tong feeding

mschemmy

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 2, 2009
Messages
167
I finally got up the nerve to tong feed my LP and it was awesome!! (and a bit scary:eek:) I used 10 inch tongs to feed it a roach and a superworm. When I did this I noticed the force my LP has when he hit the tongs. Can this type of feeding be dangerous for T's? Also, do T's every try climbing up the tongs (I don't want to get nailed by this guy!) Anybody have any tricks or tips in doing this successfully?
 

super-pede

Arachnobaron
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
543
Tongs are like a highway to freedom.In other words yes they will run up tongs,especially the baboons and other arboreals.
 

Kathy

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
852
I do that sometimes, it's fun to watch, but one time my a. avic really went after it, I was afraid she broke her fangs biting into the metal part - then she grabbed on to the tongs really hard and started running up it! What I do now is I hold the roach at the top of the web and they crawl up and nail it. I don't wait for them to come OUT of their web. And no way am I tong feeding my h. mac. I just drop the roaches in - he is on his own in finding them. lol
 

evicton

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 19, 2009
Messages
230
I've tong fed almost all my avics at one time or the other. Now my A. Metallica she gets tong fed every time cause she just pulls the roach out of the tong kinda graceful like.
 

AmbushArachnids

Arachnoculturist
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 30, 2010
Messages
629
I never had a T run up the tongs. I love to tong feed. its an art. you have to be really quiet to get those sketchy ones to eat. :) Avics are fun to tong feed. they practically put there "face" right in with all appendages held back.
 

belljar77

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 7, 2010
Messages
129
The first time my husband tong fed my big pulchripes, he was a shocked. That T is just a little "grabby". I enjoy dropping the roach just above them, and they snatch it before it hits the ground. Sometimes with a few wrestling moves thrown in for good measure.
 

Mack&Cass

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Messages
1,574
We tong feed everyone, it's awesome because if the T is in premolt and runs away from the prey item, then you already have hold of the prey and it's easily removable instead of chasing it around the enclosure freaking the spider out even more.

Our H. lividum and O. aureotibialis are...quite interesting...to tong feed. There's nothing like seeing a spider shoot out of it's hole and back down in a matter of seconds. It makes your heart beat a little faster that's for sure.

Cass
 
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CAK

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 17, 2009
Messages
298
We tong feed everyone, it's awesome because if the T is in premolt and runs away from the prey item, then you already have hold of the prey and it's easily removable instead of chasing it around the enclosure fresking the spider out even more.

Our H. lividum and O. aureotibialis are...quite interesting...to tong feed. There's nothing like seeing a spider shoot out of it's hole and back down in a matter of seconds. It makes your heart beat a little faster that's for sure.

Cass
I tong feed too for the same exact reason! :) And, I have NEVER had any T's ever try run up the tongs. I have had them show signs of defensiveness to tongs coming at them, but never an escape attempt.
 

farrisbaharom

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
31
tong feeding's one of the things i look forward to, too.
it adds a dimension to knowing your T's.

"ahhh this is the grabby avic"
"she's a gentle one, this pokie"
"she'll grab and dash, this P irminia, not like her sister.."

anthropomorphizing i know, but entertaining.
 

Blayde

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 29, 2009
Messages
58
I tong feed my younger guys, and LOVE IT. My P murinus was actually one of the first of my T's to get what was going on, and started to become the calmest of my T's to tong feed.

At times, it seems like some of them are somewhat aware of whats going on, and just take full advantage of the situation, like you guys said, just diving in face first no limbs.

Also, I have a 12 inch set of tongs, with the bottom 3.5 inches coated in rubber, hopefully making them a little gentler and safer for them.
 

jebbewocky

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 1, 2009
Messages
909
My H.mac went at the tongs so fiercely I reflexively dropped the tongs, so it ran out of the tank in fright. Took me a good 1/2 hour to get it back in. Not fun. I was more ready the next couple times.

My Avic has never ran up the tongs, but he has leapt off the side of the tank, onto the tongs, and sat there contentedly munching on a lateralis. I had to somehwat forcibly shoo him off the tongs.
 

Mack&Cass

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 14, 2007
Messages
1,574
Speaking of tong feeding, today I was feeding our big female P. cambridgei and I guess I spooked her and she ran up and onto my hand. Thank goodness she's pretty chill and just walked around on me afterward. Crazy lady.

Cass
 

Shaka

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 25, 2010
Messages
17
I too have an H.Mac, (Togo Starburst) about a 4.5 incher - and although I am brave enough to scoot it out of it's hide with a brush from behind when it's time for cleaning, I am NO WAY gonna try and feed him/her with tongs... He/She is just way too quick, a teleporter, and the bite on these babies as far as I have read... is hell.

I have fed an Avic sling and a Curly sling with tongs. For all my slings, I take black 1/2 inch garden irrigation tubing and slice it down the middle and again about a 1/2 inch across to make little "dome huts" for my T's and the diggers like the Curly usually ecavate until both sides of the hut are blocked with peat.

So I held a pinhead in the tongs and tickled the loose peat at the entrance expecting a slow, apprehensive approach before the sling actually attacked. NO CHANCE.

This little Curly bolted straight through the soft web-spun peat and slammed right into the pinhead. I literally jumped back from the suprise/fright - from a mere 1cm sling! LOL!

Sorry for the long post... ;)

Shaka
 
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