B. smithi Sling Escaped

[LadyPharaoh]

Arrived home this morning to find that the smallest of my two B. smithi slings is missing from its vial.

The smithi is about 1/4" and the only thing I can figure is that it got out through an air hole in the lid. I thought the holes were small enough to keep something like this from happening.

I've searched my bedroom for two hours but so far nothing. I'm so upset because I should have done something differently. Unless I find it soon the sling will probably die because of my carelessness.

 

[Boanerges]

Sorry to hear that I hope you find her!!! Don't be too upset accidents happen to all of us. Now you know for next time how to prevent it.

 

[LadyPharaoh]

Thank you. Hours and hours of research on how to take care of these guys and something as simple as an air hole. . .

Six months ago if someone had told me I'd be bawling over a spider I would have laughed at them.

 

[GartenSpinnen]

Take a heat lamp and shine it in an area in the room where you lost it. Turn your thermostat down a bit, and try seeing if the T goes to the heat source. It is a little easier with arboreal slings than with terrestrial slings when they go astray. I hope you find it, but don't think to hard on yourself... i once lost a scorpion in my moms truck due to the air holes being too big, she was holding the enclosures between her legs when it got out, so at one point it would have most likely been on her lol. She freaked .

Best of luck to you,
Nate

 

[LadyPharaoh]

Hi Nate,

I bet your mom did freak when she found out! Just glad she didn't notice it on her while she was driving.

Thank for the tip. I put a heating pad on low setting and put it on my dresser so hopefully it will turn up.

I was working out of town and my brother had looked in on the T's a couple days before I got home and said everybody looked fine (his words "they're creepy as hell but fine") - no way would he have taken the top off of one of their enclosures except just enough to drop in a pre-measured chunk of cricket I left for them. When I got home, the baby was gone.

Janice

 

[xhexdx]

I have had spiders escape only to find them weeks later, just fine.

I have also had spiders escape only to find their carcasses weeks later.

Yours is pretty small...the odds aren't very good but I do hope you find it. Let us know if that heat source idea works out.

--Joe

 

[LadyPharaoh]

Thanks Joe. I'm going to check in a couple hours so hopefully I'll have good news.

 

[Jojos]

It happened to me too. I lost 3 or 4 slings because the air holes were too big. I learned a lesson. Now I have itsy bitsy air holes. You'll get more experience. You couldn't have known.

 

[GartenSpinnen]

I dont even use air holes with my smaller slings anymore. Never had an escape but just dont think they really need it until they get a bit bigger. Never had any mold issues or anything of the sort. However, when they get larger i always provide air holes for them.

-Nate

 

[KJE]

Was there enough substrate for it to burrow? All of the small B. smithi I've ever had have burrowed if I give them enough substrate....which they don't need much at that size.

If there was enough, you might want to slowly empty it all out to see if it's still in the container.

Otherwise, I would put a small lid of water on the floor and put the heat pad on the floor on something so it doesn't ruin your floor. Maybe in an area that doesn't get too much light. It should be drawn to the water as well as the heat.

Good luck!

 

[Jojos]

Keep us updated if you find it! I thought I had lost one and when I opened the bac to clean it, there it was! I hope it will be the same for you...

 

[Endagr8]

Bummer. Hopefully it turns up sometime. Your brand new formosa gal should take the edge off that. Congrats on that contest :}

 

[LadyPharaoh]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

Jojos, I'm so glad you were able to find yours. They're so tiny and fragile looking that it's love at first sight and hard to lose one.

Nothing to report so far. I'm usually optimistic but I should have seen something by now.

Let's see. . .KJE, there was about 1/4" of substrate in a container about the size of a half dollar that is ~1/2" tall. I have another slightly larger smithi sling that I got at the same time who seems to be doing fine in the same type setup. I poked through the sub with no results when I noticed it missing and left the open container on my dresser hoping it might go back in on it's own.

Nate, no air holes at all for your slings and they still do ok? How big are they when you start giving vent holes?

Thanks Endagr8. That contest was fun, huh? I loved the part where we could only answer once per hour. Nothing like suspense to get the adrenaline going! I've been reading tons on pokie care and plan to get everything for her enclosure tomorrow. The excitement does kind of take the sting out of losing the smithi baby.

 

[GartenSpinnen]

I purchased some B. smithi slings and B. emilia slings awhile back. Keep them in the tiny deli cups with no air holes. They have molted 3 times in my care, and are now a bit over 3/4". I mist occasionally, and chop crickets up and throw them in there. They do wonderfully for me. I do keep the substrate somewhat deep in the delis for them, and open them every 3-5 days for maintenance.

I also have some Aphonopelma sp. slings that i keep the same way and they do good for me.

The key (IMO) is to check on how fast water disappears in your enclosures. If you mist and it sticks around in there for days and days you probably want to increase ventilation. If you mist and it goes away in a day or two your probably fine. Also, when i mist i just spray the sides of the delis, i try not to get too much on the substrate.

Cheers,
Nate