Directly Misting The Tarantula

Peregrin

Arachnopeon
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Sep 17, 2014
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21
I'm gonna get so much hate for this but I actually directly mist my tarantulas. I do this so that the tarantula would be forced to drink bits of the water.
I really don't get why people frown upon misting the tarantulas directly. I'm aware of the stress but seriously, these things can last for months without food and what's a few droplets to them?

Pls share your opinions and explain why the tarantula should not be misted. I see lots of people on other forums saying "DO NOT MIST THE TARANTULA DIRECTLY" without explaining the logic behind it aside from the probable stress it will induce.
 

Cavedweller

Arachnoprince
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Mar 23, 2011
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Since spider hair serves as a sensory organ, I would imagine getting it wet would be quite unpleasant and possibly disorienting.

Why do you force them to drink? Has dehydration been a problem with your Ts?
 

miss moxie

Arachnoprince
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First of all, it is to my understanding their whole body is like a receiver. So you send them into sensory overload, a sensory overload that doesn't go away until the drops evaporate off of them. Like having sandpaper rubbed all over every single inch of your body for an hour or so. Which is why you shouldn't 'pet' your Ts either. If you choose to handle, let them crawl over your hands without rubbing them at all.

Second of all, +1 on why do you have to force them to drink? If provided with an adequate water source they'll drink when they want/need to.

Third, I have to say if you know you're going to get 'hate' for it then you must know on some level it's wrong and still choose to do so...why?
 

freedumbdclxvi

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Their mouths are on the underside of their cephalothorax - logistically, spraying them directly won't force them to drink. I mist some of my spiders in lieu of a waterdish, and I mist in either their webbing or the side of their enclosure.

Will spraying them directly cause stress related harm? Nope. Minor annoyance at worst, as they'll try and get out of "the rain" possibly. But you're failing to do what you claim you want when spraying them directly.
 

High Lord Dee

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Jan 31, 2014
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On several of my tropical T enclosures, I use automated misters to maintain humidity levels. Occasionally, I have noticed a T standing in the mist stream. Weird. While not often, it has not harmed them so I can only assume it is not harmful but agree with all the posts that there is no reason to do it if the humidity levels are accurate and they have a water dish available.
 

miss moxie

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Will spraying them directly cause stress related harm? Nope. Minor annoyance at worst, as they'll try and get out of "the rain" possibly.
Just mild annoyance? Huh, I misunderstood. I really thought it was a little more severe. Not fatal or damaging, just sent their nervous system into a haywire.
 

Fins

Arachnosquire
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May 18, 2011
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I have never intentionally directly misted any of my Ts. However my A. seemanni got soaked accidentally when I was filling his water bowl. He was sitting under a plant that covers the bowl. I wasn't paying close attention. He didn't budge. He's weird.

I don't mist mine anymore because the others all dislike it. I use squeeze bottles or droppers. But he never cared if I misted or if some water flowed into whichever hole he was in.
 

freedumbdclxvi

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Just mild annoyance? Huh, I misunderstood. I really thought it was a little more severe. Not fatal or damaging, just sent their nervous system into a haywire.
How do you think a species would survive for millions of years if, every time it rained, their brains malfunctioned?
 

Peregrin

Arachnopeon
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Sep 17, 2014
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Well, there are spiders that bathe in their water bowls. I also remember a method that a highly respected person does here (forget his name but he wrote a book. I think the tarantula handbook or some sort. Mostly likely schultz). He has a deep burrowing species of a tarantula and to maintain humdity, he douses the entire burrow of the tarantula with a glass if water (with the t inside the burrow). So, if the t can handle huge amountsnof water, what are a few droplets?

There are also some Ts that submerge themselves completely in water.

I mist them to ensure directly to ensure they have water. I also like simulating the rain they would experience.

---------- Post added 09-18-2014 at 10:24 AM ----------

Their mouths are on the underside of their cephalothorax - logistically, spraying them directly won't force them to drink. I mist some of my spiders in lieu of a waterdish, and I mist in either their webbing or the side of enclosure
I also mist the webbings of my ceratogyrus darlingi. It's abdomen shrinks ever so often with the constant webbing so i make sure it gets water. Sometimes the ts get in thr way of the web lol
 

cold blood

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Is it gonna kill them...no....annoy them, perhaps. But please explain to me how they are going to be able to ingest water that's on them? Makes no sense at all, unless you're dealing with amphibians, which t's certainly are not....water on the t will simply be there until it drys and won't help hydrate them, the exo will prevent that. They ingest water that is beneath them, not above them

Also when it rains in the wild, t's are not generally out, they typically hide from the rain and emerge after the rains stop.

In 14 years I have yet to "mist" a single t...or its enclosure...its simply not the best way to maintain humidity. I understand doing it for some species where you may lightly mist the side, or the webbing, but I find its more effectively done with a syringe as you can be exceptionally precise with your water delivery. Misting is anything BUT precise and it generally evaporates quickly...if it doesn't, you probably have too little ventilation.
As for spiders that bathe in pools, the only species I know of that enjoys water enough to swim or submerge itself it H. gigas...and I consider it the exception to the rule.;)

No worries peregrin, its just a question/comment, I wouldn't worry about being lambasted by anyone.
 

miss moxie

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How do you think a species would survive for millions of years if, every time it rained, their brains malfunctioned?
I didn't think that it made their brains malfunction, so much as it was just very unpleasant. I've never seen a spider run into a rainstorm eagerly, they always seem to hide from it. But it's good to know it doesn't hurt them. I'm always extra careful not to get any water on them. I felt bad when my A. geniculata attacks the water and half-douses herself.
 

Peregrin

Arachnopeon
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Sep 17, 2014
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Is it gonna kill them...no....annoy them, perhaps. But please explain to me how they are going to be able to ingest water that's on them? Makes no sense at all, unless you're dealing with amphibians, which t's certainly are not....water on the t will simply be there until it drys and won't help hydrate them, the exo will prevent that. They ingest water that is beneath them, not above them
My tarantulas are very inactive but when they do spot food, they go for it. I mist them directly so the soil underneath also gets wet. They have webs all over so there would be some water on the ground beneath for them to drink. My enclosures are also too small to accomodte a water dish. They're just 3 inches and the containers have a 4 inch diameter. I also don't want to put a water dish yet to give them space to burrow and such.
As for the small enclosure, I feel that it gives them security since they have very little area to be cautious of.
 

Akai

Arachnobaron
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Jul 23, 2012
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I also remember a method that a highly respected person does here (forget his name but he wrote a book. I think the tarantula handbook or some sort. Mostly likely schultz). He has a deep burrowing species of a tarantula and to maintain humdity, he douses the entire burrow of the tarantula with a glass if water (with the t inside the burrow).

There are also some Ts that submerge themselves completely in water.

I mist them to ensure directly to ensure they have water. I also like simulating the rain they would experience.

---------- Post added 09-18-2014 at 10:24 AM ----------

are you sure you are not describing the "flooding technique". This is used to rehouse fossorial T's when you want to get them out of their burrow to rehouse them. Flooding is the easiest way to get a T out of it's burrow and the T isn't going to live in a flooded burrow.

---------- Post added 09-18-2014 at 12:14 AM ----------

Wouldn't it be a whole lot easier and less stressful if you just put in a water bowl?
I was wondering the same thing. :?
 

Storm76

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My tarantulas are very inactive but when they do spot food, they go for it. I mist them directly so the soil underneath also gets wet. They have webs all over so there would be some water on the ground beneath for them to drink. My enclosures are also too small to accomodte a water dish. They're just 3 inches and the containers have a 4 inch diameter. I also don't want to put a water dish yet to give them space to burrow and such.
As for the small enclosure, I feel that it gives them security since they have very little area to be cautious of.
You keep 3" terrestrial (?) tarantulas in enclosures with a 4" diameter and you spray your T's by intent to ensure they drink? On top of that, you're sure "you'll receive a lot of hate" for that latter statement.

First of all: Do you have a dog, too? Do you throw him into the swimming pool to ensure he drinks? Seriously...

Aside that, those enclosures are far too small! The rule of thumb is 3x legspan wide for terrestrials, or 3x height for arboreals. I'd like to see some pictures of your enclosures, please.
 

Akai

Arachnobaron
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Jul 23, 2012
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What kind of tarantula are we talking about here? Did I miss something?
 

goodoldneon

Arachnoknight
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Aug 25, 2011
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Oh come on. Is everyone here trying to tell me they don't jump in the shower whenever their thirsty?

Come on, tell the truth.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
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Dec 8, 2006
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As a long time owner of herps and Ts, particularly those you shouldn't "stress" out too much, I've always felt the word stress is overly used.

Many people on the forum here have described Ts and their primary modality (vibration/touch) in the context of the T freaking out due to some owner induced stimuli.

I really believe people over exaggerate the impact it may have on the animal. Humans primary systems are vision then touch. WE don't freak out and we are bombarded by constant visual stimuli. The same for other animals that live in the wild and vision is there primary means of learning their world.

Whatever modality an animal uses they have evolved to handle a lot of stimuli from that primary sense.
 

Blue Jaye

Arachnobaron
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Sep 16, 2013
Messages
339
I am also wondering about the enclosure size, a 3 in T in a 4 in enclosure ? Wow that's cramped quarters !!! This could cause many different problems not enough space to molt and get bigger . As for misting the T directly there's just no real good reason to do so IMO
 
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