The Ghost of Skeeter

Ok this is a long post, so for those who hate reading, I'll ask the question up front.

If you have a free roaming sling (it can leave and enter its deli cup at will), how can you catch it so that you can move it to a better cup? (Assume that it is never actually in the cup when you are home).

Backstory of how Skeeter and my girlfriend TOTALLY OWN3D me.

I received a shipment of a couple of slings. I put the 2 smallest ones (h maculata and b albopilosum) in delicups with holes in them. I didn't think they could get out, but to be extra safe, I put both of their deli cups into a large kritter keeper and taped all of its air holes shut (This KK has no holes for handles).

The Girlfriend wants to name one of them and I let her name the b albopilosum "Skeeter". Skeeter dug a burrow as deep as he could (he hit the bottom of the deli cup) which was GREAT because I could see him. He sat in his burrow all the time in my presence and didn't do much of anything. I knew he was eating or at least seeing his food because I would find that it was webbed up sometimes.

After having him for a couple weeks, I noticed that he wasn't in his burrow. No other holes appeared in his cup so I sifted through to see if I could find him. No Skeeter, UH OH! So then I searched the KK... No Skeeter. So now I figured he got out and made his way into the Maculata's cup. Bad move Skeeter! Needless to say I sifted Skeeter's delicup twice more and searched the KK again. Still no Skeeter.

A couple days later the girlfriend comes over and I have to tell her the bad news. She won't accept it of course and believes that somehow Skeeter got out to the deli cup AND the KK. OK fine, if that is true he is as good as dead because there is no water in my room. Well, she wanted me to leave food in Skeeter's delicup so that "he would want to come back home" (hard to believe she is 23 I know). So I did just to avoid an argument and keep her happy. She then called me the next day to see if he had come home....

Another day passed and I noticed something... webbing on the food in Skeeter's deli cup. So I sifted throught the deli cup again and NO SKEETER!! OMGWTFBBQ! I am soooo own3d right now.

So it stands to reason:
1. Skeeter is in his deli cup and has adapted a cloaking device.
2. Skeeter is in the KK and comes into the cup once in awhile and for some reason I can't see him in the KK.
3. Skeeter comes and goes through both prisons as he pleases.
4. Skeeter cohabitates with the Maculata and comes back to his place once in awhile. (Yeah right)
5. Skeeter was eaten and his ghost haunts his old deli cup by webbing up his food.
6. The Maculata ate Skeeter and comes back to web up Skeeter's food (whilst not webbing up its own food) just to taunt me. Keep in mind that the Maculata comes in the NIGHGHGHGHHGHTTTT

So, how do I catch whoever or whatever is webbing up the food in Skeeter's cup???? Can I put some kind of tape down that will catch a sling and won't hurt it? I am totally serious and not making this up. Should i just check myself into the insane asylum now?

Option 1. Most probably. Some slings are really secretive. If the substrate is quite loose, as you turn the substrate the sling can easily squeeze itself into places you can't see. Just make sure the airholes are not too big, and don't accidentally hurt your sling as you dig!

Some slings are really secretive. If the substrate is quite loose, as you turn the substrate the sling can easily squeeze itself into places you can't see. Just make sure the airholes are no too big, and don't accidentally hurt your sling as you dig!

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Thanks,

You may be right. In my experience though, most slings tend to climb out of their burrows and get irrate when the substrate is moved.

I want to change the container to one with smaller airholes. But I can't do that until I can ensure that he is in there. Maybe I will scoop it into another container bit by bit. But if he is not, I have to put it all back... arrrg

if you are using a sandy substrate like potting soil or vermiculite you could take a strainer dump the cup in that and see if anything gets left behind. but if he is to small he might slip through. good luck

B.Munch said:

if you are using a sandy substrate like potting soil or vermiculite you could take a strainer dump the cup in that and see if anything gets left behind. but if he is to small he might slip through. good luck

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Good idea...

I used a plastic spoon and took a scoop and slowly strained it into another container. Did that until there wasn't any Spaghnum Peat moss left. No Skeeter. Problem with that moss is it comes with balls of dirt and some pieces of tree or something too. Went to the trouble of taking the Maculata out of its container, searched through that one, no Skeeter.

I need a way to catch it in the container without sitting and watching 24 hours a day.

I'm leaning towards your cloaking device theory, Ts usually do a good job of making themselves discrete

Skeeter FOUND!!! well sorta

Thankfully Skeeter webs up its food wherever it goes. I used that and a little help from Peter Falk to track Skeeter to his new hiding place.

For those playing Clue at home, it wasn't the maculata in the billiard room with the candlestick ;P

Sooooooo Skeeter is living in a seashell.... Don't ask why, don't ask how :?
Maybe he thinks that he is actually a hermit crab

Anyone have any suggestions as to how to get him out of there??????????? Or should I just leave him in his new home and put that in another container??

Bark said:

Sooooooo Skeeter is living in a seashell.... Don't ask why, don't ask how :?
Maybe he thinks that he is actually a hermit crab

Anyone have any suggestions as to how to get him out of there??????????? Or should I just leave him in his new home and put that in another container??

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LOL. That is SUCH a funny story, especially the way you told it. You must be SO relieved to have found him.

Why not just leave him in the seashell (in his Halloween costume) and put it in another enclosure? I'm sure he'll come out when he gets hungry enough.

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Wendy
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Socrates said:

LOL. That is SUCH a funny story, especially the way you told it. You must be SO relieved to have found him.

Why not just leave him in the seashell (in his Halloween costume) and put it in another enclosure? I'm sure he'll come out when he gets hungry enough.
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True, I am relieved that I have found him and the mystery is solved. But now what?

Feeding is the only time he comes out. I haven't seen him for over a month and I could only see him then because his burrow was at the bottom of a transparent deli cup.

I just worry that he will try to molt inside the shell (molt expected over the next 2 weeks) or possibly the acoustics or dampness in the shell causing harm. I did a search on the boards for seashell and nothing came up, so this may be a first.

b. Albopilosum 2, Bark 0

great story!!! I'd just leave Skeeter in the shell, once he gets too large, he won't be able to use it as a home anymore. Just put the shell into somewhere he absolutely CAN'T escape from. That's one T that knows what he likes!

Immortal_sin said:

great story!!! I'd just leave Skeeter in the shell, once he gets too large, he won't be able to use it as a home anymore. Just put the shell into somewhere he absolutely CAN'T escape from. That's one T that knows what he likes!

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OK sounds like a plan! I am moving him to a smaller container with pin holes for ventilation.

Thanks everyone for their input!

-Bark