Mexican Red Knee Tarantula - I Have a Questions, Can you please Help me?

[EeensyWeensy]

Hi all so I'm new here my first post!

I'm buying a Mexican Red Knee Tarantula, 5 years old, previous owner had it for 2, says is friendly. I used to have a Mexican Black Tarantula breifly & it never bit me, I'm not sure if they shoot U hairs but it never did that to me...but I know the red knees shoot ouchy hairs

I did much research though woud like to know from others here some questions please ..........--how do u suggest to avoid being stung by the hairs
---ummm, I guess, what else, how much does it usually hurt?

Dammit why do spiders have to bite. i say just bite them back! lol

 

[FrostyCakee]

Hi all so I'm new here my first post!

I'm buying a Mexican Red Knee Tarantula, 5 years old, previous owner had it for 2, says is friendly. I used to have a Mexican Black Tarantula breifly & it never bit me, I'm not sure if they shoot U hairs but it never did that to me...but I know the red knees shoot ouchy hairs

I did much research though woud like to know from others here some questions please ..........--how do u suggest to avoid being stung by the hairs
---ummm, I guess, what else, how much does it usually hurt?

Dammit why do spiders have to bite. i say just bite them back! lol

Urticating hairs have different effects for each person.
from what i hear the hairs of the brachy's can be an annoyance.
and as to how to avoid being hit with hairs the only real way to completely avoid is to not handle, from what ive read and what i hear brachys like to flick.
but B. smithi tend to be more conservative about it so i wouldnt worry much.

 

[EeensyWeensy]

Hmm well I do want to be able to handle it, so I guess I just gotta expect it to happen at some point in time hey lol?

Sry and what do you mean by 'brachy'?

 

[FrostyCakee]

Brachy= Brachypelma. Its me being to lazy to type the full genus.
I also like to handle a few of my T's and the best way to tell if you should handle is to test the temperment with a soft paint brush. Dont poke the T but gently brush the abdomen and see how she/he reacts if she/he acts defensively then its best to leave it alone.
Im no expert just my experience.

 

[gmrpnk21]

Eensy, you definitely need to read more about the tarantula you are going to get BEFORE you get her. The urticating hairs are their defense mechanism and they will use them at any time they wish. Brachypelma are known for their particularly irritating hairs, but none of mine bother me. My friend kris however, is pretty sensitive to them.

 

[PitViper]

My Smithi will hair when she in her tank, but she wont bite, she is a complete angel, I have no problem with the hairs when they hit me but everyone will feel different like was said earlier.

 

[astraldisaster]

Brachypelma, including B. smithi, do tend to kick hair a lot, though every individual is different. Some are calmer and less defensive than others. My juvenile female will kick if bothered while in her tank, but stops once I coax her out. I don't react much to the hairs myself, but you'll just have to see how sensitive to them you are. Keep in mind that handling should be an occasional thing, as it stresses the T. I prefer to leave mine alone most of the time, for their own comfort and because I prefer how they look without big bald spots from excessive hair kicking. Also, no matter how docile a tarantula may seem, there's always the possibility that it could bite. You could startle it, or it could just be in a "bad mood" one day. Enjoy your new friend!

 

[Londoner]

If you have no reaction to urticating bristles now, it doesn't mean this will always be the case. Some people, myself included, have developed a sensitivity to U-hairs after repeated exposure. In my case, I've become super-sensitive to Brachypelma bristles. I was fine with them till about 4 or 5 years ago when I noticed a mild itching every time I did maintenance in a Brachypelma enclosure. It's now at the point where I have to pull on a pair of latex gloves to even lift the lid on a cage or I end up with intensely itchy, blotchy hands. It doesn't happen with any other genus I own and I've heard similar accounts from others with regards to Brachypelma bristles.

Just something to consider.

 

[malevolentrobot]

i'm just going to agree with most of the above posts. you'll get a kick from some of the slightest things depending on the size and "temperment" of you B. smithi. obviously not handling will limit the more major hair bombings, but its hard to avoid altogether, ime.

i traded the lot of mine off because like londoner my reaction got to the point of really painful contact dermatitis pustules when haired badly. my vagans and albo weren't too bad, but both smithis and bohemei readily kicked if disturbed.

 

[JC]

Be careful and wash your hands after making contact with anything Brachy-related.

You may have minor reactions if you get haired around the arms, but urticating hairs in they eyes are HELL and very dangerous, so don't put the spider on your face or even touch your face after handling a new-world hair kicker.

 

[Eagercannibals]

As previously stated, I would definitely suggest you read up more before you get the tarantula. To properly care for any animal you should understand that animal better before hand and can never just take any advice from pet owners or pet store sellers. For example when I first bought my tarantula they told me to put a cotton ball in the water dish; that is a terrible suggestion. Cotton balls, paper towels, tissues, all of that just harbours bacteria and is not necessary. The tarantula can drink from the dish fine without that. I would suggest you get one of the tarantula Keeper guides by Barron (in particular the revised edition). It was very informative.

 

[stronghold49]

The hairs are a newsence but all you need is some duct tape or heavy duty tape and put it on where he/she haired you and pull the tape off and you will be just fine

 

[compnerd7]

You can always wear some O.J. gloves when you handle your T, if your really worried about having a crazy T rash

 

[malevolentrobot]

You can always wear some O.J. gloves when you handle your T, if your really worried about having a crazy T rash

have you ever been bombed by a bohemei? you'd know that the hairs go much further than just the hands. i've found them in the weirdest of places, insides of my elbows, cheek, even back of the neck once without having put them there myself.

OP, if you are concerned about uhairs.... the best method is to disturb/irritate your tarantula as little as possible if you end up with a kicky one. seeing as how they get nothing out of being handled and are usually annoyed by it, this is one of the best things not to do if you want to avoid being haired.

...or just buy a G. pulchripes/pulchra and handle away

 

[Formerphobe]

I'm buying a Mexican Red Knee Tarantula, 5 years old, previous owner had it for 2, says is friendly. I used to have a Mexican Black Tarantula breifly & it never bit me, I'm not sure if they shoot U hairs but it never did that to me...but I know the red knees shoot ouchy hairs

I did much research though woud like to know from others here some questions please ..........--how do u suggest to avoid being stung by the hairs
---ummm, I guess, what else, how much does it usually hurt?

Dammit why do spiders have to bite. i say just bite them back! lol

To reiterate other responses:
You need to do more research.

Brachypelma smithi is the scientific name for the tarantula most commonly known as Mexican Red Knee, though there are several species from Mexico with red knees. Frequently shortened to B. smithi.Brachy or Brachypelma refers to all the species in that genus, many of whom have similar attributes.

They don't 'shoot' hairs.

How one reacts to the urticating hairs (more correctly setae) of individual species is dependent on the individual. (And different species have different types of urticating hairs.) The only way to find out how you react is to experience it. And your reaction could change with subsequent exposures.

Bites are different from being haired.

The best way to avoid being haired is to not handle the tarantula and take basic precaution when cleaning the enclosure. Many people here subscribe to the Look, Don't Touch philosophy for a variety of reasons: minimal exposure/reaction to hairs, hairs look much better on the T than in your hand or other body parts, reduced risk of being bitten, falls could be injurious or fatal to a tarantula...

What is a Mexican Black tarantula?