Nematode Problem

shelpen · Dec 14, 2014

Just noticed a white beard on my Curly Hair's mouth. Horror!

She is also in pre-molt for a week now...

What can be done?

Ultum4Spiderz · Dec 14, 2014

You sure its not your vermiculite, perlite in substrate?

shelpen · Dec 14, 2014

Ultum4Spiderz said:
You sure its not your vermiculite, perlite in substrate?

Pretty sure. They seem to be very minute, like hairs and MOVING! I can see that much.

Ultum4Spiderz · Dec 14, 2014

shelpen said:
Pretty sure. They seem to be very minute, like hairs and MOVING! I can see that much.

Well I hate to say dig it out & check, wait til we get some more opinions on your T. My vision is bad also, maybe wait a few days til it moves and see.

shelpen · Dec 14, 2014

So far I can tell this is definitely nematode beard... Smeared the q-tip, added water and, voila, nematodes they are.

I dug her out of her burrow, cleaned the mouth with a dry q-tip, then with one dipped in mild saline solution. I only cleaned as much as I could on a suddenly quite active sling. Couldn't pinch grab her...
Her fangs are not locked and pedipalps are not in "under" position.

I put her in a dry container with a napkin and a ceramic pot as a hide... Gave her a water dish though... She seems to be in heavy pre-molt.

Worried!

Ultum4Spiderz · Dec 14, 2014

shelpen said:
So far I can tell this is definitely nematode beard... Smeared the q-tip, added water and, voila, nematodes they are.

I dug her out of her burrow, cleaned the mouth with a dry q-tip, then with one dipped in mild saline solution. I only cleaned as much as I could on a suddenly quite active sling. Couldn't pinch grab her...
Her fangs are not locked and pedipalps are not in "under" position.

I put her in a dry container with a napkin and a ceramic pot as a hide... Gave her a water dish though... She seems to be in heavy pre-molt.

Worried!

Sorry about todes. glad you dug her out, Hope s/he recovers soon.

telepatella · Dec 15, 2014

There was a guy named kazaam who cured an adult X. immanis with salt water. He was pretty vague as to how salty the water was but he held the T under water for about 5 minutes. He said he saw them falling off it's mouth area. The bad news is, any breeder I know who discovers nematodes puts that T immediately into the freezer. They travel and are deadly to tarantulas...Good luck!

14pokies · Dec 15, 2014

telepatella said:
There was a guy named kazaam who cured an adult X. immanis with salt water. He was pretty vague as to how salty the water was but he held the T under water for about 5 minutes. He said he saw them falling off it's mouth area. The bad news is, any breeder I know who discovers nematodes puts that T immediately into the freezer. They travel and are deadly to tarantulas...Good luck!

+1 I just read this thread..his method seemed effective in the short term...If I had the same problem as your having I would try this as my first course of action..I would use non iodized sea salt tho.. Not regular table salt. If you could pinch grab the t I would recommend doing so(I hate pinch grabbing but in this case i feel its exceptible) and use a syringe filled with saline home made or what ever you used and flush the mouth parts for a few minutes and try to clean the area with Q-tips..if you can't safety grab her then maybe submerge her like kaazam suggested..from what it seems if you don't try she will die..so what's the harm...damn that sucks I'm sorry..

shelpen · Dec 15, 2014

She is molting!

Now, I did clean the bulk of the todes from her mouth last night, followed with a swipe or two with saline solution (rather mild)... There was some white stuff still there but about 75% less, yay.

The question is -- will she get rid of the nematodes by molting out? The lining of her mouth molts/sheds too so maybe, just maybe!, we'll be in the clear after this.

As soon she's finished, I'm planning to take the water dish out to prevent reinfestation. And put her in the brand new enclosure, much drier.

ARACHNO-SMACK48 · Dec 15, 2014

Separate this T from the rest of your collection if you have other T's ASAP!!! Put any supplies, substrate, and the entire enclosure (if you can fit it) in the freezer for a few days.

shelpen · Dec 15, 2014

ARACHNO-SMACK48 said:
Separate this T from the rest of your collection if you have other T's ASAP!!! Put any supplies, substrate, and the entire enclosure (if you can fit it) in the freezer for a few days.

I believe nematodes are "spread" through the crickets/water, not air... So there is no point of separating.
But I sprayed her enclosure, tongs, brush I used and so on with a bleach solution... Will also put all in the dishwasher on "hot" to make sure.

Poec54 · Dec 15, 2014

I'd spray the spider itself with lukewarm water, to rinse the mites off. Put it in a deli cups and gently spray it.

shelpen · Dec 15, 2014

Poec54 said:
I'd spray the spider itself with lukewarm water, to rinse the mites off. Put it in a deli cups and gently spray it.

I think I'll do it once she hardens up... With a mild saline solution... Thanks!

ARACHNO-SMACK48 · Dec 15, 2014

I wouldn't take any chances. I would isolate it to be safe. But thats just me.

viper69 · Dec 15, 2014

Nematodes do not spread through the air. You would be crazy not to isolate your T when possible into a new container to be safe. Worms are parasites plain and simple.

advan · Dec 16, 2014

viper69 said:
Nematodes do not spread through the air.

Actually they do, with help. Phoridae is a known carrier and can carry them from cage to cage.

I'm also not convinced these are nematodes. Blurry pictures don't help much.

viper69 · Dec 16, 2014

Mites at the T's mouth (curly hair)

advan said:
Actually they do, with help. Phoridae is a known carrier and can carry them from cage to cage.

I'm also not convinced these are nematodes. Blurry pictures don't help much.

The poster didn't mention a vector and you did. Not the same at all

My original statement is 100% correct.

advan · Dec 16, 2014

viper69 said:
The poster didn't mention a vector and you did. Not the same at all My original statement is 100% correct.

Spreading from cage to cage through the air, whether the worms have wings themselves or are carried by something else with wings, all has the same possible result. So to me, it is the same.

viper69 · Dec 16, 2014

advan said:
Spreading from cage to cage through the air, whether the worms have wings themselves or are carried by something else with wings, all has the same possible result. So to me, it is the same.

The result is the same, but the mode of transmission is not. That's a relevant piece of information which makes it different, when someone asks or states "X is transmitted through the air", the correct answer in our nematode case is "No, they are not airborne, but can be transmitted by an airborne vector...", like malaria for example. Malaria isn't airborne.

If mode of transmission was not important, then the CDC, NIH, numerous health organizations wouldn't care to mention it, and spend $$$ investigating vectors, let alone informing the public. :biggrin:

advan · Dec 16, 2014

viper69 said:
like malaria for example. Malaria isn't airborne.

So because Malaria is not airborne by it's self(like nematodes), we should not worry about it? Your OP said nothing of transmission and made it seem as it was not possible. I think you should give this one up, Chris. ;P

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