Hazard from scented candles and smudge?

[Pedipalpable]

So I recently got my first tarantula, a 2" juvenile Brachypelma hamorii. I have her in my room, which is at the end of a hallway and directly adjacent to the main bathroom. The doors to the two rooms are perpendicular to one another with about five feet between them.

My mother sometimes uses scented candles in there when she goes and has a relaxing bath, and these candles are strong. In fact, the scent is so overpowering to me that if I go in there after she has had a bath, I will get a headache from the intensity of the smell. So I am of course worried that this will likely harm my T if the vapors were to make their way into my room. Moreover, she sometimes smudges with cedar in there, which is even more worrying because not only is smoke harmful to Ts, I also know that cedar contains natural insecticide compounds that make it lethal to invertebrates.

My main concern is that even if I ensure my door stays closed, the vapors from the bathroom could still get into my room by sneaking under both doors or from in the hallway when the bathroom door is opened. I have my T situated pretty much as far away from the door of my room as possible and right under the window, so I wonder if maybe I mitigate the risk by opening window to create some airflow. The problem with that though is that the window she is under is also right next to the bathroom window, so vapors from the bathroom might come through if both windows are open.

I'm not sure what to do. My mother is insistant that she not give up smudging or candles, nor is she willing to use them in a different room. That said, she is rather found of my T and would hate to kill it accidentally. What might people suggest? Air filter? I can't move the T as there is nowhere else I can put it. @HooahArmy, perhaps you could chime in with your chemical expertise?

TL;DR: I'm worried that my mother smudging and using candles in the bathroom next to my bedroom could kill my T and want to know how to mitigate the risk.

 

[HooahArmy]

I'm not sure what to do. My mother is insistant that she not give up smudging or candles, nor is she willing to use them in a different room. That said, she is rather found of my T and would hate to kill it accidentally. What might people suggest? Air filter? I can't move the T as there is nowhere else I can put it. @HooahArmy, perhaps you could chime in with your chemical expertise?

The conch has been blown and I have been summoned!
(Please pardon my lateness; it has been a hectic week at my unit.)

Alright, let's get to business with the quick and dirty of exactly how scented candles and smudging work! Both methods use fire to release volatile chemicals (those with a high vapor pressure and can easily go airborne) into the air. While the stuff released by candles has a higher level of vaporized wax, scented oils or essential oils, and soot; smudging releases mostly soot and a lesser amount of natural aromatic oils.
All of these things enter our noses and lungs when we breathe them in--hence smelling them--and they can also linger in an area, causing residue to form on walls or furniture where candles or smudging is used very often. The airborne presence of all of the items released in the air can land on an invert or enter their book lungs as well when they respire. While the stuff on their bodies can be easily groomed off or be shed with a molt, the stuff that enters their lungs or cling to their enclosures can be more of a problem. Unlike critters with noses, invers can't cough, sneeze, make snot, or swallow to pass irritants out of their lungs; hence in the long-term, they may be potentially harmful. Some precautions you can take to protect your pal can be:
1. Open a window and close doors, just as you suggested. A large physical barrier like a door, or clean draft of air does make a difference!
2. Use scientific evidence for persuasion. Make note of things such as how invert 'lungs' work versus human lungs and mention that the critters can't expel the irritants. Using candles or smudging farther away will help; if you can smell it, the volatile chemicals or soot is already in the air.
3. Gauge the amount of expose your pals are coming across. I do this in my own home when I light candles downstairs. Touch your windows or furniture and see if there is a layer of grimy residue (other than daily grime) that resembles wax, oil, or soot. The more residue you find, the more 'stuff' you can note to be entering your space. During chemical and toxin assessments, my team uses this same procedure to gauge existing exposures. If you're finding a lot of waxy grime or soot, you can then use it as an arguing point, then wipe it down and watch how it builds over the next weeks to months, to measure what's happening. Keep arguing!
4. Air filters too, as you have suggested, also can help, yet only if you keep your space rather closed to avoid incoming contamination. I live in southern California where wildfires are prevalent and have seen myself how a simple air filter can clear my room for myself and my mice when the air in the rest of my house smells like a bonfire, and the air outside looks like a fogy morning.

Best of luck, my friend, and feel free to ask me anything else you would like, or let me know if you need any more hints, tips, or data!

 

[Tentacle Toast]

Your mom sounds interesting.

 

[Pedipalpable]

Sorry for the wait. I had meant to reply earlier but then got distracted and forgot.

The conch has been blown and I have been summoned!
(Please pardon my lateness; it has been a hectic week at my unit.)

Alright, let's get to business with the quick and dirty of exactly how scented candles and smudging work! Both methods use fire to release volatile chemicals (those with a high vapor pressure and can easily go airborne) into the air. While the stuff released by candles has a higher level of vaporized wax, scented oils or essential oils, and soot; smudging releases mostly soot and a lesser amount of natural aromatic oils.
All of these things enter our noses and lungs when we breathe them in--hence smelling them--and they can also linger in an area, causing residue to form on walls or furniture where candles or smudging is used very often. The airborne presence of all of the items released in the air can land on an invert or enter their book lungs as well when they respire. While the stuff on their bodies can be easily groomed off or be shed with a molt, the stuff that enters their lungs or cling to their enclosures can be more of a problem. Unlike critters with noses, invers can't cough, sneeze, make snot, or swallow to pass irritants out of their lungs; hence in the long-term, they may be potentially harmful. Some precautions you can take to protect your pal can be:
1. Open a window and close doors, just as you suggested. A large physical barrier like a door, or clean draft of air does make a difference!
2. Use scientific evidence for persuasion. Make note of things such as how invert 'lungs' work versus human lungs and mention that the critters can't expel the irritants. Using candles or smudging farther away will help; if you can smell it, the volatile chemicals or soot is already in the air.
3. Gauge the amount of expose your pals are coming across. I do this in my own home when I light candles downstairs. Touch your windows or furniture and see if there is a layer of grimy residue (other than daily grime) that resembles wax, oil, or soot. The more residue you find, the more 'stuff' you can note to be entering your space. During chemical and toxin assessments, my team uses this same procedure to gauge existing exposures. If you're finding a lot of waxy grime or soot, you can then use it as an arguing point, then wipe it down and watch how it builds over the next weeks to months, to measure what's happening. Keep arguing!
4. Air filters too, as you have suggested, also can help, yet only if you keep your space rather closed to avoid incoming contamination. I live in southern California where wildfires are prevalent and have seen myself how a simple air filter can clear my room for myself and my mice when the air in the rest of my house smells like a bonfire, and the air outside looks like a fogy morning.

Best of luck, my friend, and feel free to ask me anything else you would like, or let me know if you need any more hints, tips, or data!

Thank you so much for all this great information! You certainly know a lot.

I explained to my mom about it and she has taken to burning the smudge in the other bathroom for the time being. Don’t think she’s burned any candles since I got my T but I’m not nearly as worried about those since the smell does not seem to drift very far. With the smudge, the smell permeates the other bathroom she’s taken to burning it in and the main bedroom that it is adjoined to and can be smelled a bit in the hallway too! Nothing in my bedroom though, thankfully.

I am also now considering getting an air filter for my room both to guard against contaminants and keep the air clear and free of dust.

Lastly, I have one other question. And that is whether or not the presence or absence of a noticeable smell is a reliable indicator of whether or not harmful levels of contaminants are present. Is it still possible that there may be enough soot or chemicals in the air to cause harm to a T even if I am unable to notice anything? Thanks in advance!

Your mom sounds interesting.

Haha, yeah I’d say she is. As I mentioned in my original post, she really adores my T. In fact, she even came up with the name that I ended up using for her, which is Ruby. She was always quite afraid of spiders but I’ve taught her over the years to respect and appreciate them. Overall a wonderful woman.

 

[HooahArmy]

Lastly, I have one other question. And that is whether or not the presence or absence of a noticeable smell is a reliable indicator of whether or not harmful levels of contaminants are present. Is it still possible that there may be enough soot or chemicals in the air to cause harm to a T even if I am unable to notice anything? Thanks in advance!

Nice work, buddy!
Smell isn't always an indicator of the presence of something. Not all chemicals have a smell, and horrifyingly, some of the deadliest agents I've ever worked with in the military have no smell at all, or just smell like something lovely like flowers or grass. An example of a chemical with no smell but is deadly is natural gas, like the stuff that powers some stoves. Gas companies add a sulfur compound to give it a rotten egg smell, so you can know when it's leaking.
But back to your question. 'Smell' in general, just means that a chemical activates your olfactory (smelling) receptors. Not all contaminants do this. Some people also go 'nose-blind' to smells that have been around for a long time. The best way to check for smell-less contaminants around pets or vulnerable populations without fancy equipment is (as I'm taught to recommend):
The Wipe Check! Clean your living space and keep note of surfaces after a period of time. Did a grime develop on your window over a week? (airborne gunk) Anything around certain areas? Look closely at it to determine what it could be. Darker colors in households often indicate soot from smoking, smudging, or candles. Oily residues are from volatile oils like air fresheners, plug-ins, candles, and wax warmers. Totally try this for a week or a month and just check what you get! (just discount the regular dust)
Ts are survivors and can handle a lot of funk in their surroundings since they live in hostile natural environments surrounded by mineral runoffs, animal feces and other excreta, mildew, bacteria, and rotting boluses. They can adapt as well, so lastly I must add that the best way to also detect if something is irritating your T is to keep an eye on them. If you see gunk building up on their enclosure, their water having residue on the surface (I had this myself when Cali was on fire), or see them acting oddly or grooming excessively, that can clue you in that something's going on. The average person doesn't have specialized equipment to detect funky things, so the next best machine is you! Keeping vigilant around your pal to monitor their/your living space and conditions closely.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

So I recently got my first tarantula, a 2" juvenile Brachypelma hamorii. I have her in my room, which is at the end of a hallway and directly adjacent to the main bathroom. The doors to the two rooms are perpendicular to one another with about five feet between them.

My mother sometimes uses scented candles in there when she goes and has a relaxing bath, and these candles are strong. In fact, the scent is so overpowering to me that if I go in there after she has had a bath, I will get a headache from the intensity of the smell. So I am of course worried that this will likely harm my T if the vapors were to make their way into my room. Moreover, she sometimes smudges with cedar in there, which is even more worrying because not only is smoke harmful to Ts, I also know that cedar contains natural insecticide compounds that make it lethal to invertebrates.

My main concern is that even if I ensure my door stays closed, the vapors from the bathroom could still get into my room by sneaking under both doors or from in the hallway when the bathroom door is opened. I have my T situated pretty much as far away from the door of my room as possible and right under the window, so I wonder if maybe I mitigate the risk by opening window to create some airflow. The problem with that though is that the window she is under is also right next to the bathroom window, so vapors from the bathroom might come through if both windows are open.

I'm not sure what to do. My mother is insistant that she not give up smudging or candles, nor is she willing to use them in a different room. That said, she is rather found of my T and would hate to kill it accidentally. What might people suggest? Air filter? I can't move the T as there is nowhere else I can put it. @HooahArmy, perhaps you could chime in with your chemical expertise?

TL;DR: I'm worried that my mother smudging and using candles in the bathroom next to my bedroom could kill my T and want to know how to mitigate the risk.

Id be more worried about the irritability of the urticating hairs over if your candles hurt a T. I’d say there no way a candle could hurt a T unless it’s like a mosquito type of candle or anti bug nothing you would light inside ofc. urticating hairs I always wear gloves only time I didn’t I broke out, I still break out even with gloves but occasionally I don’t . I’m not getting anymore nw with urticating hairs.