Incense and tarantulas

[antinous]

Even though I'm not the most religious person out there, I still like saying some mantras to help meditate every now and then and that requires me to use incense. Does anyone know if this will hurt the tarantulas at all? They'll be in the same 'smallish' sized room. I could keep the windows open during the summer when I do this, but I'm not going to be doing it often. Probably once or twice a week.

Edit: Annnddd the search function works great. Should've used it before making the thread, I apologize.

 

[viper69]

I would not risk this at all. This incense is not found in the wild, why jeopardize the life of your pets? It could harm them over time and you may not know until you find a dead T.

 

[skippydude]

Any kind of smoke will stress your T's and will be harmful to their health

 

[freedumbdclxvi]

Used incense off and on for years. Kept spiders for years. As long as you aren't subjecting your spiders to a closed room filled with smoke like some sort of backroom gambling operation, you should be fine.

 

[MrsHaas]

I use incense never had a prob, just don't let it into their area whe they could breath in the smoke.

 

[scorpionchaos]

Used incense off and on for years. Kept spiders for years. As long as you aren't subjecting your spiders to a closed room filled with smoke like some sort of backroom gambling operation, you should be fine.

oops... I need to fix something I'll be right back xD

 

[Smokehound714]

I hate incense. It like, offends me.

 

[oooo35980]

Depends on the incense I would imagine, I burn frankincense from time to time. I'd never do it in the same room with my Ts because it's an insecticide and I don't want to test it's arachnicidal properties.

 

[Dalix]

Since spiders don't breathe at all, I wouldn't expect there to be a problem unless the air was thick enough with it that a residue could form on the T.

 

[Tongue Flicker]

I often light an incense stick or two just to change the mood. I see no harm as long as it is a well-ventilated room

 

[ratluvr76]

Since spiders don't breathe at all, I wouldn't expect there to be a problem unless the air was thick enough with it that a residue could form on the T.

well, this isn't exactly accurate. They don't breathe in and out like most animals do that's true. They do, however have an exchange of gases between their blood supply and the outside air. I imagine that if the air they are in is contaminated they could very well be affected, I don't think incense would be a problem though? idk. hard to say.

This is information I found on the operation of book lungs and kind of an overview of how they work, I found this on book lung (anatomy) -- Encyclopedia Britannica
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/73354/book-lung

book lung, form of respiratory organ found in certain air-breathing arachnid arthropods (scorpions and some spiders). Each book lung consists of a series of thin plates that are highly vascular (i.e., richly supplied with blood) and are arranged in relation to each other like the pages of a book. These plates extend into an internal pouch formed by the external skeleton that opens to the exterior by a small slit. This provides an extensive surface for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide with the surrounding air. There are four pairs in scorpions and up to two in spiders.

 

[Dalix]

well, this isn't exactly accurate. They don't breathe in and out like most animals do that's true. They do, however have an exchange of gases between their blood supply and the outside air. I imagine that if the air they are in is contaminated they could very well be affected, I don't think incense would be a problem though? idk. hard to say.

Maybe I should have been more specific: the "in and out" bit is breathing. Tarantulas respire, just like all living things, but they just do it passively, i.e. without any forces movement of air. If any particles (dust, incense, etc.) were to make it into the folds of the book lungs they probably wouldn't cause an issue unless the particles contained some chemicals capable of diffusion into the spider's hemolymph. Given the book lungs' passive nature and the science of fluid dynamics, it seems very unlikely any floating particle would make its way into such small crevices.

 

[sugarsandz]

I light incense almost everyday but I don't do it near my spiders. I light them in the kitchen which is a floor below my tarantula room but have never had issues. I don't know if this is helpful to you but I find that the Japanese style incense put off a lot less smoke compared to the ones that you can find at most big chain stores. My personal favorite is by a company by the name of Shoyeido and the scent is Moss Garden.

 

[YungRasputin]

arachnid respiration is similar to that of mammalian respiratory systems - i would consider finding other means or locations in which to meditate:

“Book lungs are the main respiratory organ in most arachnids (spiders and scorpions). Book lungs are within small openings in the abdomen of the arachnid. The book lungs themselves consist of a series of haemolymph filled plate-like structures. Between the plates there is an air space and this allows air to circulate around the plates. Gaseous exchange then occurs through the surface of the plates.

Book lungs get their name from the fact that the stacked plates have the appearance of the closed pages of a book.”

 

[IronMaiden]

I've been burning incense in the same room as my T's for awhile now. I haven't noticed anything wrong with my Ts. I keep them in a decent sized room with a fan circulating the air so maybe that helps idk...

 

[Jesse607]

My wife is Hindu, she burns incense regularly for her prayers...and for years in the same room as the tarantulas. Even now, the incense fills up our entire one bedroom apartment. Four years since she moved in with me, and no harmful effects to the tarantulas have been observed. If I put a burning incense stick in with a tarantula, that would likely have an undesirable outcome.