Arachnopotamus Rex
Arachnosquire
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2024
- Messages
- 148
So I have an entire bedroom dedicated to my tarantulas and scorpions, the heat and humidity in that room is perfect for growing plants in pots, as i've been doing so with spare terrarium plants.
However, I've got a decent amount of empty space in there that isn't taken up by enclosures or those plants, so I thought, why not grow some veggies as well?
I do not plan to put any crop related plants inside any of the enclosures, just in ceramic planter pots for later consumption by me, but I read that capcaisin evolved as a way to keep insects from eating the fruits of pepper plants.
Spiders and scorpions are obviously not insects, and are carnivores, and they are stuck in their tarantula cribs anyway, so this may seem like a pretty dumb question at first.
BUT... my worry is that chemical airborne scents from the capsaicin in hot peppers (in this case habaneros, carolina reapers, ghost peppers, and pepper x) would cause them discomfort or illness simply because they are arthropods.
I personally get sick from certain odors, usually ones from laundry detergents, fabric softeners, alcohol (especially isopropyl and to a lesser extent the smell of alcoholic drinks) , scented shampoos, deoderants, or body sprays, perfumes/colognes, cosmetic makeups, are fresheners like fabreeze, and cleaning agents like bleach, pinesol or lysol. These things cause me severe breathing problems even at a distance, for quite some time after the source has gone.
So I was wondering if anyone has any knowledge on whether or not capcaicin effects arthropods at a distance in a similar way, or is it just if they are trying to eat the plant?
I know this stuff gets used for mace, and I know when I cook my spiciest food dishes, some people cannot handle the fumes (I am the type of person who puts the hottest sauces in the world on basically everything I can and I'm completely unphased by it).
I honestly do not know what capcasin does to deter insects (though I can confirm consuming it makes mosquitos ignore me) whether its just a bad taste for them or if it acts like a lethal insecticide, and I do not know if it effects other arthropods that aren't insects.
Any info on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
However, I've got a decent amount of empty space in there that isn't taken up by enclosures or those plants, so I thought, why not grow some veggies as well?
I do not plan to put any crop related plants inside any of the enclosures, just in ceramic planter pots for later consumption by me, but I read that capcaisin evolved as a way to keep insects from eating the fruits of pepper plants.
Spiders and scorpions are obviously not insects, and are carnivores, and they are stuck in their tarantula cribs anyway, so this may seem like a pretty dumb question at first.
BUT... my worry is that chemical airborne scents from the capsaicin in hot peppers (in this case habaneros, carolina reapers, ghost peppers, and pepper x) would cause them discomfort or illness simply because they are arthropods.
I personally get sick from certain odors, usually ones from laundry detergents, fabric softeners, alcohol (especially isopropyl and to a lesser extent the smell of alcoholic drinks) , scented shampoos, deoderants, or body sprays, perfumes/colognes, cosmetic makeups, are fresheners like fabreeze, and cleaning agents like bleach, pinesol or lysol. These things cause me severe breathing problems even at a distance, for quite some time after the source has gone.
So I was wondering if anyone has any knowledge on whether or not capcaicin effects arthropods at a distance in a similar way, or is it just if they are trying to eat the plant?
I know this stuff gets used for mace, and I know when I cook my spiciest food dishes, some people cannot handle the fumes (I am the type of person who puts the hottest sauces in the world on basically everything I can and I'm completely unphased by it).
I honestly do not know what capcasin does to deter insects (though I can confirm consuming it makes mosquitos ignore me) whether its just a bad taste for them or if it acts like a lethal insecticide, and I do not know if it effects other arthropods that aren't insects.
Any info on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Last edited:
