How to lure/catch escaped tarantula.

[Richard9393]

My T has escaped in the night I've searched extensively.
I've heard mention of a water trap to lure them out. How would I go about luring and trapping the T?

 

[cold blood]

Prayers perhaps.

 

[cold blood]

Unless you know where the t is (you do not), trying to lure it out would be nearly impossible....hence my suggestion of prayer.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I agree with cold blood. I know that isn't the best advice, but how, honestly, i can help? 25 years of Theraphosidae, never happened a thing like that to me.
Search. Search. Search. Then if you are very lucky, catch cup the bugger.
That's the only Captain Obvious advice i can give you man.
Pay more attention to the enclosure/holes size/well closed lids etc you use next time, no 'fence.

 

[Sam_Peanuts]

I tried leaving their enclosure open with water in it, but never had any luck luring them.

I always find my escapees randomly either on the floor or a wall a few days/weeks/months later.

 

[Bugmom]

You're going to get lucky, or you aren't. I think tarantulas can be "lured" about as well as they can be taught to play fetch.

 

[PNW Keith]

Would providing a safe heat source help? Not sure what that would be, maybe heating packs? Provide a warm dark place for it to gravitate to as many people seem to find their lost ones near the water heater. This is not a suggestion, just asking the group if this is a possible thing to try.

 

[Sam_Peanuts]

You've got nothing to lose trying it, but I found both of my escapees one on the cold tile kitchen floor(most of my appartment have wooden floor which is a lot less cold) and another one on the only exterior wall in my tarantula room so pretty much the opposite of a heat source in my case.

 

[cold blood]

Would providing a safe heat source help? Not sure what that would be, maybe heating packs? Provide a warm dark place for it to gravitate to as many people seem to find their lost ones near the water heater. This is not a suggestion, just asking the group if this is a possible thing to try.

Sounds totally logical, but....

You've got nothing to lose trying it, but I found both of my escapees one on the cold tile kitchen floor(most of my appartment have wooden floor which is a lot less cold) and another one on the only exterior wall in my tarantula room so pretty much the opposite of a heat source in my case.

My experiences have been the same. I've had 2 escapes, first was a G. porteri. Looked everywhere for 2 days, concentrating on all the warmer areas, the third day I found her in the back of a large ground level storage on the tile in the bathroom...it was literally the coldest place in the house that she could have found.

The second was a 2" N. chromatus. It was winter and the house was cold aside from the t room, I assumed it would have stayed in the warmth...nope, found her 2 days later walking across the side of the dog bed...it was 65 in the house, 80 in the room she left.

Moral of the story, look everywhere, even those places you would least expect.

 

[gypsy cola]

if you have a cat, watch where it is looking at.

I have had escaped T's before but they I always lucky they were on top of the cage they escaped from. I actually found the T's before I knew they were missing.

When I was more into snakes. I would place plastic bags in every nook and cranny and listen for a rustling when doing my day to day activities.

 

[Quixtar]

I would check the warmer areas in your house and areas of high moisture, like the bathrooms. While you're at it, seal up any nooks or crannies the T could squeeze into.

 

[cold blood]

if you have a cat, watch where it is looking at.

Good advise...most of the rouge crickets I find are a result of watching the dog's reaction.

 

[Poec54]

Unless you're on alert 24/7 watching all over your house, how are you going to see it? You really can't 'lure' an escaped tarantula into anything, too many places for them to go. Water? IF it did go there (and you'd have to have water puddles/bowls all over your house), once it drank, it wouldn't hang around. So if it drank in the middle of the night, what's accomplished? Trap? Something's going to spring shut, without injuring the spider? That's pretty goofy advice even for the internet.

They're nocturnal, so the best time to look is after dark; they may be moving around the house to find a better place to hide. I'd periodically tip toe around with a flashlight in one hand, and a deli cup in the other. Once they find a suitable place, they'll probably stay there. It may be inside or under heavy furniture or an appliance.

If it's an old world, you somehow need to keep cats, dogs, and kids away from it.

 

[Bugmom]

Would providing a safe heat source help? Not sure what that would be, maybe heating packs? Provide a warm dark place for it to gravitate to as many people seem to find their lost ones near the water heater. This is not a suggestion, just asking the group if this is a possible thing to try.

Two words: Bathtub drain.

So uh... check your drains? lol

 

[Tman86]

They can literally go anywhere. Id start with the room it was lost in. Turn all lights of, once every hr go in and turn light on and look around. More likely to come out in the dark. I hear lots of people find them in their laundry. So many dark crevices in the clothes. But again it could be anywhere.

What kind of T and how big? If its arboreal its likely to head upward so look on walls begind picture frames, etc... If its a big T and not a sling you can try putting some flour in the doorways, if the T walks through the flour you'll see its tracks. Itll give you an idea what room it went to. Obviously its a shot in the dark but its possible itll pass through a doorway.

 

[Andrea82]

What kind of T and how big? If its arboreal its likely to head upward so look on walls begind picture frames, etc... If its a big T and not a sling you can try putting some flour in the doorways, if the T walks through the flour you'll see its tracks. Itll give you an idea what room it went to. Obviously its a shot in the dark but its possible itll pass through a doorway.

He bombed his house with pesticides, see his thread 'lost T'.
It was a phlogius sp I believe,although there was also someone who thought it was a selenotype?