Candles and incense... Harmful?

[Ixithel]

I've read somewhere that fumes could be a cause of dks in ts. I occasionally burn candles, mostly unscented and have been wanting to burn incense. My ts are on one side of the room and my candles are set up on the other. I do this occasionally, maybe once or twice a week for a couple hours.

Some argue that tarantulas are more fragile then others believe. I keep a window open and like i said, do not burn often. Am I harming my 8 legged horde?

Ive got multiple opinions, most say no to incense, some no to everything. I'm personally unsure about the incense but i do not see how candles could kill them. What are your thoughts?

 

[AlexRC]

I'm no expert, but I don't think that what you do can really be harming them. Just thinking about it, I would think that the heat of a candle would do more harm to them than any fragrance it can give off. Probably be more dangerous to fart on them, lol. Incense on the other hand do cloud the air with smoke in the area where they're burned, so I can see why it may pose a threat, but at the same time can see how it wouldn't. T's use oxygen at a way lesser rate than us humans do, and I'm not sure how sensitive they are to the smoke, but I can't imagine it really being a threat unless it was burning like right above or near their cage to the point where their enclosure was full of smoke. Just some basic thought of mine, I know I didn't cover all specific scenarios but like I said, basic thought on the topic.
I'd love to hear more about it from others as well.

 

[Ixithel]

I wonder if smoking cigarettes or pot would harm them too. I don't smoke but its a thought... Also on perfume or febreeze. I keep that out of the room since i read that thing on dks. Im also interested in opinions on those things.

 

[Callum93]

Cigarettes would harm them IMO as some of the chemicals are quite powerful insecticides

 

[MarkmD]

I don't think your candles will do much harm considering they are at the other side of your room with a window open, smoking does harm T's and not recommended. I don't know about deodorant like lynx or others I haven't had a problem so far but I don't use them right next to my Ts.

 

[Storm76]

Considering that T's react badly to most kinds of chemicals (parfum, hairspray, deo and whatnot) I'd personally put them somewhere where you don't use that stuff...

 

[Formerphobe]

Considering that I react negatively to nearly all artificial and some 'natural' scents, I would never knowingly/willingly expose any of my animals to them either. I even went through and 'cleaned' my daughter's rooms of their bottled and candled 'foul humors' and have banned said foulness from the house. I am a smoker, but do so outside because I choose not to impose my second hand smoke on anything 2-, 4- or 8-legged. Not to mention that nicotine, in varying quantities, is toxic to all. Many tarantulas probably encounter cannabis in plant form, but I daresay they never considered smoking or eating it. A plain, unscented candle is probably not going to harm them.

During power outages, we have used kerosene and oil lanterns with no obvious ill effects on the arachnids, though I minimized their exposure to them.

Sidenote on Febreze: when it first came out, I tried it. Not only did it gag me, every dog and cat in the house would vomit for 24 hours after I had used it, even though I allowed it to dry thoroughly before allowing them in the Febrezed area.

 

[Alltheworld601]

I say better to be safe than sorry...Im not an expert either on this but its a subject that I would like to become more affluent in, because it really interests me. From all Ive read, Tarantulas dont breathe very often. am I correct in saying that? I remember reading that they take maybe two actual breaths an hour. Please correct me if that is inaccurate though. but if that is true, these chemicals are probably not as harmful if only used for a short amount of time, than they woudl be to us, or cats and dogs, etc. However if they are airborn, such as cigarette smoke or febreeze, then i suppose the particles land everywhere, including your T. They could be ingested while grooming. I really have no idea.

I dont use anything artificial. I do smoke cigarettes, but not in my bedroom where my Ts live. I wont even run through that room with a lit cigarette for like 10 seconds on my way outdoors, because I know there are insecticides in my cigarette. I dont wear perfume or spray anything at all in that room. In fact I have taken to using natural soaps and deodorants too, because I occasionally handle my Ts and I dont want anything getting on them that could be hazardous.

but I am also really, really paranoid.

I probably wouldnt burn incense in there, but i dont see how candles could hurt. thats my two cents

 

[Kazaam]

Smoke isn't good for any organism.

 

[Alltheworld601]

Smoke isn't good for any organism.

Its true. We move next week and are leaving all our bad habits behind, including cigarettes.

 

[Kazaam]

Its true. We move next week and are leaving all our bad habits behind, including cigarettes.

My dad said that 7 times so far.

 

[Legion09]

My wife has decided to use incense a few times while I was not around...but I walked in on it. I'm not a fan of the stuff, but the T's seemed to not mind....it was probably 5 feet from them. No ill effects observed. I am also a vaper. I use an e-cig device pretty consistently during the day at my desk. All of my T's are at my desk and none have reacted to it at all. Granted...the vapor of an e-cig has damn near nothing in it to be harmful, especially when compared to the smoke of a cigarette.

 

[catfishrod69]

I smoke cigarettes in my invert room everyday. I blow the smoke up to the ceiling and away from the enclosures. Been doing this for over 2 years, with no problems.

 

[Ixithel]

I remember I used candles a lot when the power went out over here and the snow came down... let me tell you they were loving the candles then T.T poor things.

 

[Alltheworld601]

My dad said that 7 times so far.

its definitely a hard thing to do. ive only quit and come back one time, i think i have perfected my technique though. plus...our insurance will cost an extra $500 a year if we smoke, so...looks like we are a little backed into a corner this time! I wont miss that habit, thats for sure. be glad you are a nonsmoker (if you are, you sound like you are).

 

[MarkmD]

I went cold Turkey on smoking now stopped for 6.5 months its just will power, you think you need it but realise that its not worth it, plus I saved loads of money, give it a try.

 

[Kazaam]

its definitely a hard thing to do. ive only quit and come back one time, i think i have perfected my technique though. plus...our insurance will cost an extra $500 a year if we smoke, so...looks like we are a little backed into a corner this time! I wont miss that habit, thats for sure. be glad you are a nonsmoker (if you are, you sound like you are).

I'm not a non-smoker, but I can go without smoking for months.

 

[poisoned]

I'm currently living in 1 room apartment and Ts are exposed to cigarettes, pot, incense and candles all time. This room is always well ventilated, but me and my GF are hardcore smokers. I mostly own slings and none has shown any ill symptoms yet. Although, that's no warranty they won't, but I think this isn't much of a problem for them. It's hard to kill a mosquito with chemicals, let alone Ts.

 

[MarkmD]

Its not the best thing to smoke around T's it kills us so it will eventually kill them.

 

[Lenxx]

I'm not a non-smoker, but I can go without smoking for months.

See, this is something ill never get my head around... If you can go without sigarettes for months, why would you then even consider taking another one again...? ::

I used to smoke 20 sigarettes daily for over 15 years. Stopped instantaneous, and havent smoked since. Its all about what you deside.
To those trying to quit smoking... Stop trying over and over. And Do It.

On the subject, i use both candles and incense, but i try to be aware what kind of incense i use. Some are known to be insecticide. I dont wanna use those :coffee: