New purchases from show- my first aboreals

I went to the SoCal IRBA show yesterday (anyone else?) and got 2 new spiders. A striking adult (4") H. maculata (i think its female) and a 2" juvenile P. irmani. Those suntigers are quick! probably the fastest I've ever owned. I had a fun time getting them all situated. My H. gigas escaped when I was switching his enclosures so I could put the suntiger in his old place. Digging a mean burrower out is no fun! Luckily I caught it but not after my semi-arachnophobic girlfriend screamed and ran out of the living room (probably not the best place to carry out such a task). Then I had a fun time of putting the maculata in his new home. I used a critter keeper turned upright and trying to get the spider in there is no easy feat. Fortunately, the maculata was not very aggressive, just trying to hide. I transfered her in the bathtub just in case, glad I did.

heres an idea for future "mean burrowers" i have my A. Semmanni (not mean at all) in a plastic pot cut in half. if i want to take him out all i need to do is remove the half-pot. HOW? you ask well here it is. a product called "grip-rite" its used for kitchen shelves so glasses wont tip over. its a spongy material and i wrapped the half-pot in it and glued it so the "burrow" has a bottom, since the T is in the burrow he stays there when i remove the burrow. works nicely. for a "mean T i would use a piece of cardboard to cover the front during moving so he cant get out.

my gigas is not very aggressive normally. Burrowers (especially old worlds) do not like to be cornered without a hole to run into. When I finally dug it out, it was pissed because it had nowhere to go. I like your idea but I still think a more aggressive spider would be quite perturbed to all of a sudden be exposed when it's in its burrow, but it certainly would take away some of the danger of actually having to dig it out.

I wanted to go but I am low on funds.. I had to stay away from the temptation.

nice new editions...H mac and the irminia...just what i needed to hear again..