Local Newspaper Article, Scottstarantulas

The local paper just did a nice article about Scott Bemis of scottstarantulas, http://www.fresnobee.com/lifestyle/story/8841139p-9729307c.html

Our hero (me) is quoted towards the bottom. Apologies for anyone who has to register to see this.


A couple of hours in Bemis' home in central Fresno is barely long enough to sample what arachnid aficionados say is one of the largest private collections on the West Coast. The room of grown-up tarantulas is just the start. Counting the spiderlings spawned elsewhere in the house in an ambitious breeding program, Bemis has about 4,000 tarantulas representing 110 species.

"I don't know of anyone locally who does anything near what Scott does," says Judy Johnson, a research entomologist who owns about a dozen adult tarantulas and enjoys showing them to children at Fresno-area libraries and schools.

...

Very good article! Man, thats alot of T's!!

I printed it out and also emailed it to a couple friends of mine at work.

Renee

Nice Jesse! Thanks for posting that, I gotta make it down there one of these days for his gatherings.

Great article...well done to the Fresno Bee for keeping it real, albeit under guidance of Scott. I will definately be at the next public gathering at "Tarantula Ranch".

Collecting

keithaddison said:

Great article...well done to the Fresno Bee for keeping it real, albeit under guidance of Scott. I will definately be at the next public gathering at "Tarantula Ranch".

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I think the next collecting trip will be in September, anyone who wants to go should send Scott an email

wow, Scott buys 6,000 to 7,000 crickets a week!!!! thats amazing.

Joe1968 said:

wow, Scott buys 6,000 to 7,000 crickets a week!!!! thats amazing.

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Yes he has 2 or 3 assistants to help him feed, it takes a few days to get through all of them.

Hi All,

I guess I better weigh in here since a few facts are just a tad off.

Facts downplayed in the article intentionally by me:

Yes, I do go through 6,000 to 10,000 crickets a week. Everything does get fed once a week, some power fed for breeding, others held back for future breeding.

I actually have more than 6,000 tarantulas, 85% spiderlings under 1.5" legspan. I keep about 95% of my hatches for my own use/science research/website sales.

Facts that were once true but no longer are:

I did have 1 local teenager periodically help with the feeding and general maintainence. My girlfriend's help only counted for 4 months last year until she developed a built up alergic reaction to the urticating hair. Now I do all the work myself and spend on average 30hrs a week maintaining everything. <

Overall I was pleased with the article. It's not common for news agencies to get most of the facts right let alone portray them in a more postive light. Our hobby sometimes gets bashed in the media, thankfully that wasn't the case this time.

I wish to thank Rick West, Judy J., and Jesse S. for their input to the Fresno Bee editor. I also with to thank the editor Jody M. & Kurt for their work researching, photographing, and writing the Fresno Bee article.

For CA people:

The next Central California Arachnid Society (CCAS) meeting is scheduled for Saturday Sept 11, 2004. Anyone interested in attending should email me through the website. I will post a full description here on Arachnoboards in the events area before the end of the month.

Thanks,

Scott Bemis

That was a neat article. Sounds liken someone is creating an army with aspirations of world domination.

Thats the best article I've read on a captive breeder yet. Thanks! Scot's collection is breath taking.