OBT Escape Saga continued...

[Sheri]

Tried to lure it, ended up spraying it, which resulted in it's death, as expected.

Have flushed the area as best as I can, and will keep the other T's out of the room for a month, to be safe.

Sad to have to kill the animal, but in this instance, it was for the best.

Thanks all for your help, and here's hoping I never, ever have to do that again.

 

[becca81]

I'm glad to hear that it's resolved.

Hate to hear that you had to kill it, but I know I'd do the exact same thing given the situation. I was curious if the spray would work instantly or if would be able to run and hide again.

Were you able to actually remove the spider?

 

[Darryl Albers]

Sheri,

Yes, I do think stray cats are bad for the responsible pet owners that have numerous cats and none of their cats are "stray".

Do I think it is irresponsible to lose an exotic pet? Yes I do. Does it cause problems for responsible keepers of exotics that don't allow the opportunity of their animals escaping? Yes i do .

Mate i lost my t this weekend due to unfortunate circumstances and my smithi was dead when i found it ,, i just hope sheri finds it alive and well .
it happens mate !!! deal with it , and dont worry about the public ,, they do a cracking job at scaring themselves .

 

[arachnoguy]

glad to see that the matter has been resolved. sorry you had to kill it to do so.

 

[cryptly]

Glad to hear the saga is at an end. Was hoping for a happier ending tho. At least now you can rest knowing that it's all over now.

 

[Deschain]

I was beyond surprised when I saw the pic of it in the baseboards...that's where mine was the first time it Houdinied.

I was going to suggest stuffing some clothes etc. further along the baseboards to bottle in it, and/or force it out in the open. Too late.

I wish you were able to catch the little guy, but as far as that guy was moving it was just impossible to let him get away a third time.

At least now you can get some sleep...after you take down all the sticky tape. ;P

Please , can I get on your ignore list too. .

lmfao!

 

[Sheri]

Thanks Des... I had a nap this afternoon, so I think I shall be totally recovered by tomorrow. Too bad the same cannot be said for the spider.

Another coincidence, hey? I considered trying to do that, but that is the wall that divides my living room from my kitchen, and there was a distinct possibility that there was space to retreat right into the other room, under the wall... as this is a 40 year house.

It bolted when I first tried to lure it out, and I couldn't reach it with the deli cup as it took off behind the shelf and started up the wall. Too bad, but I prefer a dead spider over one with an undetermined location in my house.

I've had enough excitement for a little while. Needless to say, I look at the communal enclosure a little differently when I walk by it now.

But I do have a question, I removed all my spiders from that room prior to using the spray... and I will leave them removed for a month to be sure as the can says; "Keeps on Killing for 2 Weeks!"... which is a little surreal to even see those words printed on anything for consumer use!

But the question... I had neglected to remove my feeder roach colony... and now I will be totally paranoid to use them as food.
Is this a justified fear?

 

[Deschain]

I can't say for sure. It would be best to not use them as feeders for a while (weeks, months?), just to be safe...but that's just what I would do. Not having your food supply is a pain, but I think it's justified in this case.

Although I believe that the aerosol sprays are contact killers for the most part... :? Better let those with experience with it give you better advice.

You might want to hit the sprayed area with some soap and water, to help speed up the down time for your T room...again just what I would do, but I'm abnormal anyway.

Later,
Des.

 

[Windchaser]

Sheri, sorry to hear that your ordeal ended in the death of your T. I can certainly understand where you were coming from though.

 

[WYSIWYG]

I would recommend NOT using them for food. No paranoia with simply being cautious. You have already lost one tarantula today so no sense in doing something that might cause you to lose others.

On another note....

This thread has been disturbing me all night. I went to bed thinking about it. I didn't get much sleep at all, mostly thinking about it. I woke up thinking about it and I've been thinking about it and dwelling on it all day. And now I come here to see that not-so-happy ending I was dreading.

I know it's not right to accuse someone of being irresponsible, but I do have a question that keeps coming to mind over this whole incident (but I don't claim to have an answer -- just a question)....

Knowing that no matter how careful we try to be, especially where other family members are involved (incuding my 2 furries and bow-wow "children), we are always subject to the occasional escape of our 8-legged beasties. When it happens, we are subject to various potential consequences when these escapes occur.

The question that comes to my mind is -- Considering that we always run the risk of an escape, is it REASONABLE to have an animal in our home, that in the event of an escape, renders the need for deadly force to avoid injury to our other family members?

I guess it's not one of those considerations that come to mind until such an event as Sheri's takes place. And it leads me to another question....

If said escapee had been a more "docile" tarantula species, say the G. aureostriata, would it also have rendered the use of deadly force?

In my 4 years in the hobby, I've temporarily and even permanently lost some little guys due to escapes. Most recently, I lost a little OBT. (If you do a search on "Thriller" , you may find the thread where I discussed that incident a few months ago).

In my case, the critter resurfaced within a 2 hour time period and I never felt the thought that maybe I needed to try to harm it to protect the rest of my family. I figured either he'd show up again or he wouldn't. Had the absence gone over 2 hours, I may have had to make the same decision Sheri did, but knowing how I am, I probably would not have come to that particular decision. Why? Because I feel that I have the responsibility to keep said critter alive since I made the decision to bring it into my home, knowing the kind of reputation they have. I don't think I could have brought myself to harm it as a preventative means of protecting others

I'm thinking if I ever do have children, things could be a little different in that I would probably only choose to have the more docile, less threatening critters in my home. I'd probably find different homes for my African and Asian species, though I don't have many of those anyway.

But again, these are just questions and thoughts and it's not my intention to try to make Sheri feel bad for doing what she thought was best in her own circumstances. I have a feeling, Sheri will be kicking herself for awhile and doesn't need anyone else making her feel any worse than she probably already does. I know I always feel guilty when I feel like something I did or
did NOT do was a major contributing factor to the death of one of my critters.

Anyway, I'm glad it's over and that you and your family are safe, Sheri, though I had wished for a much happier ending. Even just the thoughts of having the critter land in that sticky tape have really kept my mind's wheels turning uncomfortably.

I'm glad you finally managed to get some rest too.

Wysi

Thanks Des... I had a nap this afternoon, so I think I shall be totally recovered by tomorrow. Too bad the same cannot be said for the spider.

Another coincidence, hey? I considered trying to do that, but that is the wall that divides my living room from my kitchen, and there was a distinct possibility that there was space to retreat right into the other room, under the wall... as this is a 40 year house.

It bolted when I first tried to lure it out, and I couldn't reach it with the deli cup as it took off behind the shelf and started up the wall. Too bad, but I prefer a dead spider over one with an undetermined location in my house.

I've had enough excitement for a little while. Needless to say, I look at the communal enclosure a little differently when I walk by it now.

But I do have a question, I removed all my spiders from that room prior to using the spray... and I will leave them removed for a month to be sure as the can says; "Keeps on Killing for 2 Weeks!"... which is a little surreal to even see those words printed on anything for consumer use!

But the question... I had neglected to remove my feeder roach colony... and now I will be totally paranoid to use them as food.
Is this a justified fear?

 

[David Burns]

Glad it is over and don't worry, I think I have another OBT sac on the way so I'll be able to give you many little OBT slings to replace the one you lost.

 

[Scott C.]

IMO there is absolutely nothing wrong with the use of deadly force when dealing with these types of situations. If you can't catch it, kill it. Unless, of course, you live where they do. I had a T get into the wall between my apartment and my neighbors, and if it weren't for a total lack of tact and three well placed holes, I fully intended to let off bugspray into the walls. Having T's escape may not be bad for the hobby, but a sue-happy neighbor with a bit kid might be (although more likely just trouble for the person with the hobby).
Glad to hear that there will be no late night horror stories starring an escaped OBT.

 

[Sheri]

Knowing that no matter how careful we try to be, especially where other family members are involved (incuding my 2 furries and bow-wow "children), we are always subject to the occasional escape of our 8-legged beasties. When it happens, we are subject to various potential consequences when these escapes occur.

The question that comes to my mind is -- Considering that we always run the risk of an escape, is it REASONABLE to have an animal in our home, that in the event of an escape, renders the need for deadly force to avoid injury to our other family members?

If said escapee had been a more "docile" tarantula species, say the G. aureostriata, would it also have rendered the use of deadly force?

In my case, the critter resurfaced within a 2 hour time period and I never felt the thought that maybe I needed to try to harm it to protect the rest of my family. I figured either he'd show up again or he wouldn't. Had the absence gone over 2 hours, I may have had to make the same decision Sheri did, but knowing how I am, I probably would not have come to that particular decision. Why? Because I feel that I have the responsibility to keep said critter alive since I made the decision to bring it into my home, knowing the kind of reputation they have. I don't think I could have brought myself to harm it as a preventative means of protecting others

I'm thinking if I ever do have children, things could be a little different in that I would probably only choose to have the more docile, less threatening critters in my home. I'd probably find different homes for my African and Asian species, though I don't have many of those anyway.

A diplomatic way of putting it, no doubt.

Well... it's all about calculating risk.
I mean, if the spider was in a spot that allowed me to capture it safely, with little risk of it getting out anywhere else, of course, that would be the course of action I would have taken.

Would I have responded in the same way with another species? Maybe. If I just had my 5 year old who I know would leave a free roaming spider alone, perhaps. But not with a 2 year old... so I guess the answer is yes, if a Grammastola pulchra was in a spot that I could not retrieve it from, I may have killed it.

Now, does this mean that I shouldn't keep spiders at all because I will not value it's life as someone would that doesn't have kids? I don't personally believe this, but I can see how someone without kids might think so.

Regardless, I don't believe that any tarantula venom would be potentially fatal to a child, but I absolutely do not want to risk it. For his comfort, as well as domestic issues that come into play when parents are divorced. And because before all else, it is my duty to protect my children, my instinct, and for that no apologies have to be made.

Do I regret the death of the spider? Of course, I regret the entire incident. But I will lose no sleep over the decision to kill it - none.
I love my collection and take my responsibility to them seriously. This is why they are provided ample room, and a regular feeding schedule. But I had no emotional attachment to it whatsoever, aside from a general feeling of regret that it escaped in the first place.

For instance, if I had a dog that had become a risk to the kids I would not hesitate to have it put down, regardless of a strong emotional attachment to the dog. It's just the way it is. Does that mean I shouldn't own a dog in case a circumstance like that occurs? I don't think so, but some might make that case as well.

I would ask you to also think about tarantula keepers that have an egg sac hatch out and let the young feed off one another. Or ones that freeze an unwanted egg sac. I mean, not only are you responsible for maintaining those animals, but you were responsible for the very creation of them through captive breeding.

It's a grey area to some, I suppose, but not to me. I fully expect to catch some controversy over this position and that's cool. I am confident I acted in the appropriate manner, and I would do it again. This incident will not affect the species I keep, but it will cause more cautiousness, at least for a while. Similar to someone that has been in a car accident, you become hyper-aware for a time until you feel comfortable and adjusted again. The human condition, I suppose.

 

[Ishkabibble]

Sheri, sorry about your loss. I love my OBT's and probably would have woosed out in killing it. I hope you have better luck with your new one when you get one. Everybody has or will have an escapee given enough time. Fools just criticise others for it. At least your family is Okay.

 

[Immortal_sin]

glad to hear you found it. Interestingly enough, my communal tank of OBTs woke me up in the middle of the night last night. They were rampaging around the tank so loudly, it woke me out of a dead sleep!
Then I started wondering if the lid was secure enough
I decided they are getting too big for the 10 gallon tank, and will be transferring them to the 20 gallon, which has a more secure lid, this weekend.
I have now, however, decided to do it OUTSIDE, on the back porch. I don't want any loose in my house either!

 

[Orange_Demon]

I got a orange baboon one the other day and it escaped when i went to the shop. cant belive the size of the hole it managed to get through. anyway i found it an hour later under my sterio, i guess it liked the heat. It was a pain to catch cause it was so small and fast but i got it in the end and hes back in his tank. :razz:

 

[C_Strike]

... @ Kid D.

I appreciate what your saying but you have your face pressed against a wall with your opinion of that,lol
:wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall:

 

[aranchedude]

Sheri,

Yes, I do think stray cats are bad for the responsible pet owners that have numerous cats and none of their cats are "stray".

Do I think it is irresponsible to lose an exotic pet? Yes I do. Does it cause problems for responsible keepers of exotics that don't allow the opportunity of their animals escaping? Yes. The fear the general public has about people keeping exotics is that they will get loose. When they get loose, government regulations are soon to follow, such as the Florida Arthropod Permit.

Are they "just bugs", so its no big deal if they escape? With that kind of attitude the future of this hobby will be dim.

By keeping any exotic you have the responsibility to make sure it does not escape. Do you need government to tell you how many "bugs" you can safely handle? If you want to rationalize its no big deal, you are a poor role model to others on this message board and our hooby. I hope you reconsider the seriousness of an escape. JMO.

hey to err is humane it was a mistake so dontmake sheri feel any worse

 

[Sheri]

Sheri had *almost* forgotten about the incident until the thread was revived.

 

[Pathogenic]

re

Glad to hear that everything was resolved Sheri, I had quite an intense time reading through the whole thread, it was kind of like an action movie

However, regarding your words about the Dog, I would hope that you would simply have the dog removed by a trained dog handler, and moved to a rescue center, where perhaps it could be adopted by a family with older kids or no kids. I think sometimes people forget that all animals are not like Tarantulas. Some of them have emotions, feelings, and can love people as much as people love them. But I don't want to nitpick, I'm sure you love dogs as much as me

I definitely hope you continue to pursue the hobby, and don't let this specific instance ruin the fun in it.