Really big problem, need help!

[WARPIG]

My only experience with DS was with 3 G pulchra slings I received, 2nd instar I believe, and all over ATSQH people were complaining about these slings from the same sac. About two weeks after it started two of mine started exhibiting the symtoms and died shortly thereafter.

We compard notes regarding conditions, and chalked it up to inbreeding or genetinc disorder in this sac.

No one knows for sure, all I hope is that it does not spread!!

GL

PIG-

 

[ShadowBlade]

Not sounding good bro. Whatever you're feeding them, I'd isolate the food source now, and stop feeding them to the spiders. You've got to find out what all the spiders have in common to get the infection, I don't believe it spreads through the air. Substrate is even a possibility. Water probably isn't the problem, since you use tap right?

I would quarantine the known infected animals, and observe the rest of your spiders, watch for any that exhibit the symptoms, and quickly remove them as well. Once the infection has stopped spreading, you can try testing a spider with the feeder insects, and see if they are the cause.

Also run through what recent additions you've had to the collection, see if they have the infection, see which ones had it first. Record everything, if this gets out of hand, you're gonna need the research to fight it.

-Sean

 

[Talkenlate04]

My only new editions to my collection were 6 cb ornatas. One of the ornatas was the first to go. The other 5 look just fine though.
I checked with the apt complex and nothing has been sprayed in the last 10 months.
I spent a good part of the morning cleaning and sterilizing the room. I turned off the ionic breeze I had in the room and the humidifier.
I got all the ones that were showing signs of the illness out of the room. The ones with the advanced symptoms were frozen as soon as they were found.

At this point I am reluctant to think it is the food source only because everything in the T room eats that, and only 0.02% of my collection is being affected. But I am worried about everything at this point. Almost everything in the room is well fed so I don’t have a need to feed them anytime soon.

I am on grave overtime right now, so when I woke up this afternoon to get ready for work there was only one more case spotted. I guess that is better then the 20 new cases in the 12 hours I was at work last night. I am not ready to say it’s slowing yet, but I hope it is.

Also only three species have been affected so far. Mostly regalis slings 20 or so all from the same sac, 1 ornata, and 1 P. metallica.

And sadly with death there is life too, on the other end of the room my Rufilata girl is 1/3 the way through the bowl of webbing for her eggs and she should be done in the early morning sometime. Its weird how things work sometimes.

 

[Nich]

I think you should freez the affected slings and send them to someone capable of seeing what the actuall cause is. I find it interesting that everyone assumes it to be an infectious disease or disorder. Hope you can isolate the source. They way the 'syndrome' affects the t is the nervous system.....i highly doubt the cause is viral or bacterial....with all the occurances since 03' they really sound like toxins or some sort of chemical action on the T's. Glad to hear it only affected or is affecting a small portion.

 

[Talkenlate04]

My only experience with DS was with 3 G pulchra slings I received, 2nd instar I believe, and all over ATSQH people were complaining about these slings from the same sac. About two weeks after it started two of mine started exhibiting the symtoms and died shortly thereafter.

We compard notes regarding conditions, and chalked it up to inbreeding or genetinc disorder in this sac.

No one knows for sure, all I hope is that it does not spread!!

GL

PIG-

This crossed my mind until I had the ornata and metallica come into the picture. Till then it had only been regalis slings. Confirmed deaths now are 24, with at least 3 more that are out of the room but should not be alive when I get home if everything keeps going the way it has been.

 

[WARPIG]

Did you sanitize the humidifier? Bacteria can build in it especially if its a warm air humidifier. The Ionic breeze should be OK just clean the slats.

Again wish ya luck.
Sorry for the losses.

PIG-

 

[Talkenlate04]

Did you sanitize the humidifier? Bacteria can build in it especially if its a warm air humidifier. The Ionic breeze should be OK just clean the slats.

Again wish ya luck.
Sorry for the losses.

PIG-

The humidifier has gotten a nice warm soapy bath and rinse, but for now I am not going to turn it back on.

 

[jshadowstalker]

i've lost a few in the last year...only thing i could come up with was they where poisoned...from crickets would be my best guess... sorry for your loss

 

[T Frank]

Sorry Ryan and good luck

 

[Talkenlate04]

There is one more part I find odd. In the later stages of this they are biting their own legs off before they die. Anyone ever seen that before?

 

[saminthemiddle]

Ditch the Ionic Breeze. Those things dump a lot of pollution into the air, namely Ozone. They don't work that well in removing dust either.

If you want a good system use a HEPA type mechanical air filter.

To kill airborne pathogens use a UVC bulb and pass the air under it. But be careful, a UVC lamp can sunburn you or kill your animals pretty quickly.

I'm just worried that the ozene is having an adverse effect on your animals.

 

[Talkenlate04]

Ditch the Ionic Breeze. Those things dump a lot of pollution into the air, namely Ozone. They don't work that well in removing dust either.

If you want a good system use a HEPA type mechanical air filter.

To kill airborne pathogens use a UVC bulb and pass the air under it. But be careful, a UVC lamp can sunburn you or kill your animals pretty quickly.

I'm just worried that the ozene is having an adverse effect on your animals.

I have had the ionic breeze in the room for a few years now with no problems. But ditching it is an option at this point.

 

[saminthemiddle]

Yeah, I know my mother got one to help with her asthma. Her condition got worse and worse till we figured out it was the air filter damaging her lungs.

 

[Talkenlate04]

I just have never seen T's bite off their legs like this. It's disturbing and sad at the same time.

 

[clearlysaid]

So physically they have absolutely nothing wrong with them? No, uh, mold, discoloration, mites, etc... well, as far as you can tell?

 

[betuana]

There is one more part I find odd. In the later stages of this they are biting their own legs off before they die. Anyone ever seen that before?

When I read this this time I remembered another thread I read recently. It was regarding fish parasites and spiders, but the poster mentioned that the parasites caused the spiders to rip their own legs off! Maybe not the exact same, but sounds quite similar:
Here is the post: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showpost.php?p=1159460&postcount=12
Here is the whole thread: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=125161&highlight=parasite

Since you mentioned the biting off their legs it made me think of that. Could mean some sort of parasite - and it might not be something that all the feeders had, maybe only some were infected and those T's got it. Dunno, just a shot in the dark, but thought I'd reference back here. Perhaps harvythefly has more info? Even if its just a notes comparison it might at least help narrow down the cause.

Crossing my fingers that none of your other T's get sick!

 

[Talkenlate04]

So physically they have absolutely nothing wrong with them? No, uh, mold, discoloration, mites, etc... well, as far as you can tell?

Nada nothing like that at all.

 

[syndicate]

There is one more part I find odd. In the later stages of this they are biting their own legs off before they die. Anyone ever seen that before?

are you kidding me??thats bizzare man.i wonder if its some kind of nemotoad infection.i know those are known to spread thru collections quickly.whatever it is i hope you resolve this asap man!best luck Ryan

 

[Snipes]

Strange they are all pokies, my only DS case was a P. regalis. Do you have any flies in your rooms?

 

[Talkenlate04]

Strange they are all pokies, my only DS case was a P. regalis. Do you have any flies in your rooms?

No flies at all. Nothing living in the room that should not be. Yep only pokies. Nothing else seems phased by this at all. And nothing above 2.5". Most of them are much smaller around 1".