Just the worst timing ever...

So I decided to get my tarantula some food right? It was just chilling in it's hidey-hole, all cool and stuff. So I walked up to the pet store to get it a cricket or two. Actually it was three but who cares? Anyways so I go to give it it's food when I look at it and see that the bald patch on it got a little darker and it looked a little thicker. OH HELL NAH!(Note: read this like a large black woman was saying this.) The damn things went into pre-molt while I was distracted by a cute puppy at the local pet store. I'm not even sure how it happened. So I wasted 60 cents on some crickets for a tarantula that I'm pretty sure won't eat for now.

A Simple Thief said:

So I decided to get my tarantula some food right? It was just chilling in it's hidey-hole, all cool and stuff. So I walked up to the pet store to get it a cricket or two. Actually it was three but who cares? Anyways so I go to give it it's food when I look at it and see that the bald patch on it got a little darker and it looked a little thicker. OH HELL NAH!(Note: read this like a large black woman was saying this.) The damn things went into pre-molt while I was distracted by a cute puppy at the local pet store. I'm not even sure how it happened. So I wasted 60 cents on some crickets for a tarantula that I'm pretty sure won't eat for now.

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How do you.know it went into.premolt within an lets say an.hour of you going to a pet store? Have you offered it the crickets?

Well um.... I guess I don't. I... feel a little stupid now for posting this. I guess I'll see if it accepts the crickets at all.... God I feel stupid.

Hm and I pay 60¢ for half a dozen crix you got ripped off for 2-3

I've had slings eat while going into pre-molt but that was dead pieces. Alive crix + molting T = eaten alive T

A Simple Thief said:

Well um.... I guess I don't. I... feel a little stupid now for posting this. I guess I'll see if it accepts the crickets at all.... God I feel stupid.

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No no that was not my intention at all. I was just confused. We were all new at this at one point. I started with old worlds so I never had to deal with the bald patch stuff. But its better to be safe and try feeding her because some t's will eat in premolt my subfusca ate a big dubia finished it then an hour later was on her back up at the top of her enclosure molting.

---------- Post added 10-11-2011 at 09:13 PM ----------

Amoeba said:

Hm and I pay 60¢ for half a dozen crix you got ripped off for 2-3

I've had slings eat while going into pre-molt but that was dead pieces. Alive crix + molting T = eaten alive T

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Not all true. And I pay $1 a dozen so it seems youre both getting the crap end of the stick on crickets.

What isn't true?

Amoeba said:

Hm and I pay 60¢ for half a dozen crix you got ripped off for 2-3

I've had slings eat while going into pre-molt but that was dead pieces. Alive crix + molting T = eaten alive T

Click to expand...

Not all true. And I pay $1 a dozen so it seems youre both getting the crap end of the stick on crickets.

That your t will be eaten alive because of an alive cricket.

Well, the lady at the store said that the price would have been he same if it was ten crickets and it only changed at a dozen, soooooooo. Yeah I guess we are getting the crap end. Anyways, that tarantula is not eating those crickets. The crickets actually crawled under it as it moved toward the wall. -_- Not hungry I guess.

A Simple Thief said:

Well, the lady at the store said that the price would have been he same if it was ten crickets and it only changed at a dozen, soooooooo. Yeah I guess we are getting the crap end. Anyways, that tarantula is not eating those crickets. The crickets actually crawled under it as it moved toward the wall. -_- Not hungry I guess.

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If they arent gone by tomorrow take them out. Some spiders get "stage fright"

Yeah. I actually only saw my spider move once and that was to crawl up the wall. I was led to believe it moved solely by teleporting up till this point.

Pre-molt happens gradually, not during a trip to the pet store, unless you were gone for a couple of days or longer.
Some tarantulas will be in pre-molt for weeks. Some will refuse food before they even appear to be in pre-molt. Some continue to take food up until hour(s) before the actual molt. Some will molt with no outward sign of pre-molt.
Bald patches happen as a result of hair-kicking, rubbing against surfaces in the enclosure, or injury. Pre-existing bald patches can be a 'window' to tell if they are darkening in pre-molt, but do not occur in NW sp as a part of the molting process. Few of mine have ever had a bald patch and they molt just fine.

For economical purposes, a plastic recyclable container can be modified to keep a dozen or so crickets in for a period of time. You can get the dozen rate and not make so many trips to the LPS. Most places will give you a few 'overcount' when you buy a dozen. All those saved pennies can add up to another tarantula.

No such thing as stupid questions, just referals to the search feature...lol! seriously, everybody here has made mistakes, and sometimes that is how we learn.

True. I guess now I'm more educated. And as it turns out it is in pre-molt. It's got some kind of shedding thing going on. My friend who also has tarantulas said that was a sign of it after I showed him a picture. So now I have to take care of these damn crickets until it will eat again.