herbs for taranulas (medical, not eating)

[von_z]

MushroomSpore: I see no reason to humor a bad idea just because it's "creative."


All I meant was lets play nice.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

All I meant was lets play nice.

At least nobody's countertrolling, right? (Whatever happened to the last guy the board went nuts on anyway? The skater guy? Anyone know? I can't remember his username. :? )

 

[scar is my t]

No. Just no. This will at best accomplish nothing. Plants will not make an insectivore healthier, ever. Plants will also not accomplish ANYTHING for spider injuries that a cornstarch/whatever "bandage" to hold them over until the next molt (wherein they will repair that injury) can't. Spiders do not heal slowly over time like mammals do, they just try to survive until the next molt and then heal all at once. Plants aren't going to change anything.

If you insist on putting "plants" in their food, just gutload a cricket normally. Not with "herbs" (whatever that means), though.



I see no reason to humor a bad idea just because it's "creative."



Oh, you *are* new. We've had some pretty epic trolls, in fact. Pity the mods eventually baleeted most of the evidence, or I'd link you.

i dont care wat u are saying im looking into it and if u tink it wont work just dont look at the thread :? :? :? :?

 

[von_z]

At least nobody's countertrolling, right? (Whatever happened to the last guy the board went nuts on anyway? The skater guy? Anyone know? I can't remember his username. :? )

I think the skater guy finally gave up...lol

 

[Mushroom Spore]

i dont care wat u are saying im looking into it and if u tink it wont work just dont look at the thread :? :? :? :?

If you post on a forum devoted to advice and discussion, you do not get to say that only the people who agree with you are allowed to reply. If someone thinks it's a bad/incorrect theory, they are allowed to say so.

I think the skater guy finally gave up...lol

Now that's arachnojustice.

 

[cacoseraph]

No. Just no. This will at best accomplish nothing. Plants will not make an insectivore healthier, ever. Plants will also not accomplish ANYTHING for spider injuries that a cornstarch/whatever "bandage" to hold them over until the next molt (wherein they will repair that injury) can't. Spiders do not heal slowly over time like mammals do, they just try to survive until the next molt and then heal all at once. Plants aren't going to change anything.

errr... you *are* aware the corn starch is just a preperation of a plant, right?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_starch





to the original poster... while i suspect you can find a better clotting agent i suggest you study spider or at least arthropod biology a bit before randomly rubbing ground ginger or whatever on cut spiders.

as for feeding the feeders herbs and such like... in moderation it is probably a good idea (provided you study up enough to avoid natural insecticidals!). i personally think there is a decent amount of knowledge to be gained in micronutrient study on spiders... but it would be fairly exacting and hideously anal retentive work to produce anything worthwhile

 

[UrbanJungles]

Most of the attributes of herbs/plants that we find pleasant (aromas, tastes, etc.) are usually some sort of plant defense...usually for insects. A predatory invert. has no reason to be around herbs unless there's a cricket hiding in there.

 

[drasar]

Actually I was thinking/wondering the other day about a vitamin or some kind of supliment you could add to a T's say water...tried the herbs and my rosea won't inhale

 

[cacoseraph]

you really should probably "filter" everything through a feeder, rather than trying to get the T to ingest it directly. if you put particulate plants in the water the T won't ingest them, they will get filtered out. you might be able to get it to ingest essential oils... or at least i think it would physically be possible but i have NO idea if it would be good for the t... i suspect not in most cases =P

experimentation is all well and good but a little research into basic biology and tarantula biology and scientific method will save you MUCH wasted time!

 

[jen650s]

Most of the attributes of herbs/plants that we find pleasant (aromas, tastes, etc.) are usually some sort of plant defense...usually for insects. A predatory invert. has no reason to be around herbs unless there's a cricket hiding in there.

Yep, Danny is right on the money here.

Most of the things we as humans prize in herbs are the essential oils. The essential oils in herbs (especially the species labled as officinalis or vulgaris) have fungicidal/insecticidal properties hence some of the common names Artimisia vulgaris is commonly known as wormwood because it is an effective worming agent. It is now known that this plant is not only toxic to worms, but to humans as well in large enough doses, it cause other problems in humans in smaller doses and in very, very small doses it does a great job of it's historic use. Many of the historical "common" names for plants have been lost to us as have their original reasons for having those common names and experimenting with them without an indepth understanding of how and why the essential oils in the plant in question works is just asking for dead Ts. A common thing we talk about in botany is the poison is in the dose and I for one wouldn't want to experiment to find out what the acceptable dose might possibly be per gram of body weight for a T.

Most organic insecticides come from herbs and many of them work every bit as well as the chemical ones. When you talk about gut loading feeders with these and then feeding the feeder to your T you forget that apex predators are the sum of all the feeders they ingest. So, what won't hurt 1 cricket/roach might kill a T that has eaten 20 of them over time.

Be very, very careful about going down this road without a solid understanding of both botany and entomology.

 

[gambite]

Go for it. Though I doubt it will get anywhere. Also, dont try it on any T's that you are attached to.

 

[GailC]

I think the problem here is that when most people hear the word "herb" they think of the kinds we cook with like rosemary or mint.
The OP is talking about medicinal plants and they are much different then what we eat. I've been studying medicinal plants for many years and I really can't think of any that would be helpful to a spider.
Maybe some fenugreek tea in the water to help with internal hydration. Not one come to mind that would help their skin though, its so different from ours that the plants we would use for wounds just wouldn't work on a T.
Before you could ever market ANY herbal mixture for T use, you would need years of trials on your own T's to make sure its safe. Are you willing to do that? I personally wouldn't buy/use anything on any pet if it was tested to be safe. What would you do if your mixture killed someones collection? You would be responsible not only for a refund of the product but also for replacement animals.
You would be better off making herbal supplements for dogs or cats, at least we know what is safe for them.

 

[scar is my t]

now im seeing alot beeter replies and jthey are all good there are yes and no's but they all have good points i will take all of them into consideration:clap:

 

[JMoran1097]

well here is the story.my friend's mom has a herbal bussiness and i was thinking to get some $ i could make a recipe that can help injured tarantula, help them molt, make there food better.i want ideas of herbs that wont hurt a tarantula and maby websites on it.

i got herb, it might slow down your tarantulas a lot though. i recommend it for personal use.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

errr... you *are* aware the corn starch is just a preperation of a plant, right?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_starch

Corn starch isn't used because of any wonky medicinal properties though, but because it's physical qualities make for a good clotting aid like any number of similar substances. Heck, I think some people have used plain old soil in the same way.

Most of the attributes of herbs/plants that we find pleasant (aromas, tastes, etc.) are usually some sort of plant defense...usually for insects.

This too, big time.

 

[JayzunBoget]

Corn starch isn't used because of any wonky medicinal properties though, but because it's physical qualities make for a good clotting aid...

The difference between "wonky medicinal properties" and corn starches physical qualities are that you have accepted the properties of corn starch, but not "herbal medicines".
I, too, am skeptical about some of the claims made of certain herbal medicines, but that does not discount the efficacy of all herbal medicines.
I applaud the OP for making such considerations, but doubt if any of the research necessary to know what the effects of even a handful of herbs could be on tarantulas, will happen any time soon.

 

[kingfarvito]

This guy is an obvious troll...altho sort of funny.

Who would have thought there would be trolls here.

hes not a troll.....ive talked to him a little i wont post his age here he can do that if he chooses but its about 1/2 of some of the members here

 

[Mushroom Spore]

The difference between "wonky medicinal properties" and corn starches physical qualities are that you have accepted the properties of corn starch, but not "herbal medicines".

If it can be accomplished by anything from cornstarch to dirt, it doesn't have anything to do with the properties of "herbal medicine," really. That's my point - there is no point to experimenting with possibly dangerous plants for this reason, because not only are plants very unlikely to have any effect on the somewhat alien (and very insectivore) biology of an arachnid, but at best you'll just find a spongy (or whatever) plant that's...like corn starch or dirt. Which is not anything special compared to just using what the hobby already uses.

It's a fact that some plants are used in human medicines, but I'm not about to claim that what works for mammal biology is going to have even the slightest effect on arachnid biology. It's like comparing apples and oxen - not even close.

 

[JayzunBoget]

It's a fact that some plants are used in human medicines, but I'm not about to claim that what works for mammal biology is going to have even the slightest effect on arachnid biology. It's like comparing apples and oxen - not even close.

But it's not like apples and oxen. There are alot more similarities, just none that you can assume. I don't necessarily endorse randomly testing "herbs" on tarantulas, but how do you think "they" (the veterinary community) found out which medicines work on arachnids? I assure you that Piperacillin has little in common with corn starch or dirt.

ps corn starch would be considered more of an herbal remedy, and one I do not recommend. Corn starch has a tendency to mold. The book on invertebrate medicine that I have recommends Ca based "super glue";P
It's ok, it doesn't automatically make you a hippy to admit that some herbal remedies could have some efficacy, even occasionally the efficacy that it claims.

 

[jen650s]

hes not a troll.....ive talked to him a little i wont post his age here he can do that if he chooses but its about 1/2 of some of the members here

Just a hunch, he's a lot younger than half some of our ages, mine included . But is in the same age bracket as others.

But as many, myself included, have said using plants valued throughout history for their ability to protect from insects/arachnids (esp ticks and chiggers etc.) is running a large risk with their animals. That includes giving those plants to their feeders, as what doesn't kill a feeder may given enough feeders kill a T which will store those chemical components in their bodies. If you have a large population of Ts you are willing to experiment on, sacrifice, and possibly intentionally harm in controlled experiments go for it.

Somehow I doubt that is the case and not killing a single T is different from improving the condition of a collection of same species Ts. Which is different still from improving the condition of many species of Ts over a controlled and extended period of time.

BE CAREFUL! Especially when other people's beloved animals are in the balance. With your own do as you will, but expect to be vilified when you cry if the die.