Pinhead infestation

[Buspirone]

How much of a problem is a pinhead infestation for a healthy tarantula? I jut noticed a small army of pin heads on the end of the tank wear I keep the water dish. In the future can I cut the ovipositor on the female to prevent egg laying. I think I'll put my rosie in a temp. container and either put the tank in the freezer or get a garden light with a reflector and dry out the enclosure to dessicate the pinheads and eggs.......UGHH!!!

 

[ahkiu]

i have no personal experience but i think it could be a very serious problem. If i recall correctly. someone on this board made a post about problems with their T because they didn't realise that a cricket had laid eggs and the pinheads were crawling on their t and taking nibbles.

 

[jwb121377]

If I were you I would just keep your rosie on a dry substrate, I have four of these and none seem to mind the substrate being dry. I *think* crickets have to have a moist substrate to lay eggs in and have them hatch so if you dry the cage out the problem is thus eliminated.

 

[Code Monkey]

Actually, that T had other problems and actually died - the pinhead 'attack' was secondary.

A healthy T is almost never going to be under any direct threat from pinheads, but they can stress the T out which is never good. Unless your T is about to moult, just let the tank dry out and keep a water dish full. They'll die and drown themselves in the water bowl.

Best way to prevent them is to not keep tanks constantly moist all the time.

EDIT: just noticed the part about it being a G. rosea, yep, keep it dry all the time and you definitely won't have pinhead problems. There's no reason to keep a rosea moist, ever, past being a small sling.

 

[Lycanthrope]

I *think* crickets have to have a moist substrate to lay eggs in and have them hatch so if you dry the cage out the problem is thus eliminated.

exactly what i was thinking. as far as cutting off the ovipositor, she will just lay the eggs on the surface. all the pinheads will drown in the waterdish shortly IME. i just feed the females to my "fast grabbers" and dry species, saving the males for the T's and scorps who live on wet substrate or might take a while to catch them.

 

[Buspirone]

I do keep the tank dry but the side of the waterdiash and under it stays moist....I took it out to let the area dry. I have a slighty deeper water dish, but not soo deep that the T couldn't get out. I put that one in and see how many drownings occur.

 

[MizM]

Originally posted by Code Monkey
Actually, that T had other problems and actually died - the pinhead 'attack' was secondary.

Actually, that T was my H. lividium. She was apparently in pre-molt and in no condition to fend off the little suckers. They chewed a hole in her leg at the opisthoma. I put her in ICU, she "died" and came back to life about three hours later and molted two days later. The opisthoma was enlarged and swollen and she was covered with a sticky substance during the "death" experience, but is now normal size and doing quit well.

 

[Arachnopuppy]

Originally posted by Buspirone
In the future can I cut the ovipositor on the female to prevent egg laying.

No, please do not do that. I and a couple other people have observed the females laying eggs even after the ovipositor is cut. In other words, it's just senseless torture. Even though they are prey items, I try to keep the suffering to the minimal.

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by terridumonte
Actually, that T was my H. lividium. She was apparently in pre-molt and in no condition to fend off the little suckers. They chewed a hole in her leg at the opisthoma. I put her in ICU, she "died" and came back to life about three hours later and molted two days later. The opisthoma was enlarged and swollen and she was covered with a sticky substance during the "death" experience, but is now normal size and doing quit well.

I could swear there was another killer cricket story on here, but you may be right :8o

 

[Buspirone]

I put a larger waterdish in the enclosure on the drier side of the enclosure. I now have about 100 pinheads drowning. WOOHOO! Little suckers are doing a back stroke into oblivion. I'll keep this dish in permanaent sice it has higher walls than the shallow rock dish since it is easier to keep water in the dish and on an uneven slope it doesn't drain or splash out while refilling like the flat rock one does. Thanks for the responses and help!