a year.  her enclosure inside picked up a tacky residue and she never acted any different than any other healthy widow i kept.  spider lungs, especially primitive spider lungs work way different than ours and they just aren't going to breathe much smoke in. i would guesstimate primary vector for them is particulate and condensation on their exo which they cat clean off and end up ingesting.  but even that vector is limited by the fact they shed for most or all of their lives.  also, they shed the lining of their lungs so they can't get tar lung like a person can.  i can maybe see some secondary exposure for true spiders that make webs that they ingest to recover proteins on.  sheet web spiders that eatcycle their webs would probably be most at risk and might be fun to experiment on

would it be better to not smoke/burn around them at all?  eh, probably not noticeably so.  are you going to wipe them out with a bit of incense or candles?  almost certainly not.

there are tons of other things that would be much more reasonable opportunities to increase their healthiness before something like this, imo


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## Kazaam (Sep 30, 2012)

cacoseraph said:


> i kept a black widow that i blew smoke into her container every time i smoked at home for more than a year.


Why would you do that...


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## poisoned (Sep 30, 2012)

Kazaam said:


> Why would you do that...


To see effects of smoking on spider?


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## skar (Sep 30, 2012)

No . It's not harmful.


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## Stan Schultz (Sep 30, 2012)

Kazaam said:


> My dad said that 7 times so far.


Quittin' smokin's easy! I have a buddy who must have done it 100 times already!


:wall:

Reactions: Like 2


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## poisoned (Oct 1, 2012)

Pikaia said:


> Quittin' smokin's easy! I have a buddy who must have done it 100 times already!
> 
> 
> :wall:


I didn't know you know my mom


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## emc37 (Oct 1, 2012)

In college, my roommates smoked hookah (and other stuff :laugh:  ) at least twice a day. Living in a house with 3 girls, my tarantulas were constantly exposed to perfume, scented candles, nail polish and nail polish remover, hair spray, Febreeze, random cleaning products, and smoke from stir frying (and burning food when one of my less experienced roommates attempted to cook :sarcasm:  ) . I have 19 Ts, most are slings and juvies, but I do have 5 adults. They all have never experienced DKS or other symptoms, and their appetites and molting schedules remain constant. I know that some types of wood (like cedar) produce natural insecticides, so I don't know what would happen if your Ts were exposed to fumes from burned cedar incense sticks. But everything else considered, my Ts seem to have a pretty high tolerance for "un-pure" air :biggrin:  

Would I ever directly spray something on a tarantula or blow smoke on it? Heeeck no! But IME indirect exposure has not had any harmful effects on my Ts.


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## poisoned (Oct 1, 2012)

emc37 said:


> I know that some types of wood (like cedar) produce natural insecticides, so I don't know what would happen if your Ts were exposed to fumes from burned cedar incense sticks.


People also kept tarantulas with conifer wood for decor succesfully, although there's not enough evidence to prove if it is or it's not harmful. I think it's safe if they don't start to chew on it, but I am avoiding conifer wood at the moment. If anyone has lots of slings, that's experiment that should be made. I think effects would show quickly on slings.


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## Kazaam (Oct 1, 2012)

Pikaia said:


> Quittin' smokin's easy! I have a buddy who must have done it 100 times already!
> 
> 
> :wall:


It's not that hard either.

Enjoy your 8-legged smoking buddy!

Reactions: Like 1


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