Will this kill my T?

[MikeyD]

There are documented cat deaths from exposure to both peppermint oil and pennyroyal which is also a type of mint. Cats are very sensitive to both. There are also many cases of pets experiencing organ failure from exposure to tea tree oil that was diffused into the air. So no, you can't consider all essential oils to be safe but something that can kill a cat might not be toxic to a Tarantula or vice versa.

 

[Minty]

My room stinks and I want to get something to stop the smell like a diffuser but my tarantula is in my room and I need to know what scents and gases etc are harmful to tarantulas?

Clean your room and wash your bed sheets.

 

[Greasylake]

In another thread I think @Garth Vader mentioned that peppermint is a pesticide.

 

[DagmarV]

In another thread I think @Garth Vader mentioned that peppermint is a pesticide.

Peppermint, citronella, geranium... they're common ingredients in 'natural' repellents as well. That's another good point I hadn't thought about.

 

[mirna]

Peppermint, citronella, geranium... they're common ingredients in 'natural' repellents as well. That's another good point I hadn't thought about.

That is a legit reason...hoever, cats being sensitive to it is not..and I said about peppermint, I know spiders don't like it( in nature there are animals spraying spiders with peppermint smell as a form of defence)...but for the other smells we don't have any research yet

 

[MikeyD]

The thing that a lot of people seem to forget is that these aren't just nice smells, they are a vast array of compounds that plants make to use as a defence against herbivory. They are oils, resins, alkaloids, and terpenes and they are toxic because that's what their purpose is. When you have an organism as large as a human a toxic exposure will take a lot more of these compounds than if you were a smaller organism, and if you are very small it may not take much. Many times these compounds act as more of a deterrent than a poison and that's why some are commonly used in natural insect repellants.

 

[AnObeseHippo]

So why can’t you just clean your room like a responsible person?

 

[PidderPeets]

I would at the very least avoid anything that deters or repels insects. Peppermint, citronella, geranium (as already stated by @DagmarV), clove, cinnamon, tea tree, basil, lemongrass, lavender, orange, and grapefruit are a few I can think of off the top of my head that should be avoided. I made a bug repellent from an assortment of some of those oils, but I shower before going near my inverts whenever I use it. I also use tea tree oil topically on occasion, but wash my hands before interacting with any pets.

I agree with the thought to try and locate and then remove the source of the smell before using oils though. You could also use a natural odor absorber like baking soda to try and eliminate the smell as well.

 

[Razzledazzy]

No to derail but does anyone know if sage smoke would be bad? Not like a lot just a little. It's part of my family's religious practices to do it every so often to the rooms of our house but I haven't done my room in quite a while....

 

[DagmarV]

No to derail but does anyone know if sage smoke would be bad? Not like a lot just a little. It's part of my family's religious practices to do it every so often to the rooms of our house but I haven't done my room in quite a while....

Sage itself is nontoxic to mammals and kills air bacteria, but the smoke can be irritating like any other smoke. No idea how it affects bugs.

 

[boina]

The thing that a lot of people seem to forget is that these aren't just nice smells, they are a vast array of compounds that plants make to use as a defence against herbivory. They are oils, resins, alkaloids, and terpenes and they are toxic because that's what their purpose is. When you have an organism as large as a human a toxic exposure will take a lot more of these compounds than if you were a smaller organism, and if you are very small it may not take much. Many times these compounds act as more of a deterrent than a poison and that's why some are commonly used in natural insect repellants.

I would at the very least avoid anything that deters or repels insects.

A spider is not an insect. A lot of the things that repell insects and are toxic to them are not repellant/toxic to spiders. It wouldn't make sense from a plant evolution kind of view: the plant wants to repell/kill the insects that eat it but not the spiders that protect it. As an example there are quite a few spiders living happily on pine and even cedar. And if it's toxic to insects it most definitely does not mean it must always be toxic to mammals.

I'm not saying all those compounds are fine, only that kind of logic is flawed.

 

[MikeyD]

The spiders aren't chewing on the plant so they are avoiding having to deal with it's defences, but you're right, they aren't the reason the plants have evolved these compounds in the first place. That's not to say that vaporizing these compounds into the air in a room isn't going to effect them either but I don't know of any evidence to support either side, just what we know for insects and mammals. And although many arachnids like mites require their own class of chemical controls, there is many a dead spider that has been dispatched with run of the mill household insect spray. If you look up a common brand like Raid Spider Blaster the active ingredients are the exact same as the ones used to kill insects, they are Cyfluthrin and Pyrethrum which are pyrethroid insecticides based on chemical compounds made by a species of Chrysanthemum. The Chrysanthemum isn't out to kill spiders either but it can if they are exposed to it's chemical defences.

 

[PidderPeets]

A spider is not an insect. A lot of the things that repell insects and are toxic to them are not repellant/toxic to spiders. It wouldn't make sense from a plant evolution kind of view: the plant wants to repell/kill the insects that eat it but not the spiders that protect it. As an example there are quite a few spiders living happily on pine and even cedar. And if it's toxic to insects it most definitely does not mean it must always be toxic to mammals.

I'm not saying all those compounds are fine, only that kind of logic is flawed.

I honestly hadn't considered the fact that the plants may not deter spiders for the sake of taking advantage of their predatory nature. I was thinking along the lines that since some insect repelling plants repel insects that don't even eat them, it would be a similar result if an arachnid was exposed to the same plant. Actually putting it into words makes it sound a bit silly though.

I do know that spiders aren't insects. I actually debated using the term "invertebrates", but for some odd reason decided not to use it because I thought that might cause even more confusion due to that being an even broader term than "insects".

So that's two errors on my part. Sorry about that.

Edit to add: While I agree that it's flawed logic, I think I would still be more hesitant to use oils that are known to deter insects and other invertebrates than oils that are not.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

My room stinks

Corpses should always been buried under a lot of quicklime

 

[cold blood]

The spiders aren't chewing on the plants

i disagree....ts chew on everything, plants, wood....everything ends up between their fangs.

 

[MikeyD]

You forgot puppies. LOL

 

[Whitelightning777]

I would place the tarantula cage bear a fan that will draw air past the enclosure, perhaps securely taping the cage to a ladder and turning on the bathroom fan.

Placing the entire cage inside of a big plastic bag inside of a bag inside of another one world probably keep the toxins away for a day or so.

Once the T is safely ventilated, go ahead and do what you have to do to clean your room. You want to ensure that the chemicals can't standard around the cage.

Placing him in a temperature controlled storage unit or at a trusted friend's home is also a great choice in your situation.

 

[Rouxd]

I would suggest an air purifier. Very affordable via amazon and safe for all critters.

 

[Andrea82]

This is your best friend:
https://goo.gl/images/WXTyGu