A (probably stupid) question about urticating hairs

[waynerowley]

This is probably a stupid question, but I've wondered about it for a few weeks. Do urticating hairs become airborne within the T room and can that be an issue?

I currently keep my T's in the bedroom, as there are some in the household who would prefer not to encounter a large spider, in an enclosure or otherwise! I currently have Avicularia/Caribena which I know have type II hairs, so they don't usually flick them. However, if I were to get some terrestrial new world Ts, should I be concerned about keeping them in the bedroom where, potentially, we could be breathing in urticating hairs floating around the room? My wife is asthmatic.

Or is this just a non-issue, and I only need to be careful when touching/maintaining?

Thanks,
Wayne

 

[Craig73]

I’m no expert, only been keeping T’s for 1.5 years; 33 nw/ow. Hairs can become airborne, but I’ve never encountered an issue. With someone with a pre-existing medical condition just be cautious if you open an enclosure when they are nearby.

You should make it a habit to wash your hands before and after any interaction with your T if you don’t already. You can always do feeding/maintenance in another room if that’s an option.

I’m not messy by any means, but I don’t clean/wipe surfaces as often, but vacuum daily. I’ve yet to have a situation of encountering urticating hairs outside of an enclosure, or inside the enclosure for that matter. I also keep my windows open for fresh air and no issues there either.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I keep my entire collection in my bedroom, urticating setae can become airborne but pretty much the only times I have had issues with them have been when they were actually kicked at me. If you don't yank the lids off enclosures, mist, or hassle your tarantulas unnecessarily then you shouldn't have any problems (can't say for sure as I'm not asthmatic and I currently only have reactions to the urticating setae of about half a dozen genera though).

 

[viper69]

This is probably a stupid question, but I've wondered about it for a few weeks. Do urticating hairs become airborne within the T room and can that be an issue?

I currently keep my T's in the bedroom, as there are some in the household who would prefer not to encounter a large spider, in an enclosure or otherwise! I currently have Avicularia/Caribena which I know have type II hairs, so they don't usually flick them. However, if I were to get some terrestrial new world Ts, should I be concerned about keeping them in the bedroom where, potentially, we could be breathing in urticating hairs floating around the room? My wife is asthmatic.

Or is this just a non-issue, and I only need to be careful when touching/maintaining?

Thanks,
Wayne

Yes, Yes

It’s an issue!

I’ve had some hit me after weeks of no interaction with my Ts in my den.

 

[Craig73]

Yes, Yes

It’s an issue!

I’ve had some hit me after weeks of no interaction with my Ts in my den.

Unlucky.

 

[waynerowley]

Thanks for the feedback. Some follow-up questions:

- How much of airborne urticating hairs are down to specific species (flickers)?

- Does the quantity of Ts kept in a room make a big difference? I’d imagine there will be less on an issue with 5-10 Ts than 50-100?

Thanks,
wayne

 

[Crazyarachnoguy]

Thanks for the feedback. Some follow-up questions:

- How much of airborne urticating hairs are down to specific species (flickers)?

- Does the quantity of Ts kept in a room make a big difference? I’d imagine there will be less on an issue with 5-10 Ts than 50-100?

Thanks,
wayne

I have about 55 t’s in one room and have no problems with this. To your question, if you were to have any problems with this it would be genus’s that are heavy hair kickers. Such as brachypelma.

 

[Smotzer]

I have never hhad an experiences withh urticating setae outside of being haired and I hhave never seconded guess keeping them anywhere in anyroom based on that, I have them in my bedroom and in my living room. I have never had an experience breathing thhem in, whhich I presume is thhe worry hhere, and ive never seen an incident of that on hhere as well, even from keepers with extremely large collections. Id like to say that you will be okay, but I would stay away from thhe Theraphosa genus, horrible setae.

 

[8 legged]

With (usually between 60 and 80 animals on 12 m2) I have not yet had any burning or itchy symptoms (unless I am rubbing my eyes after a stirmi determination). If then a slight itch after working in / on the terrarium. When the hair is in the air, it doesn't stay there for long, as it ultimately sticks almost anywhere!

 

[scooter1685]

I have 34 NW terrestrial tarantulas in my bedroom. Several of them are on shelves just a few feet from my bed. I've had reactions to urticating hairs in the past, though only a couple of times, most likely one of my Theraphosa apophysis, Pamphobeteus, or Xenesthis spiders. I had very severe asthma as a child, but haven't had any issues since I was 12 despite playing an array of sports and running cross country in high school and early in college.

I haven't had any issues breathing in hairs, or having shortness of breath at all. The only reactions I've had were on my skin, as a result of hair-kicking during rehousing. However, out of an abundance of caution, I would probably not keep my Ts in my bedroom if I still had issues with asthma as severe as I did when I was younger. An ounce of prevention and all.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

This is probably a stupid question, but I've wondered about it for a few weeks. Do urticating hairs become airborne within the T room and can that be an issue?

I currently keep my T's in the bedroom, as there are some in the household who would prefer not to encounter a large spider, in an enclosure or otherwise! I currently have Avicularia/Caribena which I know have type II hairs, so they don't usually flick them. However, if I were to get some terrestrial new world Ts, should I be concerned about keeping them in the bedroom where, potentially, we could be breathing in urticating hairs floating around the room? My wife is asthmatic.

Or is this just a non-issue, and I only need to be careful when touching/maintaining?

Thanks,
Wayne

I don't have many but all of mine are NW and most are adults now. Their enclosures are right by my bed. I have never had any issues.

Most of the adults are in Exo Terra Faunariums and Kritter Keepers which have large slits for air vents the others are in acyllic.

I started with my first T in December 2019. I have only had one time that I got urticating bristles on my skin, the back side of my left hand. That was my newbie mistake of doing cage maintenance without gloves and kicked up some loose bristles on the ground.

One thing to note is the genus and species type of NW you have. For example T. blondi and stirmi have some of the worse urticating bristles. There are quite a few others like N. tripepii that have real bad ones too.

The ones I have are not real bad and I avoid buying the ones that do because I'm sensitive to them so just no.

Is it possible the urticating bristles can go airbourne....absolutely.

 

[ApexApinkPanda]

I live with 15 T's in my room and never had any issues.

 

[14pokies]

Wow that’s basic like chapter one in even the most shoddy Tarantula keepers book. Did you do any research at all?

 

[waynerowley]

Wow that’s basic like chapter one in even the most shoddy Tarantula keepers book. Did you do any research at all?

Sorry I don't follow you. What exactly is 'basic like chapter one...' referring to here?

I've learned many things about tarantulas and urticating hairs in the year that I researched the hobby before actually getting a tarantula:

• I learned that not all tarantulas have urticating hairs, that it is mainly (some) new world Ts.
• I learned that there are different types of urticating hairs. I know for instance that my c. versicolor has type II hairs, but that a t. blondi has type I and III for example
• I know that some are spread by physical contact, others are kicked or flicked
• I know that urticating hairs can be extremely irritating, can cause various physical symptoms, but that it also depends on the spider (species) and an individual's own response - it can vary
• I know that having them in your face/eyes/breathing in is not good!
• I know that precautions such as gloves and perhaps masks and eye protection should be used if rehoming or doing other maintenance
• I know some spiders are more prone to kicking hairs than others (even in the same species)
• I know that kicked hairs become airborne and that they are likely to be on any and all surfaces within an enclosure

What none of my research had told me:

• How long kicked hairs remain airborne?
• How far they travel - is it just within the enclosure or outside? How far outside?
• Is the danger of the spreading only when the enclosure is opened or all of the time?
• Whether a room full of Ts with urticating hairs means that there is a constant background of hairs in the air of the room?
• If there is, whether the issue is in proportion to the number of Ts, or species of Ts etc.?

Ultimately, whether this is a problem for people or not. Whether other keepers have issues here or not.

So if you are aware of the 'shoddy T keeper book that has all of this in chapter 1', do point me in the right direction.

Thank you,
Wayne

 

[ApexApinkPanda]

Responding to 14pokies isn't worth the effort. I've noticed his responses never contain any help what so ever. It appears he writes responses with the sole aim of accomplishing nothing and being as little helpful as possible.

 

[jenniferinny]

This is probably a stupid question, but I've wondered about it for a few weeks. Do urticating hairs become airborne within the T room and can that be an issue?

I currently keep my T's in the bedroom, as there are some in the household who would prefer not to encounter a large spider, in an enclosure or otherwise! I currently have Avicularia/Caribena which I know have type II hairs, so they don't usually flick them. However, if I were to get some terrestrial new world Ts, should I be concerned about keeping them in the bedroom where, potentially, we could be breathing in urticating hairs floating around the room? My wife is asthmatic.

Or is this just a non-issue, and I only need to be careful when touching/maintaining?

Thanks,
Wayne

Not specific to asthmas, but, fascinating anyways: https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(95)70087-0/fulltext

Basically, you do gradually acquire an allergy to the urticating hairs. It doesn't typically happen overnight and how bad it gets varies widely.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Sorry I don't follow you. What exactly is 'basic like chapter one...' referring to here?

I've learned many things about tarantulas and urticating hairs in the year that I researched the hobby before actually getting a tarantula:

• I learned that not all tarantulas have urticating hairs, that it is mainly (some) new world Ts.
• I learned that there are different types of urticating hairs. I know for instance that my c. versicolor has type II hairs, but that a t. blondi has type I and III for example
• I know that some are spread by physical contact, others are kicked or flicked
• I know that urticating hairs can be extremely irritating, can cause various physical symptoms, but that it also depends on the spider (species) and an individual's own response - it can vary
• I know that having them in your face/eyes/breathing in is not good!
• I know that precautions such as gloves and perhaps masks and eye protection should be used if rehoming or doing other maintenance
• I know some spiders are more prone to kicking hairs than others (even in the same species)
• I know that kicked hairs become airborne and that they are likely to be on any and all surfaces within an enclosure

What none of my research had told me:

• How long kicked hairs remain airborne?
• How far they travel - is it just within the enclosure or outside? How far outside?
• Is the danger of the spreading only when the enclosure is opened or all of the time?
• Whether a room full of Ts with urticating hairs means that there is a constant background of hairs in the air of the room?
• If there is, whether the issue is in proportion to the number of Ts, or species of Ts etc.?

Ultimately, whether this is a problem for people or not. Whether other keepers have issues here or not.

So if you are aware of the 'shoddy T keeper book that has all of this in chapter 1', do point me in the right direction.

Thank you,
Wayne

It is so wonderful when I see someone looking to getting into T keeping that actually puts the effort into researching as the majority do not.

You sir get a medal

I forgot to add that my terrestrial T's have kicked urticating bristles at me many of times when I opened the lid. Those bristles never traveled far up into the air. However mine do not have real bad bristles to begin with.

There exist NW tarantulas that lack urticating bristles.

I'm quoting Shadowblade here from one of his past replies:

Avicularia have the hairs, but most don't kick them off.

The NW genus that lack urticating setea include:

Catumiri
Hemiercus
Holothele
Oligoxystre
Proshapalopus
Psalmopoeus
Pseudoligoxystre
Sickius
Tapinauchenius

Need to add that some of the genus names have changed

 

[14pokies]

Sorry I don't follow you. What exactly is 'basic like chapter one...' referring to here?

I've learned many things about tarantulas and urticating hairs in the year that I researched the hobby before actually getting a tarantula:

• I learned that not all tarantulas have urticating hairs, that it is mainly (some) new world Ts.
• I learned that there are different types of urticating hairs. I know for instance that my c. versicolor has type II hairs, but that a t. blondi has type I and III for example
• I know that some are spread by physical contact, others are kicked or flicked
• I know that urticating hairs can be extremely irritating, can cause various physical symptoms, but that it also depends on the spider (species) and an individual's own response - it can vary
• I know that having them in your face/eyes/breathing in is not good!
• I know that precautions such as gloves and perhaps masks and eye protection should be used if rehoming or doing other maintenance
• I know some spiders are more prone to kicking hairs than others (even in the same species)
• I know that kicked hairs become airborne and that they are likely to be on any and all surfaces within an enclosure

What none of my research had told me:

• How long kicked hairs remain airborne?
• How far they travel - is it just within the enclosure or outside? How far outside?
• Is the danger of the spreading only when the enclosure is opened or all of the time?
• Whether a room full of Ts with urticating hairs means that there is a constant background of hairs in the air of the room?
• If there is, whether the issue is in proportion to the number of Ts, or species of Ts etc.?

Ultimately, whether this is a problem for people or not. Whether other keepers have issues here or not.

So if you are aware of the 'shoddy T keeper book that has all of this in chapter 1', do point me in the right direction.

Thank you,
Wayne

Shut up Wayne

 

[Edan bandoot]

I hope i become renown in this way someday, its a good vibe.

Responding to 14pokies isn't worth the effort. I've noticed his responses never contain any help what so ever. It appears he writes responses with the sole aim of accomplishing nothing and being as little helpful as possible.

regarding the original post,
I keep all nearly 20 of my spiders in my bedroom and had asthma as a kid, and i have no issues.