# I accidentally just killed my spider after having it for 2 months, i want to kill myself right now.



## HamZ (Apr 29, 2018)

so i was putting the lid on my jumping spiders enclosure and i didn't know it was on the side of it and i crushed it... i hate myself currently. I'm having a break with these spiders man, i can't even cry that how much i hate myself right now

Reactions: Sad 7


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## crystalfreakkk (Apr 29, 2018)

I’m sorry for your loss. I don’t think you should give up the hobby, we all make mistakes.

Reactions: Agree 4


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## HamZ (Apr 29, 2018)

crystalfreakkk said:


> I’m sorry for your loss. I don’t think you should give up the hobby, we all make mistakes.


Thanks, And i won't give up the hobby but i just need to reflect on what went wrong an how i could avoid it another time.

Is this setup any good? Its a lucazode bottle with air holes on the lid and cardboard blanks type on the side. The jumping spider liked to stay on the lid.

Reactions: Like 1


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## schmiggle (Apr 29, 2018)

I'm sorry to hear about this--it's a pretty awful feeling. However, as crystalfreak said, we all make mistakes. I had a whipspider escape through a hole that I had noticed but had basically decided was too small to worry about.

My suggestion for how to avoid it would be to make a setup where the lid isn't a good place for the spider to hang out. That way you don't have to worry about crushing it there. Maybe give it a hide somewhere else in the enclosure and don't have the stick that goes all the way up (don't know if that would actually work--I've never kept these--just trying to offer suggestions).


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## HamZ (Apr 29, 2018)

schmiggle said:


> I'm sorry to hear about this--it's a pretty awful feeling. However, as crystalfreak said, we all make mistakes. I had a whipspider escape through a hole that I had noticed but had basically decided was too small to worry about.
> 
> My suggestion for how to avoid it would be to make a setup where the lid isn't a good place for the spider to hang out. That way you don't have to worry about crushing it there. Maybe give it a hide somewhere else in the enclosure and don't have the stick that goes all the way up (don't know if that would actually work--I've never kept these--just trying to offer suggestions).


Thanks for the help, i plan to make a hide near the lid.


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## basin79 (Apr 29, 2018)

HamZ said:


> Thanks for the help, i plan to make a hide near the lid.


This works well.

Reactions: Like 2


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## HamZ (Apr 29, 2018)

basin79 said:


> This works well.


Mabye for larger species but i plan to get a salticus scenus next which get up to mabye a centimetre. Although the sling pot idea is great and i plan to but something similar near the lid.

Reactions: Like 1


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## The Snark (Apr 29, 2018)

It rankles, but happens. A few days ago a small Huntsman appeared in the kitchen floor. Instant chaos as I, with the aid of a broom, tried to shoo the spider towards the door while fending off three cats. Finally gave the spider what I thought was a gentle push out the door. A couple hours later I went out to notice the all too familiar ant frenzy over the spiders body. A broom bristle must have zapped it just the wrong way or I brushed a little too hard.


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## Ratmosphere (Apr 29, 2018)

Sorry for your loss bro.


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## Nightshady (Apr 29, 2018)

So sorry man. Mistakes happen to the best of people.


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## Rolls (Apr 30, 2018)

Sorry for your loss, I am acquiring 3 jumping spiders tomorrow and reading this has pointed out something important that I will need to watch out for that I haven't had to worry about with my tarantulas, so thanks, it's only a mistake if we don't learn from it.


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## Wolfspidurguy (Apr 30, 2018)

HamZ said:


> so i was putting the lid on my jumping spiders enclosure and i didn't know it was on the side of it and i crushed it... i hate myself currently. I'm having a break with these spiders man, i can't even cry that how much i hate myself right now


WOAH ok don't say that man you don't want to kill yourself over a spider i know the feeling that comes with crushing a jumper and it sucks i did the same thing to one of mine and cried for about an hour but please wont joke around about suicide and if you are feeling suicidal please talk to someone or call the suicide hot line


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## basin79 (Apr 30, 2018)

Wolfspidurguy said:


> WOAH ok don't say that man you don't want to kill yourself over a spider i know the feeling that comes with crushing
> a jumper and it sucks i did the same thing to one of mine and cried for about an hour but please wont joke around about suicide and if you are feeling suicidal please talk to someone or call the suicide hot line


I don't feel it's a joke. I take things extremely seriously regarding pets. I understand.


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## HamZ (May 1, 2018)

Wolfspidurguy said:


> WOAH ok don't say that man you don't want to kill yourself over a spider i know the feeling that comes with crushing a jumper and it sucks i did the same thing to one of mine and cried for about an hour but please wont joke around about suicide and if you are feeling suicidal please talk to someone or call the suicide hot line


Thanks for the concern but its just the feeling of taking a life your responsible for, i hate it.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Wolfspidurguy (May 2, 2018)

basin79 said:


> I don't feel it's a joke. I take things extremely seriously regarding pets. I understand.


Yeah I know that the feeling of killing one of your inverts is horrible but I don't think saying you want to kill yourself over it is a good idea if you don't mean it as someone who has delt with suicide in the past and lived with clinical depression (I don't really want to get into it) I know it's a serious issue and I know the painful feelings that come with suicidal thoughts so if you are feeling like hurting yourself please reach out to someone and if you aren't it's not a good idea to say your feeling suicidal if you don't mean it. But anyways I'm sorry for your loss and if there's anything we can do to help were here for you

Reactions: Like 1


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## Phenix (May 2, 2018)

Oh no, I am so sorry for your loss! I know you must feel awful, and that is a sign of someone who cares greatly. As for changes you can make, you might want to look into getting a wider mouthed container that you can turn upside-down. Hotglue furnishings in there and as they usually like to hang out up high, keeping the opening on the bottom you would be less likely to have an accident. That, and when opening/closing, always visualize where your little friend is at to help prevent accidents.

RIP your little spidey friend <3


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## basin79 (May 3, 2018)

Wolfspidurguy said:


> Yeah I know that the feeling of killing one of your inverts is horrible but I don't think saying you want to kill yourself over it is a good idea if you don't mean it as someone who has delt with suicide in the past and lived with clinical depression (I don't really want to get into it) I know it's a serious issue and I know the painful feelings that come with suicidal thoughts so if you are feeling like hurting yourself please reach out to someone and if you aren't it's not a good idea to say your feeling suicidal if you don't mean it. But anyways I'm sorry for your loss and if there's anything we can do to help were here for you


I've suffered from severe depression myself let have absolutely no problem the term "I feel like killing myself" being used.

It's become a common phrase to use. The world has already gone too far thanks to the PC brigade and the permanently offended.

Of course there's absolutely nowt wrong with what you've typed. It's both your opinion and you've offered sage advice if the op is genuinely depressed.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Beedrill (May 4, 2018)

HamZ said:


> Thanks for the concern but its just the feeling of taking a life your responsible for, i hate it.


Think of it this way. The fact that you hate it means that the little guy did not die in vain. Because of this experience, you'll always be watching out for situations like this in the future. The next time it's even a remote possibility, you will be able to identify it and figure out a way around it. Like it has been said, don't give up! Each of us has had at least one bad experience in the exotic pet keeping hobbies, and it is partially those bad experiences that grow us up to be proper keepers! 

I'm very glad you took its life so seriously. That alone makes you a better keeper. My advice: take a break for a month or so. Don't loose interest in spiders or anything else you've been interested in. Just take some time to think about the best way that you can keep yourself AND you pets happy. I just got over the death of my very first tarantula recently as well. Some wounds of the heart take more time to heal than others, but that one hit me hard. 

On another note, I've never really kept Jumpers myself, but I feel like a centrally located vertically opening lid might work better for them since, in my experience, they seem to make homes in the highest location of their surroundings. 

Like this: 
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
 Or for your current setup: 
	

		
			
		

		
	




Anyway, I sincerely hope this helps you to see good in this otherwise terrible experience, and keep on keepin' on!

Reactions: Like 3


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## HamZ (May 4, 2018)

Beedrill said:


> Think of it this way. The fact that you hate it means that the little guy did not die in vain. Because of this experience, you'll always be watching out for situations like this in the future. The next time it's even a remote possibility, you will be able to identify it and figure out a way around it. Like it has been said, don't give up! Each of us has had at least one bad experience in the exotic pet keeping hobbies, and it is partially those bad experiences that grow us up to be proper keepers!
> 
> I'm very glad you took its life so seriously. That alone makes you a better keeper. My advice: take a break for a month or so. Don't loose interest in spiders or anything else you've been interested in. Just take some time to think about the best way that you can keep yourself AND you pets happy. I just got over the death of my very first tarantula recently as well. Some wounds of the heart take more time to heal than others, but that one hit me hard.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much! Your sketchs are extremely helpful but the problem with the opening is i don't closerable door because its made of normal bottle plasic.


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## Dovey (May 4, 2018)

Whenever I see a post like this, I always look for what I know will follow, either the "it happens man" comments that imply the following indirectly or the quiet direct admissions, "I've killed a spider too."

I've killed a spider too. And I'm still not over it.

And I'm a better, much much better, spider keeper for it. But I'm still a little sick inside, and it was over three years ago. I am just now ready to begin thinking about replacing that species in my collection. 

When something like that happens, it changes you. Usually for the better. It makes you humble and it makes you hyper aware of safety. But you pay for that knowledge in a lot of subtle ways. I'll always be someone who killed a spider in my care, too.


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## Waya2802 (May 5, 2018)

Sorry to hear about what happened.

I'm going to share with you how I have mine set up, not saying its the best but seems to work for me. There's a few changes I want to make but here's what I'm doing atm.
I only had the 4x4x4 flush lid, so that's what I used. I think I'd go with a 3 7/16 x 6 5/16 or a 4 x 7 1/4  with a few inch tall lid if I were to do so again. The lid could be used as the lid but as mine seems to have made a web in most of the 4x4x4 I think I'd use the 4 x 7 1/4 upside down
I don't want to mess his/her work/web up much, so I believe for mine I'm going to buy a 4 x 7 1/4 and use the lid as a bottom (seems there interchangeable) on mine so I can add some dirt. It would also make it harder for then crickets and roaches to run out as easy.
Atm mine rarely goes to the bottom when I'm looking but does go down there now and then.


https://www.containerstore.com/s/cl...4&q=clear box&sortField=low_price&sortOrder=A
https://www.containerstore.com/s/cl...7&q=clear box&sortField=low_price&sortOrder=A

Reactions: Like 1 | Helpful 1


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## velvetundergrowth (May 2, 2019)

I'm sure the percentage of folks on here who haven't accidentally caused the death of one of their inverts is miniscule.
Despite how we view many of these animals as "hardy" or "easy to care for", they are still tiny, fragile creatures when compared to our giant, lumbering forms and as such accidents happen to everyone I this hobby.
The bright side is that you a very unlikely to make the same mistake twice after seeing the consequences first hand.
Sadly the most efficient way to learn is the hard way :/


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## baconwrappedpikachu (May 2, 2019)

I'm so sorry to hear that. Try not to be too hard on yourself. Accidents happen, even to the best and most experienced of keepers. All we can do is learn from them!

I agree with the other posters that you should try to adjust the habitat so that you have a way to open it that is far away from the top where jumpers tend to make their little homes. Here is the setup I have mine in:







It's a $3 AMAC box from the container store, and he has made a little web hammock up in the corner that isn't disturbed when I open the enclosure. 

He did web some around the sticks and that got torn up when I open for maintenance so I may try to do a setup where this same type of enclosure is inverted, like what Waya2802 did with theirs. But for the time being he does just fine in this enclosure and there is plenty of space for him to explore and stay out of the way during maintenance. 

Best of luck to you! Please post updates for us.

Reactions: Like 1


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