Anyone else have tarantula nightmares?

[Moonohol]

I have nightmare disorder. In short, any time I dream, it is always an incredibly realistic and frightening nightmare. So any time I have the misfortune of experiencing these nightmares, they almost always involve my Ts since I care about them more than anything else in my life right now. It always involves them escaping, or me accidentally killing them, or often times both. I am grateful that I have herbal remedies to suppress my REM cycle.

 

[Grimmdreadly]

Not nightmares about Tarantulas eating your face or something. Nightmares that involve them being hurt. I occasionally have this reoccurring nightmare that someone put all my tarantulas in one enclosure. Usually none of them are hurt but the one I had recently involved one being injured.

Just wondering, anyone else a paranoid tarantula parent?

My only tarantula nightmare is a recurring dream about the united states government making it illegal to own, buy, or sell pokies and other species that are abundant in the pet trade but endangered in the wild.

 

[Grimmdreadly]

I've had nightmares where someone squishes one of my Ts for whatever reason. Very distressing.

I've had similar, mainly focused on the part where I bludgeon said person to death for harming one of my babies

 

[Xafron]

My only tarantula nightmare is a recurring dream about the united states government making it illegal to own, buy, or sell pokies and other species that are abundant in the pet trade but endangered in the wild.

A nightmare based in reality...aren't those fun? If certain organizations and government employees had their way, the whole pet hobby would go that route. Nobody better touch my fish.

 

[Caseyface]

Most of the dreams that I have are stress dreams, it is really stupid. Since starting the hobby, I have had so many bad dreams about my precious 8-legged babies...

Ones where I didn't close the lid, and the T got out, got hurt and died.
Ones where I didn't close the lid, and the T got out, and got to my other Ts or hurt other animals.

Ones where they escaped out of the enclosure, and I can se their little leg opening the lid, escaping, but then falls and ruptures it's abdomen and dies on the floor.
Ones where they escaped out of the enclosure, and when I try to catch it, I end up killing it.
Ones where they escaped out of the enclosure, and I try to find it, but there is so much clutter and clothes everywhere that I can't. When I finally go to sleep, the tarantula climbs on my face, and I slap it and kill it and wake up to my dead T on my face.

Ones where those huge stupid black ants have invaded all of my adults enclosures(holes are big enough), and are taking my tarantula back to their nest, piece by piece...

Ones where there is a fire, and I can't save them all in time.
Ones where there is an earthquake...
Or a volcano erupts.

 

[Grimmdreadly]

A nightmare based in reality...aren't those fun? If certain organizations and government employees had their way, the whole pet hobby would go that route. Nobody better touch my fish.

You aren't lying. I remember when they started trying to make certain species illegal in and around the Everglades. I was in a bit of a panic then. The pokie ban has me up in arms

 

[Grimmdreadly]

Most of the dreams that I have are stress dreams, it is really stupid. Since starting the hobby, I have had so many bad dreams about my precious 8-legged babies...

Ones where I didn't close the lid, and the T got out, got hurt and died.
Ones where I didn't close the lid, and the T got out, and got to my other Ts or hurt other animals.

Ones where they escaped out of the enclosure, and I can se their little leg opening the lid, escaping, but then falls and ruptures it's abdomen and dies on the floor.
Ones where they escaped out of the enclosure, and when I try to catch it, I end up killing it.
Ones where they escaped out of the enclosure, and I try to find it, but there is so much clutter and clothes everywhere that I can't. When I finally go to sleep, the tarantula climbs on my face, and I slap it and kill it and wake up to my dead T on my face.

Ones where those huge stupid black ants have invaded all of my adults enclosures(holes are big enough), and are taking my tarantula back to their nest, piece by piece...

Ones where there is a fire, and I can't save them all in time.
Ones where there is an earthquake...
Or a volcano erupts.

Ants are a very real threat. I've seen what ants can do to a tarantula (a friends H.Pulchripes) firsthand. That's why I can't wrap my brain around tarantula keepers that also keep ant colonies.

 

[Xafron]

Ants are a very real threat. I've seen what ants can do to a tarantula (a friends H.Pulchripes) firsthand. That's why I can't wrap my brain around tarantula keepers that also keep ant colonies.

I will have to keep that in mind, as ants are routinely a problem for me. Not sure what I could really do though...

 

[Grimmdreadly]

I will have to keep that in mind, as ants are routinely a problem for me. Not sure what I could really do though...

Me either. Residing in a basement, I've taken all of the precautions. Spraying the outside of the house for ants as well as the inside, spreading borax, etc. I sincerely hope that if ants get in, they don't make it to the t area

 

[Xafron]

Me either. Residing in a basement, I've taken all of the precautions. Spraying the outside of the house for ants as well as the inside, spreading borax, etc. I sincerely hope that if ants get in, they don't make it to the t area

How did you spray inside without killing any of your collection off? Did you just have someone else hold onto them for awhile?

 

[Grimmdreadly]

How did you spray inside without killing any of your collection off? Did you just have someone else hold onto them for awhile?

I moved my collection of inverts and snakes in after I sprayed. When it comes time to spray again, in July I believe, I have friends who will keep a few members of my collection

 

[Xafron]

I moved my collection of inverts and snakes in after I sprayed. When it comes time to spray again, in July I believe, I have friends who will keep a few members of my collection

I see. That unfortunately would not work out for me...

I wonder if spraying just outside would be safe? And maybe ant traps inside and outside.

 

[Grimmdreadly]

I see. That unfortunately would not work out for me...

I wonder if spraying just outside would be safe? And maybe ant traps inside and outside.

Home defense brand is good for the outside it makes a long lasting barrier. I'd go with ant traps and borax inside. Borax is weird. It's non toxic, but it's so salty that roaches and ants get into it, ingest it, and just shrivel up

 

[louise f]

In the beginning of keeping T`s. I had nightmares about my T`s were getting out of their enclosure and ran away, and never to be found again.
Since then i usually dont have nightmares about T`s.
The only freakin nightmare is when one of the adults are chewing in their enclosures, or mature males drumming. Now that`s freakin annoying

 

[louise f]

@Grimmdreadly @Xafron have you ever tried cinnamon, it is harmless to your T`s. But makes the ants run away. Just pour it down in their homes. I use it every summer both inside and outside. In a couple of weeks they`ll be gone. And you can vaccum the cinnamon away.

 

[Xafron]

@Grimmdreadly @Xafron have you ever tried cinnamon, it is harmless to your T`s. But makes the ants run away. Just pour it down in their homes. I use it every summer both inside and outside. In a couple of weeks they`ll be gone. And you can vaccum the cinnamon away.

I wonder if it would be safe to even add some to T enclosure substrate? Though I'd be a little nervous to try it.

 

[louise f]

I wonder if it would be safe to even add some to T enclosure substrate? Though I'd be a little nervous to try it.

I never done it, so i can`t tell for sure if it will do harm or not. But i do know that if you just pour it down their homes ( the ants) and near the entrance of your doors and windows, it does help for me. I hope you get rid of your ants. <3

 

[Caseyface]

@Grimmdreadly and @Xafron - We can also make little ant-proof false shelves. Essentially, you would need an extra shelf that you'd hammer in a nail to each corner, giving it legs. You place those little feet in a container of water or oil (the oil would make me nervous, though), so the ants can't get to the nail or real shelf and drown in the dish.

 

[Xafron]

I just put out like 15 traps. Come on in ants...tell your friends about me...

 

[Grimmdreadly]

I wonder if it would be safe to even add some to T enclosure substrate? Though I'd be a little nervous to try it.

A good subject to research