- Joined
- Jul 31, 2005
- Messages
- 661
Durn those fast/arboreal Ts like OBTs, Maculatas, Pokies etc.. When it's
time to give their enclosure a going over, do you dread trying to corral
them or detain them while your preparing and cleaning them?
I like to totally clean my spiders' habitats every few months by washing
them out, replacing the substrate etc. It cheers me up and I think in
the long run the Ts are better off for it too. The problem is that you
need to get the spider out of there and most of the terrestrials aren't
too bad to just cup out. Even if they are semi quick you can usually
coax them back down to the substrate or even cup them on the side
of the enclosure by herding them with a brush.
Then come the arboreal spiders, fast somtimes unpredictable and
jumpers too on occasion. If you have patience though this can
work and greatly reduces the chance of being bitten or have a
loose spider on your hands.
First pick a minimally furnished area to do it: Bathroom or screen in
porch work well. Carefully and methodically remove every obstacle
from their enclosure like cork bark, branches, plants, even water
dishes so their enclosure is empty except for them. Don't rush
always know where the T is so you can close it back in quickly
if that becomes necessary.
Last, and believe it or not I used a Starbucks paper coffee cup and
lid to do it this last time (just rinse it out and dry it well) or use
any cup and lid combo you have big enough for the spider, just
place the cup on it's side on the substrate with opening facing
toward the center of the tank. This is where the patience comes
in. After several mad chases around the Kritter Keeper accessing
it mainly through the top hatch, my beautiful female 5" HMAC
manage to remain uncuppable. I left the cup in there with some
self assuredness she would eventually go into the cup on her own.
The next day she remained defiantly high on the glass near the
top. 24 hours later she was totally inside the cup facing inward
I removed the top of the enclosure and snapped the lid onto the
cup.
The rest is history. She now resides in a totally clean and rinsed out
KK with all her "toys" No webbing of course, that went first so clear
that away before even starting to remove the other stuff.
time to give their enclosure a going over, do you dread trying to corral
them or detain them while your preparing and cleaning them?
I like to totally clean my spiders' habitats every few months by washing
them out, replacing the substrate etc. It cheers me up and I think in
the long run the Ts are better off for it too. The problem is that you
need to get the spider out of there and most of the terrestrials aren't
too bad to just cup out. Even if they are semi quick you can usually
coax them back down to the substrate or even cup them on the side
of the enclosure by herding them with a brush.
Then come the arboreal spiders, fast somtimes unpredictable and
jumpers too on occasion. If you have patience though this can
work and greatly reduces the chance of being bitten or have a
loose spider on your hands.
First pick a minimally furnished area to do it: Bathroom or screen in
porch work well. Carefully and methodically remove every obstacle
from their enclosure like cork bark, branches, plants, even water
dishes so their enclosure is empty except for them. Don't rush
always know where the T is so you can close it back in quickly
if that becomes necessary.
Last, and believe it or not I used a Starbucks paper coffee cup and
lid to do it this last time (just rinse it out and dry it well) or use
any cup and lid combo you have big enough for the spider, just
place the cup on it's side on the substrate with opening facing
toward the center of the tank. This is where the patience comes
in. After several mad chases around the Kritter Keeper accessing
it mainly through the top hatch, my beautiful female 5" HMAC
manage to remain uncuppable. I left the cup in there with some
self assuredness she would eventually go into the cup on her own.
The next day she remained defiantly high on the glass near the
top. 24 hours later she was totally inside the cup facing inward
I removed the top of the enclosure and snapped the lid onto the
cup.
The rest is history. She now resides in a totally clean and rinsed out
KK with all her "toys" No webbing of course, that went first so clear
that away before even starting to remove the other stuff.