Cold weather disaster...

captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
With all the rolling blackouts, sheet ice on the roads and such, we lost power and my heater failed at work. I fought 2 1/2 hours (for 38 miles) to get into the office. I don't know how long the power was out. All the Ts moved into another place, room heating, having to hand-mist until I figure out how to run heater and humidifyer both without tripping the breaker. I know I've lost some of them, but hopefully not all. Two I thought were dead are warming up and moving. My tiniest sling has recovered as well, for the moment. It will be a tricky balance to get the room back warm and keep it humid.

I have no water at my house, so I'm staying with them tonight. I've already aired up the air mattress. I know I won't sleep soundly, so I'll mist and check through the night.

The silly G. roseas seem to have handled it best. Worried now for my biggest Ts, and I thought the smallest would die before they would. Keeping fingers crossed for minimal loss. I'm not moving them around much, since I piled them into a big rubbermaid on wheels to move them. Stacked they'll stay for now!

Marga
 

BCscorp

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 22, 2007
Messages
1,125
Hope it works out for you. keep the losses to a minimum!
Curious as to why you use a humidifier?
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
Deep in the heart of Texas. Can't keep normal humidity over 40% most days, and a space heater dries it out more. I can usually keep room at 50-60% with the humidifier.

Marga
 

Great Basin Ben

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
86
I don't know exactly how many T's you have, but you might consider a quick trip to the drug store if possible... You could pick up a few of those styrefoam coolers, and a few dozen packs of hand warmers too. You could stack your T's in the insulated styrefoam boxes, and strategically place those disposable hand warmers inside to keep temps up. Obviously the 40+ hour heat packs would work better, but at the very least, the disposables will increase temps for 8-10 hours at a time...

The styrefoam might be able to keep the warm in for a little bit longer.


....Actually after reading your signature, I DO know exactly how many T's you have. d'OH!
 
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captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
Too many to put in styrofoam, unfortunately. No hand warmer packs to be had, and they are predicting freeze until the weekend. Everyone in a warm room for now... Some casualties, some in critical care, most alive and seem to be just fine. I've hand-warmed a couple of them (literally!)

I have no water at home, lost partial heat at office, and truly, the roads are sheet ice. I'm staying right where I am for the next couple of days. The only trip might be to try for supplies, but the roads are horrible, and no guarantee there will be anything in the stores...

I have food enough for me here at the office for a couple of days - not GREAT fare, mind you, but enough. I've drawn up extra water, too, just in case the pipes freeze here, too!

Battling it out,

Marga
 

Bill S

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 2, 2006
Messages
1,418
Put a pan of water over the space heater - that should help with the humidity. Since moist air holds temerature better than dry air, it will also help with the warming.
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
Yes, have open bowls of water in the room, and everyone still has their water dish. Mae West has uncurled and wants to know why she is in a deli cup and not her house...

Marga
 

Great Basin Ben

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
86
Yes, have open bowls of water in the room, and everyone still has their water dish. Mae West has uncurled and wants to know why she is in a deli cup and not her house...

Marga
Although it's not much, I wish you (and your Tarantulas) the VERY BEST right now! I wish there was something I could do to help, but Reno is a long way from Texas.:?
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
Morning update. Situation fairly unchanged from last night. Three confirmed as casualites... no movement or probably to damaged to recover: P. pulchar (really upset over this one), E. cyanognathus (ditto) and unknown sp. (Conundrum, photos were posted in album).

G. roseas - all of them including slings - are fine and moving normally. All three avics moving normally. Took the big girls a long time to recover, and three of them want to know what they are doing in deli cups...

I have seen two of the communal P. formosas - stacked in the same hammock. Will keep an eye out for #3.

No idea on the pet holes. I have to wait for movement or dig them out. P. cancerides is alive. Not sure if the H. incei is going to make it. Alive but not moving well. Fingers crossed.

So of the 59 (I think that was the last proper count), 40+ are fine. Three confirmed casualites, a dozen or so more that are unknown. All in all, I guess it could have been worse.

Marga
 

Wink

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 22, 2010
Messages
32
:( so sorry to hear about your bad luck! i was concerned with this weather as well, my electricity was flickering pretty bad for awhile.
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
Update - confirmed losses - Fizzgig (P pulchar), Conundrum (unknown), Atomic Phoenix (OBT sling). Probable losses - Cookie Monster (H. incei) and Kaleidoscope, the blue fang. Both are alive but no control over their legs. I don't know if they will recover.

Big females grooming or just sitting quietly - they are in deli cups and makeshift houseing since I could not move their big tanks. I scooped up cold spiders and ran. I was glad to see Mae West grooming, she had been in a death curl.

Except for the rest of the pet holes, which I cannot see anything yet, (even gently digging) everyone else seems to have survived for now. Most are moving normally.

The little MM P murinus (OBT) is not only fine, he's JUST FINE LEAVE ME ALONE!!! I FANG YOU! TAKE THAT! AND THAT!!! Never been so happy to see a threat pose in my life.

Fingers crossed that the rest of the losses are minimal. The pet holes were a C. faciatum, E murinus, P Irminias, H lividums.

Sigh. Yes, it could have been much, much worse. I've already done my share of worse, thanks, I'm done with that!!!

Marga
 

Great Basin Ben

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
86
Update - confirmed losses - Fizzgig (P pulchar), Conundrum (unknown), Atomic Phoenix (OBT sling). Probable losses - Cookie Monster (H. incei) and Kaleidoscope, the blue fang. Both are alive but no control over their legs. I don't know if they will recover.

Big females grooming or just sitting quietly - they are in deli cups and makeshift houseing since I could not move their big tanks. I scooped up cold spiders and ran. I was glad to see Mae West grooming, she had been in a death curl.

Except for the rest of the pet holes, which I cannot see anything yet, (even gently digging) everyone else seems to have survived for now. Most are moving normally.

The little MM P murinus (OBT) is not only fine, he's JUST FINE LEAVE ME ALONE!!! I FANG YOU! TAKE THAT! AND THAT!!! Never been so happy to see a threat pose in my life.

Fingers crossed that the rest of the losses are minimal. The pet holes were a C. faciatum, E murinus, P Irminias, H lividums.

Sigh. Yes, it could have been much, much worse. I've already done my share of worse, thanks, I'm done with that!!!

Marga
You're handling it, like a Real Land Pirate! AAArrrrgggghhhh! I love Cookie Monster, I hope she makes it! I hope they all DO, but that one had a special place in my heart...

All the best to you.
Ben.
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
Thanks Ben... I have a reputation for being the strong one... (long story... but I've picked myself up and dusted off too much in the recent past).

I hate losing both Cookie and Fizzgig. Hope fading for Cookie, but she's not dead until she's cold and stinky dead...

Was very pleased to see others moving around normally in their cages. I slept in the room with them last night and will again today. A little more reliable on the heat (fingers crossed and touch wood).

Marga
 

gunslinger

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 6, 2006
Messages
356
Is the power finally back to normal there? I know here there have been rolling blackouts but somehow my power has not gone off once.

Where are you at in Texas?

Good luck with em, if you make it two more days it should be back to normal weather it think. Right now its freaking snowing here, though maybe they close down everything tomorrow and I can take the day off!
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
Is the power finally back to normal there? I know here there have been rolling blackouts but somehow my power has not gone off once.

Where are you at in Texas?

Good luck with em, if you make it two more days it should be back to normal weather it think. Right now its freaking snowing here, though maybe they close down everything tomorrow and I can take the day off!
Lewisville (no snow here quite yet). Snowing all around, and more predicted for next week. Crazy. Everything here has been closed up all week.

I just dug the pet holes up (nerve wracking for me). All alive, and one VERY angry cobalt blue. The only one I haven't dug up is the E.murinus. I'm too tired and don't have things set up right to dig her up if she comes boiling out at me. I've settled for a skooch down or up in the burrow, or legs flicked at me as signs they are fine.

Everyone else seems fine. Five confirmed deaths. Out of 59, I am so thankful.

Marga
 

Satu

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 2, 2011
Messages
25
Sorry to hear about the dead, but glad most are okay. Hope you make it through with no more losses. Hugs if you want them!
 

Axsisdnied

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 31, 2011
Messages
6
Sorry to hear from San Antonio

So sorry to hear about your T's I wish yall the best. We are alot better here I have all mine and scorp's in my dining room where the biggest vent is. They have been happy there throughout this weather. For us down here in San Antonio this is not common. I am going to work on a temp controlled insulated enclosure JIC for summers and winters. I hope all your others make it through.
 

jbm150

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
1,650
Wow, this has been quite an ordeal and its nice to hear the steps you've taken. It really shows the level of concern and care you have for your spiders. I'm sorry to hear you lost 5 of them, thats really hard, but fortunately, thanks to your efforts, you were able to save the rest. I wish you the best in the continuing days!
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
Morning update: Slept fitfully on the floor to the sound of Ts moving around in their enclosures. When the room got a little cool for me (at floor level) I reached over and upped the space heater a bit. The room *seems* cool to me at 75 degrees, but I'm cold-natured. The Ts seem fine. I'm slowly warming the big girl's cages to put them back into them. Only one will have to settle for something else for a couple of days, because I could not life her tank. She'll have to make do with a big KK for a bit.

All water dishes filled. The crickets even seem to have revived. Threat poses from a couple that normally give them. Hoping they will all eat next week as the get warm and the weather steadies.

Hugs are always accepted. Today is my un-birthday (formerly my wedding anniversary before I was widowed just over a year today). Trapped in the office with 4-5 inches of snow is only made good by spending some time with my spiders.

Thanks for all the support everyone!

Marga
 
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