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Tar

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Apr 29, 2016
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One of my tarantulas died and I don't know the cause again... Last few months it was doing well and was eating like a beast but then he started to change and was not eating all of a sudden, but I thought that he was going to molt but when I saw him he was in a death curl and his webbings were took down by him....
 

WeightedAbyss75

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One of my tarantulas died and I don't know the cause again... Last few months it was doing well and was eating like a beast but then he started to change and was not eating all of a sudden, but I thought that he was going to molt but when I saw him he was in a death curl and his webbings were took down by him....
Sorry, but that is pretty vague. What species? How big was the T? Any pics?
 
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Tar

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Sorry, but that is pretty vague. What soecies? How big was the T? Any pics?
Chilobrachys burmensis, unfortunately I was at school and couldn't take photos when it was in a curl. Cause when I got home ants took him :/ . (Those little guys are always present when something dies and gets it all)
 

WeightedAbyss75

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Chilobrachys burmensis, unfortunately I was at school and couldn't take photos when it was in a curl. Cause when I got home ants took him :/ . (Those little guys are always present when something dies and gets it all)
If ants could get in, are you sure the ants didn't get the T while it was molting? Ants are vicious, especially against a nice juicy meal like your T. Only thing I can think of if it was doing perfectly fine before with no issues.
 

darkness975

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Chilobrachys burmensis, unfortunately I was at school and couldn't take photos when it was in a curl. Cause when I got home ants took him :/ . (Those little guys are always present when something dies and gets it all)
Ants took him ? Do you have an infestation, constant supply of ants coming in and out of your house?

Sounds like a mature male that died naturally but no way to tell without any pictures of the spider.
 

Charlie69

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It could have died of natural cause, or the ants killed it. You really need to stop those ants.
 

nicodimus22

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For the safety of your other Ts, I suggest boric acid traps. They are completely safe for your Ts, and they work.

Terro are the ones that use boric acid. You can find them at Lowe's or Home Depot. Probably online as well.

 

chanda

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Seconding Terro Liquid Ant Baits! I've battled ants before, and those things are wonderful. You'll see an initial increase in ant activity when you set out the baits because they do attract the ants - but then they'll take the baits back to the colony and the whole thing will die out.
 

Devin B

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If everything else was good then I would bet the ants got your T. Along with the ant bait you could also rehouse your T's into a new enclosure with the vent holes being smaller than an ant. There would have to be a LOT of vent holes that size but its better than losing another T.
 

WeightedAbyss75

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Another way could be to put the T's into a bigger enclosure with/without a lid and smear a good few inches of vaseline or any other ant barrier. That way, they can't get in and the T's are virtually unaffected :D Given, you'd have to be very careful making sure the barrier isn't worn down.
 

Tar

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We don't have an ant infestation and they only came when the T died.Cause I already took them out when they WERE infesting the house, so don't really think that they caused the T's death cause the ants were only outside not in.
 

Tar

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If ants could get in, are you sure the ants didn't get the T while it was molting? Ants are vicious, especially against a nice juicy meal like your T. Only thing I can think of if it was doing perfectly fine before with no issues.
NO ants were there when he was molting about a couple of moths ago :)
 

WeightedAbyss75

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Hmmmm, not really sure then. How big was the T? Could have been a MM, but it could have also just been a bad molt unfortunately :(
 

Tar

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When I saw the T there was nothing on it and looks fine but is on a curl
Hmmmm, not really sure then. How big was the T? Could have been a MM, but it could have also just been a bad molt unfortunately :(
It was right around 4.5 to 5 inches
 

WeightedAbyss75

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When I saw the T there was nothing on it and looks fine but is on a curl

It was right around 4.5 to 5 inches
Sorry, but there is not much info to go on here. Your T was doing fine before this incident, and stopped eating as it may have been going into a molt. Now, the T is dead with no body to be found since ants took it. We need a Tarantula Sherlock Holmes for this case :D At least, do you have any pics of the enclosure? May give us some clues if it wasn't ants ;)
 

Python

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I am a beekeeper and to keep ants out of the beehives we use cinnamon powder. Apparently it's not poison, the ants just won't cross it. Maybe something to look at
 

Charlie69

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Only other thing I can think of is temperature and hydration? What is the highest temperature in the room where the t's are. Was the waterdish full when you found him? How much Webbing was gone?
 
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