Worms in my spider's poop.

[Jake94]

Do you guys think these worms were pooped out by my spider, or are just in the substrate and eating his poop? Either way I'll be doing a rehouse promptly. I was having trouble with nematodes not too long ago in my Pokie's enclosure, but I did a rehouse and he seems to be doing fine now. Those seemed smaller than these worms though.

http://imgur.com/a/k8jzn

 

[14pokies]

Those look like nematodes...

 

[Andrea82]

Be sure to check all your spiders and enclosures, since the last outbreak was not too long ago. Nasty little buggers, blegh.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Well, the fact that you had "the nightmare of every T's keeper" recently isn't obviously a good sign but it's always the best (I know, I know man) to think/blame something inside the soil.

Good move with the re-house, keep us posted. Wish you the best.

 

[Jake94]

It looks like his is the only one with them at the moment. His also has the wettest substrate, and I have kept my pokie's enclosure less wet ever since the rehouse. From what I read in the older nematode threads, it seems like if these guys were going to kill my T's I would be able to notice by now, but I could be wrong about that. But the nematodes themselves are the only symptom I have noticed so far. I've read that when you get tarantula killing nematodes, you will be able to see them amassing in and around the fangs and mouth of the T, which I haven't seen yet. I did have phorid flies (I think that's how it's spelled?) back when the first case of nematodes was found, but they've since disappeared, fortunately. The only way I can see the nematodes is by looking in through the side of the enclosure in and around the substrate, but they are quite visible in the one, so I think I'd be able to spot them in the others if they were present. I'm going to try and inspect the T when I do the rehouse. It's a juve/sling P. cambridgei.

 

[Tfisher]

Is it possibly maggots of some type?

 

[Jake94]

Is it possibly maggots of some type?

I don't think so. Phorid fly larva aren't as long and thin as these. I admit that I really don't know, however.

 

[Rittdk01]

Segregate that tarantula and clean out the enclosure. Looks like nematodes to me. Just had to put a stirmi to sleep that had them. He looked healthy and only sign of illness was worms coming out his mouth. I changed all my other t's enclosures and haven't seen any other signs of illness (every last one down to spiderlings have eaten since I put big boy down).

 

[Abyss]

Good luck

 

[Jake94]

Here's some current pictures of the cleaned enclosure and his fangs http://imgur.com/a/6DXTs

 

[Thistles]

There are many species of nematode and not all threaten tarantulas. They do look like nematodes, but they might not be the evil, nightmare-inducing ones. Good luck.