Urticating hairs?

[Sanctus]

I'm curious, as I'm just now acquiring my first new world tarantula, about urticating hairs.

I've had pretty significant reactions to those found on fireworms and bristleworms in marine aquariums, and I'd like to know more about those found on tarantulas.

If you get hit with them, do you notice immediately? Or does it take a while to respond to them?

How much of a threat is inhalation? They seem to kick quite a cloud of them. Has anyone here had any experience with inhalation? If so, was it immediate that you felt the irritation? Or was it later?

Is it possible to have allergic reactions to the hairs? If so, is this common?

How worried should I actually be about them? I was thinking of getting a bird eater, because they're truly spectacular, but I'm hesitant because of how awful people make their hairs out to be. Would you say that they are annoying, but shouldn't deter one from getting a tarantula?

Thank you.

I guess, what I would like to know, is if a tarantula flicks near you, how long until you know you're in trouble?

 

[Nightstalker47]

If you get hit with them, do you notice immediately? Or does it take a while to respond to them?

Sometimes you wont feel anything until minutes after, other times you'll feel them right away. Whenever they kick at you just close the lid and wait for the hairs to settle...this works nine times out of ten IME.

How much of a threat is inhalation? They seem to kick quite a cloud of them.

That is very unlikely to ever happen unless you keep your face inches from the tarantula...inhalation would certainly be very bad. Always maintain a healthy distance between yourself and the T, eyes are especially susceptible to the setae.

The hairs get worse with increased exposure, so try to avoid it as much as possible. Some keepers have had to get rid of certain species because they were so badly afflicted.

I was thinking of getting a bird eater, because they're truly spectacular, but I'm hesitant because of how awful people make their hairs out to be. Would you say that they are annoying, but shouldn't deter one from getting a tarantula?

"Birdeater" Is quite vague...ill assume your talking theraphosa. They do have the worst setae of any genus in the hobby. Not great beginner spiders either, the hairs have not been an issue with me in the years I have kept them though...just be mindful when working around their enclosures.

 

[Tia B]

I guess, what I would like to know, is if a tarantula flicks near you, how long until you know you're in trouble?

It usually takes a couple minute. It starts with a slight itch that grows to a stinging sensation. If you wash up quickly enough, it's usually not an issue. The real problem is when you touch a more sensitive area before you realize you've been haired, like your face.

The urticating hairs of the "bird eaters" (Theraphosa sp.) are said to cause an increasingly bad reaction. Each time you get haired, it will be worse. Their urticating hairs keep me from really wanting one.

If you're worried about urticating hairs but want to get into tarantulas, there are some New World species that don't have them or at least can't flick them.

To prevent being haired, you can just wear gloves and avoid messing with/opening the enclosure of a known hair-flicker. Also try not to kick up hairs by breathing into the enclosure or something.

 

[Nightstalker47]

The urticating hairs of the "bird eaters" (Theraphosa sp.) are said to cause an increasingly bad reaction. Each time you get haired, it will be worse. Their urticating hairs keep me from really wanting one.

This is true for all, not just theraphosa. Some have reported the same from lasiodora, nhandu, brachypelma, etc...

Each genus seems to affect people differently.

 

[Sanctus]

Thank you all for your replies.

I would assume, after a flicking, you would feel the effects within say, an hour?

Do hairs frequently case issues if they settled in carpet or of beds or anything of that nature? I would like to keep my T in my room, so I would like to know if it would cause any problems should it flock a large cloud of hairs and they were to settle

 

[PidderPeets]

A big part of it is an individual's reaction to the hairs, not just how irritating the hairs are in general. There's some species notorious for their hairs that some people have almost no reaction to, and there's some species with generally mild hairs that some people have serious reactions to.

For me, a mild reaction to the hairs is immediate, but it's worse in the days following as a rash develops and I scratch it.

I've never inhaled the hairs, so I can't speak for that. But the hairs are supposed to cause an immediate reaction, so you would likely notice right away.

As @Nightstalker47 stated, the hairs cause worse reactions the more frequently you encounter them (with how I'm reacting to my LP hairs, I'm even wondering if I may one day have to give her up if the reactions get too bad). I personally don't think I'll ever get any Theraphosa sp., simply because of the hairs.

As long as you follow advice and close the enclosure and let the hairs settle when you notice any of your Ts kicking, you should be alright to keep them in your room. I keep 12 NW species in my room, and I've never had any residual reactions from hairs dispersed in the air

 

[Sinned]

Do hairs frequently case issues if they settled in carpet or of beds or anything of that nature?

Oh god(pick a flavor), they don't fling em that far. Well I never seen it yet.

You just need to be careful when working inside enclosures, when rehousing and for instance, getting rid of used substrate/cleaning out an enclosure. They love spreading out hairs in their enclosure as an extra deterrent and even more so when close to molting.

So as long you aren't sitting on your bed with an open enclosure in your lap, while having a sneezing fit... you should be ok.

 

[Ungoliant]

I would assume, after a flicking, you would feel the effects within say, an hour?

That has not always been the case for me. Sometimes my hands don't start itching for hours or even days.

Be aware that in addition to flicking hairs at you, they also shed hairs around their enclosure as a defense mechanism. Assume that the substrate is laced with hairs, and don't directly touch it or anything that you remove from the enclosure (like a water dish for cleaning).

Avicularia webbing is likely laced with their hairs too. (When my elderly female died last year, I made the mistake of removing the webbing and furnishings with my bare hands, and my hands itched like crazy for two weeks.)

Also, just because you don't initially have a bad reaction doesn't mean you never will. As with other allergies, repeated exposure can increase your sensitivity. Some people are fine with Theraphosa for years, and then they're suddenly sensitive.

Do hairs frequently case issues if they settled in carpet or of beds or anything of that nature? I would like to keep my T in my room, so I would like to know if it would cause any problems should it flock a large cloud of hairs and they were to settle

I think under normal circumstances, you shouldn't have issues with hairs outside of the enclosure. I keep my tarantulas near my computer. I sit here all the time, and I don't have issues with hairs unless I am careless when doing cage maintenance.

 

[Sanctus]

I guess all of these stories about adverse reactions has turned me into a bit of a phobic. The enclosure I have for my T. stirmi is very heavily ventilated, is there any way UH could be flicked out of there should something spook my tarantula?

Also, how long would you say until they settle? If they land on clothes, would a simple wash be sufficient to remove them?

I ask all of these questions as a friend showed me his T. stirmi (that I'm hoping to buy) in my room about seven hours ago. Near the end of his visit, the tarantila flicked a large amount of hairs. My hand was about two feet from him, my face about four. I have had no itching, John respiratory pain, nothing. I'm thinking I got off lucky.

Should I watch for hairs that settled? I've decided to vacuum my room before sitting on the ground again.

 

[Ungoliant]

Also, how long would you say until they settle? If they land on clothes, would a simple wash be sufficient to remove them?

I wouldn't expect hairs to stay airborne for long in still air.

Unless your clothing is very close (for example, you're wearing long sleeves and you stick your hands in the enclosure), I wouldn't expect much hair to end up on your clothing. If a tarantula somehow haired your shirt, I'm not sure how effective washing would be. The hairs are barbed and could stick in fabric.

I've decided to vacuum my room before sitting on the ground again.

Vacuuming your room because a tarantula kicked hairs in its enclosure sounds like overkill.

Also, I would not recommend Theraphosa as a first tarantula -- not because of the hairs but because new keepers would likely have difficulty dialing in the moisture.

 

[PidderPeets]

Avicularia webbing is likely laced with their hairs too.

That would make a lot of sense. My girl has a few spots that look like they're bare or at least covered in already loosened hairs, but she's so calm so it didn't make much sense to me. But if she's lining her webbing with it, that would explain it. It just didn't cross my mind that she might do that

I guess all of these stories about adverse reactions has turned me into a bit of a phobic. The enclosure I have for my T. stirmi is very heavily ventilated, is there any way UH could be flicked out of there should something spook my tarantula?

Also, how long would you say until they settle? If they land on clothes, would a simple wash be sufficient to remove them?

I ask all of these questions as a friend showed me his T. stirmi (that I'm hoping to buy) in my room about seven hours ago. Near the end of his visit, the tarantila flicked a large amount of hairs. My hand was about two feet from him, my face about four. I have had no itching, John respiratory pain, nothing. I'm thinking I got off lucky.

Should I watch for hairs that settled? I've decided to vacuum my room before sitting on the ground again.

Honestly, even with good ventilation, just closing the enclosure and leaving it for a bit should suffice. I leave mine for at least an hour, and that's probably well longer than I need to.

I don't know whether it's relevant or not, but if you have longer hair I'd also recommend tying it back when working with tarantulas that you know are prone to kicking hairs. I've made the mistake of leaving my hair down when working in my LP enclosure before. She kicked hairs and it got into my hair without me noticing, and all over my neck got a nice even coating of urticating hairs before I even realized what happened. I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Whenever they kick at you just close the lid and wait for the hairs to settle...this works nine times out of ten IME.

This does actually work if you're quick enough, my L. difficilis (one of the few species whose hairs cause a reaction for me) tried to hair me yesterday and I just popped the lid back on quickly to stop the spread.

No itching = Happy Reaps.

 

[Nightstalker47]

This does actually work

I don't make this stuff up as I go man.