Should you save molts?

[nicodimus22]

Do you save your clipped fingernails? I put molts into that same category of 'throw away immediately' unless I haven't sexed the T in question yet. In that case, I photograph it with a macro lens, and throw it away.

If people have fun collecting them, that's fine. Doesn't hurt anybody.

 

[KaroKoenig]

For me, it depends on circumstances. I have made this mostly for my son:

20210725_190309.jpg

• KaroKoenig
• Jul 25, 2021
• 1
• brachypelma hamorii molt

Growth rate is not too bad for a Brachypelma. Don't get confused. The molts in the bottom right...

Nevermind the stuff in the bottom right. That's other spiders I just parked there. The B. hamorii molts in the top are from my son's spider - which he bought at age 5. It's a way for him to stay in touch with the growth of his pet.
As for myself: Being trained in natural science, I have this nasty habit of producing data, and I like setting up those molts as a meditative work and nice practice of my dexterity. So there you go. Not all for the sake of my son .

 

[QuinnStarr]

Once I learn how to use resin appropriately, I plan on preserving a few molts (full or partial) from some of my favorite species that I keep. Otherwise I open the abdomen (or attempt to) and then toss them. I take pictures next to a ruler for size reference and then into the garbage they go. I don’t need my toddler finding a molt box and getting haired by accident.

Still haven’t had a large enough tarantula with an intact enough molt to sex lol but I still save especially intact molts sometimes because it can be fun to track their growth that way. I have 3 out of the 4 molts my T. apophysis has had in my care and it’s awesome to see how much that species in particular grows between molts

I second this. Mine had a massive size jump from when I got it to the molt it just finished over the weekend.

It hasn’t come out of hiding yet but it’s definitely way leggier than it was when I got it.

You haven’t truly lived until you’ve successfully pranked someone with a molt… I have no shame in admitting that a carefully placed molt on a keyboard has been the pinnacle of my pranking career.
I also have a lot of friends with kids who love tarantulas, and molts make great birthday gifts!
One of my goals is to suspend the individual molts in a resin filled vial or something and display them or sell them. Looks really cool!
#howtomakeahoarder

You better make your munchkin a resin molt necklace when Harry molts!

 

[Neonblizzard]

Your Christmas tree must be very bare if you throw away your molts!

 

[QuinnStarr]

Your Christmas tree must be very bare if you throw away your molts!

OH MY GOD THIS IS BRILLIANT.

*heads off to the craft store for resin and Christmas style molds*

 

[l4nsky]

A little off the wall, but I've been saving them for a friend. She has a "voodoo kit" that is a decoration in her house. Basically, it's a bunch of old, oddly shaped jars with weird contents and it straight up looks like it belongs in a witch doctor's hut or a museum somewhere. A large jar full of rare and colorful molts of different sizes seems like it would be the perfect "ingredient" to display lol.

 

[greeneyedelle]

A little off the wall, but I've been saving them for a friend. She has a "voodoo kit" that is a decoration in her house. Basically, it's a bunch of old, oddly shaped jars with weird contents and it straight up looks like it belongs in a witch doctor's hut or a museum somewhere. A large jar full of rare and colorful molts of different sizes seems like it would be the perfect "ingredient" to display lol.

That sounds AMAZING

 

[KenNet]

If you take them out every now and then, sure, you should keep them! If they just collecting dust, its never a good thing to hang on to the past moult.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Or......you can make a cast of the molt then use the cast to make chocolate tarantulas.......the holidays are upon us.

 

[TimmmyTarantula]

So far I'm seeing some pretty awesome* molts&crafts ideas

 

[greeneyedelle]

Or......you can make a cast of the molt then use the cast to make chocolate tarantulas.......the holidays are upon us.

*jaw drops*