Help

raveinchris

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
69
Hey guys Just got home form school to find my Tachira sling molting.Very exciting but apon further inspection I saw there was what looked to be super tiny maggots in the pill bottle.I would try to remove them but the spiders web is on everything and I don't want to worsen anything.Anything I can do or just wait.
 

rosehaired1979

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 14, 2003
Messages
2,900
All you can really do is wait hopefully the T will finish moulting soon and you can remove the substrate . You sure it ain't mites?
 

gumby

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 15, 2006
Messages
1,659
Sounds like mites to me rosehaired1979 is right Id let the sling be for about 24 hours at least befor moving anything. Do you have any pics?
 

raveinchris

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
69
ah no but I returned and found the sling had successfully molted and transferred it to another container
 

spiders4life

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 9, 2005
Messages
339
I think its quite early to move a freshly molted sling, It seems like you dont read what people are telling you:

Id let the sling be for about 24 hours at least befor moving anything.
Regards Mikael
 

Bill S

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 2, 2006
Messages
1,418
Why do so many people here think that every tiny thing they don't recognize is a mite?

I am not sure they just look line tiny white worms
Well, that would indicate that they can't be mites. Mites are arachnids - related to spiders. No arachnid, at any stage of its life, is a worm.

My guess is that you did have some kind of maggot living in the substrate - probably fungus gnats. If the substrate is damp, you will attract fungus gnats. They are unsightly, but not much threat to your tarantula.

It could also have been larvae of some other fly, or even some other type of insect. Probably not a bad idea to get your tarantula away from them as long as you can move the tarantula in a non-traumatic way, which is what you seem to have done. If the tarantula walked from one vial into the other on its own without being poked or prodded, then I see no problem. It's really a matter of balancing risks - risk of injury from a possibly predatory insect vs risk of injury from rough handling in being relocated.
 

John Apple

Just a guy
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 26, 2003
Messages
1,148
sounds like phorid fly larva possibly, without critisizing your methods you did the right thing as phorid fly larva eat flesh and remains from the meals if they be that.
Holothele tachira in my experiences [many sacs hatched] is a rather tough spider and slings will be fast as heck in an hour or two.
I am glad all worked out well and your methods made for a happy outcome
 
Top