Use of Tongs

Jeff23

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Jul 27, 2016
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How often does this occur? The T ran up the tongs past the prey. This appears to be NW instead of OW, but still....


It looks like there was some premature ejection of the prey.:eek: I am now wondering about my plan to make safer tongs. That didn't look safe for the T or user (regardless of whether the T doesn't bite the tongs).

Video is on Dave Scott432's channel.
 
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Chris LXXIX

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Never happened to me... I use those long tongs only for cleaning and remove the water dish. I use a very short one for feeding. My inverts never enter in contact with those :-s

* NW T's are full of surprises, certain P.cancerides can react by far worst than a P.muticus :angelic:
 

Venom1080

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i use long tongs with tips at the end when i tong feed. i tong feed my A avic and rarely my Poecilotheria. tong feeding terrestrials is just silly.
 

Timc

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Feb 13, 2017
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It's never happened to me but this isn't the first I've seen it either. I'm not a big fan of tong feeding, if only because I've heard of damage to fangs. Now safer tongs is interesting for two points to me: first what would they be made of? Even those super nifty bamboo tongs could cause harm to a chomping spider I imagine. And second how long would they be? That was just a vagans in the video, many old worlds and a lot of arboreal new worlds could cover a lot more ground (tong?) in that time. And if they're super long, does the user sacrifice accuracy using them? I'm all for better tongs and I've actually thought about this subject too, but I guess I just don't have the know how to craft them. Very interesting topic for discussion though.
 

Jeff23

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What would safer tongs be like?

I have two metal tongs and one of them is rubber tipped. To be honest I hate them and find them hard to use. I have a pair of bamboo cooking tongs I use for most t things, bonus is if one of my Ts thinks it's good it won't be as likely to damage a fang as the metal.

The ones I use are like this: https://www.amazon.com/PAMPERED-CHEF-BAMBOO-TOAST-TONGS/dp/B008QG8FDO
I am taking some plastic tongs and attaching some silicone extensions on them. I bought the stuff I need from Hobby Lobby but haven't made them yet. The big question will be how well the two materials bond (hopefully I have the right bonding agent or maybe hot melt will work also).
 

Jeff23

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I like the idea of tongs for my P. pulcher's. They sit right at the top of their cups. I really don't want to drop the cricket from way above the container.
 

Devin B

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Sep 30, 2016
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I use a pair of bamboo tongs because I figure it would be safer for the T it it accidentally bit into it. Alsi i try to drop the prey in to distance the tongs from my T's. Thats my 2 cents on the matter
 

Abyss

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@Jeff23
What specifically do u need "safe" tongs for?
I ask because i have metal ones and have always used metal ones. Only 1 time a T has "attacked them" during maintenance an no harm was done (i dont tong feed and dont see why anyone would personally).
This particular T was my old female L. violaceopes and since then, i have "tipped" them in hot glue just in case but tongs are generally safe even if all metal because they are intended for maintenace practices not feeding IMO
 

Jeff23

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@Jeff23
What specifically do u need "safe" tongs for?
I ask because i have metal ones and have always used metal ones. Only 1 time a T has "attacked them" during maintenance an no harm was done (i dont tong feed and dont see why anyone would personally).
This particular T was my old female L. violaceopes and since then, i have "tipped" them in hot glue just in case but tongs are generally safe even if all metal because they are intended for maintenace practices not feeding IMO
Currently I have only used metal tongs in a limited manner. I have used them for my P. Pulcher T's with crickets where I can grip the cricket by the end of the antenna. This gives an extra inch distance between cricket and metal. Even then I am concerned that the T may misjudge movement and be at risk of an injury. While injury is not likely, it can happen and has happened to a couple people who have posted in this forum.

I am not really worried about my own safety though I suspect automatic reaction for most of us would be to drop the tongs if the T started up them toward our hand.

EDIT* I also use them for maintenance purposes away from the T.
 
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D Sherlod

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I use tongs to remove and replace water dish in genics. They come running when my fingers go in to get the dish.
I like my fingers without punctures LOL:wacky:
 

Garth Vader

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Like many of you, I don't tongs feed my Ts. I use tongs use to clean up and sometimes to drop prey in the enclosure. My E sp red regularly refuses prey too so I use tongs to get it outta there. It might be overly cautious on my part, but I figure it's better to be safe than sorry and all that.
 

viper69

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How often does this occur? The T ran up the tongs past the prey. This appears to be NW instead of OW, but still....


It looks like there was some premature ejection of the prey.:eek: I am now wondering about my plan to make safer tongs. That didn't look safe for the T or user (regardless of whether the T doesn't bite the tongs).

Video is on Dave Scott432's channel.

This happens more than you might think Jeff, and much more than is reported. Remember, people like to post their success, and rarely post failures in a sense.

In that particular case there's no reason to spoonfeed a cricket to a T.
 

Andrea82

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I don't tong feed, but I use tongs to drop the feeder in. I make sure there is a lot of distance between tong and spider though. I have only one incident where the B.kahlenbergi was able to jump higher than I gave it credit for :eek:
Since then I let them fall in the enclosure from quite a distance, or put the feeder on the opposite side of where the spider is. With E.murinus, E.cyanognathus I wait until they are in their burrow, as well with the P.pulchers. And with the P.muticus as well, but that is easy since she is always under.
 

gypsy cola

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I use bamboo tongs. I only tong feed one spider. That is one of my A.metallica because the cage is a little large for it. Tongue feed it one cricket and let it figure out the rest of the crickets.
 

Jeff23

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I don't tong feed, but I use tongs to drop the feeder in. I make sure there is a lot of distance between tong and spider though. I have only one incident where the B.kahlenbergi was able to jump higher than I gave it credit for :eek:
Since then I let them fall in the enclosure from quite a distance, or put the feeder on the opposite side of where the spider is. With E.murinus, E.cyanognathus I wait until they are in their burrow, as well with the P.pulchers. And with the P.muticus as well, but that is easy since she is always under.
With most of them it is more fun to watch the T slowly close in for its meal rather than direct feeding. Unless I scare my P. pulchers they will not budge from the top of the 32 oz cups. They are very close to juvenile size and have become much less skittish since their last molt.
 

KezyGLA

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I dont use tongs for terrestrials. Only for the few arboreal species that forget how to hunt(not literally speaking). They are 8 inches and metal. One set curved and one set straight. So far no incidents
 

Bugmom

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May 28, 2012
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I'm not sure I've ever intentionally tong fed. I've had a hungry T take the food from the tongs before I could even drop it in, but that's not the same. There is no reason to tong feed a T like you would a snake with a mouse. Throw food in. Let T hunt.

Remember... T doesn't want to be fed, T wants to hunt! :p

I've had Ts run up the feeding tongs during routine maintenance and rehousing sooooo many times. They're quick and I swear they can climb just about anything. It's just a part of T keeping that you have to be prepared for.
 
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