Cricket stuck in my C. versicolor enclosure

[PidderPeets]

So I have a C. versicolor sling (just barely under 1 in. DLS) that's not quite in premolt, but is due for a molt pretty soon. It's plump and has been closing off all but a few entrances to it's intricate web tunnel system, but it's still slightly interested in food. So I put a small cricket in it's enclosure two days ago, but it managed to elude the T and has now been hiding in the small bit of space between the substrate and bottom layer of webbing in the enclosure. My versicolor is not an active hunter, so it has no chance of getting to the cricket unless the cricket goes back into the appropriate tunnel, which the cricket seems to have no interest in doing. Obviously, I don't want to leave the cricket in there any longer, but I don't know of any way to remove it without literally destroying my T's web. So I was wondering if anybody had any tips on a way to lure the cricket out from the bottom of the enclosure without destroying the web. Or if maybe, since it'll need a rehousing after this next molt anyway, should I just move it into the new enclosure now and have it start from scratch just to get the cricket out? Up until now, I've only been feeding my Ts fruit flies and roaches, so I've never had to figure out how to remove a feeder that could pose a threat to a T. Thanks in advance for anybody's input

 

[mconnachan]

So I have a C. versicolor sling (just barely under 1 in. DLS) that's not quite in premolt, but is due for a molt pretty soon. It's plump and has been closing off all but a few entrances to it's intricate web tunnel system, but it's still slightly interested in food. So I put a small cricket in it's enclosure two days ago, but it managed to elude the T and has now been hiding in the small bit of space between the substrate and bottom layer of webbing in the enclosure. My versicolor is not an active hunter, so it has no chance of getting to the cricket unless the cricket goes back into the appropriate tunnel, which the cricket seems to have no interest in doing. Obviously, I don't want to leave the cricket in there any longer, but I don't know of any way to remove it without literally destroying my T's web. So I was wondering if anybody had any tips on a way to lure the cricket out from the bottom of the enclosure without destroying the web. Or if maybe, since it'll need a rehousing after this next molt anyway, should I just move it into the new enclosure now and have it start from scratch just to get the cricket out? Up until now, I've only been feeding my Ts fruit flies and roaches, so I've never had to figure out how to remove a feeder that could pose a threat to a T. Thanks in advance for anybody's input

No don't disturb the T, try to fish out the cricket, their a right bloody menace, it's better to destroy some of the webbing than have your T preyed upon whilst moulting or just freshly moulted as it could kill your spider they're so soft after a moult (during).

 

[PidderPeets]

No don't disturb the T, try to fish out the cricket, their a right bloody menace, it's better to destroy some of the webbing than have your T preyed upon whilst moulting or just freshly moulted as it could kill your spider they're so soft after a moult (during).

Alright. That's what I was thinking, but I figured it never hurts to get a second opinion. I'm thinking it still has a few meals (and weeks) left in it before it actually goes to molt, but this isn't something to leave to chance. Thanks for your help

 

[mconnachan]

Alright. That's what I was thinking, but I figured it never hurts to get a second opinion. I'm thinking it still has a few meals (and weeks) left in it before it actually goes to molt, but this isn't something to leave to chance. Thanks for your help

No problem, any questions, this is the place to get your answer, we're all here to help, sometimes we may sound rude, its not meant to, it's all for the benefit of the animal.

 

[BishopiMaster]

Just take the spider and cricket out, as long as it s not in the process of molting it will be fine

 

[PidderPeets]

No problem, any questions, this is the place to get your answer, we're all here to help, sometimes we may sound rude, its not meant to, it's all for the benefit of the animal.

I definitely appreciate it. And if coming across as rude is what it takes to get through to somebody who isn't doing what's best for their animal, then so be it. To me, an animal's wellbeing is more important than trying not to hurt someone's feelings. And it was the right call the remove the cricket, because apparently my little sling has finally lost interest in food. While trying to fish out the cricket, it bumped right into my T's abdomen. Normally that means instant death for anything in it's home, but it instead chose to display some pretty intense premolt lethargy, scooch forward a few steps, and proceed to web off the tunnel where the cricket just touched it.

 

[Ellenantula]

For larger enclosures, I have used a fishnet before to catch crix in an enclosure -- if you can 'catch' it, it gets caught in netting, and can be drug to side wall and pulled up and out.

Failing that, esp in smaller enclosure, I had one cricket left in an OBT moulting T's juvie enclosure. I used a toilet paper roll (cut to reduce length -- prolly a 1 inch piece of roll) and I put a piece of carrot in it. When crix went in, I tonged the tp tube out.
In my excitement, I lost that cricket after I got tube out, but at least he was no longer in the enclosure.
Others may well have better ideas for catching tricky uneaten prey.

 

[PidderPeets]

Just take the spider and cricket out, as long as it s not in the process of molting it will be fine

I managed to get the cricket out without doing too much damage to the web, so I decided to leave the tarantula in it's current home. It seems to be further along in premolt than I originally thought, and it instantly closed off an entrance to the tunnel it was in once the cricket accidentally touched it. If I removed it, I'd be putting it in an enclosure close to double it's current home, so I don't want to stress it out and force it to make a whole new tunnel system now when it could be looking to molt quite soon. I'll save it's new home for once it's done with the molt and has had the chance to harden. Thanks for your response though

 

[Ellenantula]

I managed to get the cricket out without doing too much damage to the web

Yay for success!

 

[PidderPeets]

For larger enclosures, I have used a fishnet before to catch crix in an enclosure -- if you can 'catch' it, it gets caught in netting, and can be drug to side wall and pulled up and out.

Failing that, esp in smaller enclosure, I had one cricket left in an OBT moulting T's juvie enclosure. I used a toilet paper roll (cut to reduce length -- prolly a 1 inch piece of roll) and I put a piece of carrot in it. When crix went in, I tonged the tp tube out.
In my excitement, I lost that cricket after I got tube out, but at least he was no longer in the enclosure.
Others may well have better ideas for catching tricky uneaten prey.

It's still in it's tiny sling home, and it went absolutely overboard with webbing, so it would have been near impossible to do those in the enclosures current state. But those are both really good ideas, and I'll definitely keep them in mind for any future incidents. After a bit of a chase, I managed to coax the cricket out with a toothpick while only doing minimal damage to the web. I almost lost the cricket, but I managed to keep a hold of it and now it's in my LP home waiting to probably be made into dinner

 

[PidderPeets]

Yay for success!

Yup. I'm quite happy. Especially now that I realize my little guy has started the premolt fast

 

[Ellenantula]

It's still in it's tiny sling home, and it went absolutely overboard with webbing, so it would have been near impossible to do those in the enclosures current state. But those are both really good ideas, and I'll definitely keep them in mind for any future incidents. After a bit of a chase, I managed to coax the cricket out with a toothpick while only doing minimal damage to the web. I almost lost the cricket, but I managed to keep a hold of it and now it's in my LP home waiting to probably be made into dinner

Yeah -- that's how my OBT enclosure was -- too small to dig around in.
I set the small (cut down to size) tp tube on top of webbing with a carrot to lure the cricket out of webbing and into tube.
Took awhile, but it worked.
But it was a bit too exciting to grab the tube without accidentally dropping the tube and risking an angry OBT to come charging at me, protesting my intrusion. lol

Anyway, necessity is the mother of invention... didn't know if any of my ideas would work... just fodder for you to build on.
Yay again for your success. Crickets can be FAST! lol

 

[PidderPeets]

Yeah -- that's how my OBT enclosure was -- too small to dig around in.
I set the small (cut down to size) tp tube on top of webbing with a carrot to lure the cricket out of webbing and into tube.
Took awhile, but it worked.
But it was a bit too exciting to grab the tube without accidentally dropping the tube and risking an angry OBT to come charging at me, protesting my intrusion. lol

Anyway, necessity is the mother of invention... didn't know if any of my ideas would work... just fodder for you to build on.
Yay again for your success. Crickets can be FAST! lol

It really is a good idea. I'm sure I'll use that advice in the future. But that must have been quite the task with an OBT. Luckily for me, the stakes aren't so high with my little versicolor. As long as I don't actually touch it, I won't get mistaken for a meal

 

[mconnachan]

For larger enclosures, I have used a fishnet before to catch crix in an enclosure -- if you can 'catch' it, it gets caught in netting, and can be drug to side wall and pulled up and out.

Failing that, esp in smaller enclosure, I had one cricket left in an OBT moulting T's juvie enclosure. I used a toilet paper roll (cut to reduce length -- prolly a 1 inch piece of roll) and I put a piece of carrot in it. When crix went in, I tonged the tp tube out.
In my excitement, I lost that cricket after I got tube out, but at least he was no longer in the enclosure.
Others may well have better ideas for catching tricky uneaten prey.

That's a fantastic idea, talk about lateral thinking.

I managed to get the cricket out without doing too much damage to the web

Yay for success!

Great news!

 

[BishopiMaster]

I managed to get the cricket out without doing too much damage to the web, so I decided to leave the tarantula in it's current home. It seems to be further along in premolt than I originally thought, and it instantly closed off an entrance to the tunnel it was in once the cricket accidentally touched it. If I removed it, I'd be putting it in an enclosure close to double it's current home, so I don't want to stress it out and force it to make a whole new tunnel system now when it could be looking to molt quite soon. I'll save it's new home for once it's done with the molt and has had the chance to harden. Thanks for your response though

Well i mean, the crickets out, so thats why you did it without taking the spider out, because you were able to, lol

 

[cold blood]

It's plump and has been closing off all but a few entrances

Avics and their cousins seal themselves in when they molt, because of this an errant cricket running around is of no consequence...I'd have just left well enough alone.

 

[nicodimus22]

For larger enclosures, I have used a fishnet before to catch crix in an enclosure -- if you can 'catch' it, it gets caught in netting, and can be drug to side wall and pulled up and out.

Why the hell didn't I think of that? Great idea.

 

[PidderPeets]

Avics and their cousins seal themselves in when they molt, because of this an errant cricket running around is of no consequence...I'd have just left well enough alone.

I thought about leaving it, especially because most of the tunnels were sealed, but there was one open tunnel that the cricket could go through and potentially get to my T, so I just didn't want to chance it. It doesn't seem incredibly upset about the hole I made on the one side of of it's webbing, and I left the tunnel it's in completely alone, so I didn't compromise it's den at all. All in all, I think I'd rather know there's no threat at all of my little guy getting eaten than leave it to chance

 

[Ellenantula]

Avics and their cousins seal themselves in when they molt, because of this an errant cricket running around is of no consequence...I'd have just left well enough alone.

True.
I use the inverted containers for avics -- and my avic had a solid impenetrable web 'cocoon' to moult inside -- built right at top of enclosure.

But I did have a B lat roach inside an avic container that I just could not get out (not due to any moult safety concern, just, roach had been in there too long). And this roach managed to lodge itself behind a glue-gunned leaf (safely sandwiched between large leaf and wall and completely inaccessible for avic to consume). I used a straw (wheat type, not drinking) and would push the roach out from behind leaf but then he'd run right back into hidey spot. After about 4 weeks of aggravation, I finally managed to injure the roach so I could push him out from behind leaf to fall to the bottom for removal. I had tried tp tube in enclosure bottom (with carrot bait) but this B lat wasn't budging!
Probably my most frustrating removal ever. My concern was more the roach would die and attract mites -- a hassle I just didn't want.

 

[PidderPeets]

Well i mean, the crickets out, so thats why you did it without taking the spider out, because you were able to, lol

Exactly. I'd prefer to cause it as little stress as possible, while still knowing it's safe from being eaten