Escape Prevention & Recapturing Runaways

Jake J

Arachnochode
Joined
Sep 12, 2016
Messages
10
<edit>

First, an original poem on par with anything Poe ever wrote:

Some species run to their burrows
Some species stand their ground
Some of them make our brows furrow
When the predicted just won't come 'round

Then, zip, just like lightning
Our buddies become frightening
Let's hope they will soon become found!

Okay, enough messing around (damnit, I'm still rhyming!). I want to get a discussion started about 1) best practices for feeding, watering, and rehousing the skittish, aggressive, and flighty; and 2) best methods for recapturing in the all-but-inevitable escape attempts.

I've yet to have an escapee (knock on wood), but I'd like to be prepared beforehand as much as possible should it occur. Let's hear what some of you pros have to say on the subject!
 
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viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
Let's see if I can start a new thread without being e-reprimanded by moderators because this subject has already been discussed.

But first, an original poem on par with anything Poe ever wrote:

Some species run to their burrows
Some species stand their ground
Some of them make our brows furrow
When the predicted just won't come 'round

Then, zip, just like lightning
Our buddies become frightening
Let's hope they will soon become found!

Okay, enough messing around (damnit, I'm still rhyming!). I want to get a discussion started about 1) best practices for feeding, watering, and rehousing the skittish, aggressive, and flighty; and 2) best methods for recapturing in the all-but-inevitable escape attempts.

I've yet to have an escapee (knock on wood), but I'd like to be prepared beforehand as much as possible should it occur. Let's hear what some of you pros have to say on the subject!
1. Specifically what would you like to know about those 3 subjects? Always feed them, provide water and be careful when rehousing any T. Anything beyond that, I have no idea what you would like to know.

2. Have a catch cup/s, various "tools" to guide them into catch container/s. Don't flip out, Ts are more afraid of you (generally). Use their momentum and behavior to suite your needs.

A lot of number 1, can be learned by reading. A lot of 2 really is only learned when it happens IME.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
If I've got a particularly skittish individual, I put their enclosure in the middle of my T room - wide, open carpet. I have a very large catch cup on hand... it's actually one of those plastic water dishes that you put under potted plants. If the spider scurries, simply drop this dish over them. It's so large that you'd have to be daft to miss.
 

Jake J

Arachnochode
Joined
Sep 12, 2016
Messages
10
If I've got a particularly skittish individual, I put their enclosure in the middle of my T room - wide, open carpet. I have a very large catch cup on hand... it's actually one of those plastic water dishes that you put under potted plants. If the spider scurries, simply drop this dish over them. It's so large that you'd have to be daft to miss.
A simple, yet excellent, solution; one I may have never thought of. I mean, I have a catch cup, but an oversize one like you're talking about would work so much better. Thanks!
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
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Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
A simple, yet excellent, solution; one I may have never thought of. I mean, I have a catch cup, but an oversize one like you're talking about would work so much better. Thanks!
Jake another thing you can do is buy a large but low profile (if you choose) sterilite sweater box. I use it for T transfers among other things. Just make sure you don't crunch legs if you get an escape.
 

Jake J

Arachnochode
Joined
Sep 12, 2016
Messages
10
Jake another thing you can do is buy a large but low profile (if you choose) sterilite sweater box. I use it for T transfers among other things. Just make sure you don't crunch legs if you get an escape.
So a lot of my concern comes from one new sling: P. muticus. And it might never be as unpredictable as I--uhh--predict; it might prove to be another, presumably less-flighty, specimen. But @viper69 has led me to another question: what about moving from one small container to another that's just as small? I did some shopping at the Container Store and ordered some of the nice, crystal-clear boxes and used a soldering iron for ventilation holes, into which I'll be transferring some recently-acquired slings. So far, I've rehoused four, and they have luckily moved predictably: up the sides of their old homes and over the edge into their new homes. There's been a little hair-flicking involved, but nothing crazy; it seems that they get the picture eventually that you're not a predator (could just be wishful thinking, I know) and allow you to guide them with a soft straw or paint brush.

But from what I've seen of how muticus moves, which I only witnessed when moving it from its shipping container to its temp-home, the only hesitation comes in when it's deciding whether to move or not. Once the decision to move has been made, it goes all Sonic the Hedgehog on me. Seems like it could be through my ear canal and taking control of my brain before I even realize what's going on, if it were so inclined. Still, I'm a logical enough thinker to know that they'd rather get away from you than anything if they feel threatened; but the point is I don't want to lose my special little guy, so gotta take the necessary precautions.

Also, I wanted to contribute to AB by getting a meaningful conversation going that could be helpful to noobs and veterans alike; but it wouldn't have upset me to get a compliment or twelve on my delightful poem :sour:
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
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Messages
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what about moving from one small container to another that's just as small?
Catch cup.

if you don't trust your NW/OW catching skills etc, for a small fry, google up bag transfer method. Works every time.
 

Jake J

Arachnochode
Joined
Sep 12, 2016
Messages
10
Catch cup.

if you don't trust your NW/OW catching skills etc, for a small fry, google up bag transfer method. Works every time.
I've seen this method--I guess the only concern there would be getting tagged through the bag--the ol' "bag-tag." Probably not a huge worry though.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
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I've seen this method--I guess the only concern there would be getting tagged through the bag--the ol' "bag-tag." Probably not a huge worry though.
Nothing is perfect. I've used it, no issues.
 

Storm76

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
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Jan 30, 2012
Messages
3,797
Simple rules...

# Have catchcup ready at all times! - Even a calm individual can get spooked suddenly...
# Use tongs, not hands! - Unless you want to risk a bite (and are ok with it...) don't take unnessary risks when removing boluses and the like.
# Don't antagonate the T (prodding...) unnessarily

Follow those, and you'll be fine the majority of times. There are, of course, those WTH moments where a T reacts despite your predictions/assumptions to a stimuli you didn't even notice. In those circumstances: Stay calm, don't freak out. The latter is worse and more dangerous to both sides, but for some also hard to control.
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
When dealing with small enclosures like boxes or delicups, and fast spiders/slings, I get a cup or box of the same kind, make some holes in it, big enough to put a paintbrush through. I then put this item on the enclosure, and gently coax the T out of its enclosure and in to the empty one. Put this in the new enclosure, done!
 

Jake J

Arachnochode
Joined
Sep 12, 2016
Messages
10
Got the (hopefully queen) baboon rehoused successfully last night; no issues at all. No darting off or anything. Was a bit reluctant to climb "up and over" into its nice, new clear cube-home, but once it got the hint of which direction to go, all went well. Also received my four new slings last night which were also happy to get out of the tiny vials and into their new enclosures.

Think I'm getting pretty darn good at creating enclosures out of those clear cubes, and it's actually pretty fun to do! I upgraded from the lighter-and-drill-bit method to a soldering iron, which melts effortlessly through the cube walls for ventilation holes. Got taller cubes to hold more sub for the burrowers and narrower, height-oriented boxes for the arboreals. So many fun things about this hobby. Check my profile if you're curious about which new spp. I've added, and I'll be sure to post some pics soon!

Thanks for the great advice, everyone!
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
Got the (hopefully queen) baboon rehoused successfully last night; no issues at all. No darting off or anything. Was a bit reluctant to climb "up and over" into its nice, new clear cube-home, but once it got the hint of which direction to go, all went well.
Had no doubts man, the Goddess punish only the heretics and not those that sincerely believes :pompous:


--
Speaking of the Goddess, I've created in a online 'Nations simulator' game, my nation: "The Matriarchy of the Goddess Domain".

I'm the Supreme Dictator working for the benefit of the Goddess. Here:

" The Matriarchy of Goddess Domain is a fledgling, environmentally stunning nation, renowned for its frequent executions, compulsory military service, and punitive income tax rates. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 6 million Goddess Domainians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources".

The enormous, moralistic, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Public Transport. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 66.7%.

The strong Goddess Domainian economy, worth 350 billion lire a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient black market in Uranium Mining, Beef-Based Agriculture, Arms Manufacturing, and Trout Farming. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 58,427 lire, with the richest citizens earning 9.1 times as much as the poorest.

Nudity is frowned upon, political activists are routinely executed, citizens are barcoded to keep track of their movements, and employers may fire workers without giving any reason. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Goddess Domain's national animal is the Pelinobius muticus, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests. "

u_u
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
Had no doubts man, the Goddess punish only the heretics and not those that sincerely believes :pompous:


--
Speaking of the Goddess, I've created in a online 'Nations simulator' game, my nation: "The Matriarchy of the Goddess Domain".

I'm the Supreme Dictator working for the benefit of the Goddess. Here:

" The Matriarchy of Goddess Domain is a fledgling, environmentally stunning nation, renowned for its frequent executions, compulsory military service, and punitive income tax rates. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 6 million Goddess Domainians are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources".

The enormous, moralistic, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Public Transport. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 66.7%.

The strong Goddess Domainian economy, worth 350 billion lire a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient black market in Uranium Mining, Beef-Based Agriculture, Arms Manufacturing, and Trout Farming. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 58,427 lire, with the richest citizens earning 9.1 times as much as the poorest.

Nudity is frowned upon, political activists are routinely executed, citizens are barcoded to keep track of their movements, and employers may fire workers without giving any reason. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Goddess Domain's national animal is the Pelinobius muticus, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests. "

u_u
You forgot one aspect. Religion! How can there be a Domain of the Goddess without religion!
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
There is a religion, Catholics. Haven't you see that South Park episode? (Or Jake J's sig?) :D
Erhm.. I don't watch South Park. I know, I know, I'm weird. And I am on AB with a phone, so I don't see the signatures actually. ;)
 

louise f

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jul 8, 2012
Messages
936
Things that i have ready alltimes.

1. Catch cup.
2. Tongs. Different sizes for different using.
3. Let`s not forget my pink straw :kiss: Haha, any straw would work or a paintbrush. :D
 

Redneck

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
1,393
When I rehouse a T, I use a big tote. They dart out and to a corner before going anywhere else. Then I can use a catch cup of the go up. Normally they don't. Once they go in the corners, place the new enclosure near them and boom. They go in it.
 
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