Pet sitter for a large collection?

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Messages
741
If a serious hobbyist needs to go out of town or goes on vacation for a good length of time, how do you manage to keep your tarantulas alive? I don't think anyone would have a problem taking care of one or two tarantulas, but several dozen to over a hundred sounds like it would be a serious problem. Even if a person loves spiders, they probably wouldn't want to dedicate hours of their day dealing with potentially fast, defensive tarantulas or the terrible urticating hairs. Maybe you don't need a pet sitter. After all, Ts can go a week without eating easy peasy. All they need is water, and they're good to g-
ohwait.jpg
So you need a pet sitter. How do you get one for a huge collection?
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
You have to plan ahead. Water every tarantula that needs it a week before leaving, and ensure they have a full dish at all times. Then do it again the night before you leave. That way if they bury the dish, hopefully they've already gotten a good drink. It also goes without saying that you should feed every specimen the night before you leave.

Unless you'll be gone for a month or more, even slings would be alright for a couple weeks. It does pay to know someone, though. I've spider-sat for @Blue Jaye before, and I'm sure she'll end up doing it for me eventually.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
What EulersK said is without doubts true. But why when you have 200+ or more T's, in Winter when the furnace is on always so an eye about watering is necessary, and you know no one that can helps you with (for a lot of different reasons that exists between a 'Spiders? No way!' to scared clumsy people to 'I can't trust him/her with that')?

I tell you: those keepers in said situation are forced to re-think their away from home time, or, if force majeure matter enters, even to give away their collection.
 
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