How do you deal with your aggressive Ts?

GG80 · Apr 8, 2015

I started a thread 2 weeks ago about my first 'attack'. It was my 2"+ A. genic who, since its last molt, has turned out to be the spawn of Satan. I can't do any maintainance without a vicious attack. The moment I touch the substrate.....Bang!!!
I had to clean a bolus and other rubbish out of the water dish today and couldn't get near the dish without an attack on the tongs. After a 10 minute Sergio Leone-esq standoff (I could almost hear the 'El Trio' music from the end of 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly') I had to resort to frightening it into its hide by tapping hard on the enclosure.
I'm quite vigilant so I'm not in much danger of being bitten but my concerns are that the T will either escape or damage itself on the steele tongs.
What, if anything, do you guys do to make maintainance easier with aggressive Ts?

IHeartTs · Apr 8, 2015

First off, that genic wasn't trying to attack you out of defense, it was a feeding response. Well thats my best guess at least since my genic does this. Most Ts won't just run up and bite unless it's a feeding response or an Obt lol. For my genic I role up a pice of kleenex and let it wrestle with it until I'm done. This is the only spider that does this in my collectio. If they're within striking range of me I announce my presence my brushing their abdomen with a paint brush. If they aren't, I tap the side. Most Ts won't give you problems though.

Angel Minkov · Apr 8, 2015

I just say "sit boy" and they listen.

eldondominicano · Apr 8, 2015

Angel Minkov said:
I just say "sit boy" and they listen.

LOL you got some magic

BobGrill · Apr 8, 2015

There's a difference between a tarantula showing defensive behavior and having an aggressive feeding response.

Blueandbluer · Apr 8, 2015

For terrestrials, dropping a deli or souffle cup over it will allow you to work in relative peace without fear of the spider teleporting out or charging at you.

Unforch, not so easy to do with arboreals.

awiec · Apr 8, 2015

I have a pamph who is very very very hungry, I usually toss her a cricket and she munches on that while I clean. Also cleaning during the day makes the spider less likely to come out. Worse comes to worse you can just put a cup over them and clean while they are under it. All of my more high strung or defensive spiders get cleaned during the day as they are less active that time or I feed them and clean; both strategies work.

Rozkol · Apr 9, 2015

Blueandbluer said:
For terrestrials, dropping a deli or souffle cup over it will allow you to work in relative peace without fear of the spider teleporting out or charging at you.

Unforch, not so easy to do with arboreals.

I'm so trying to do this to my A. Avic. "Get in the god damn cup!"

louise f · Apr 9, 2015

For god sake it is a A.genic we are talking about, they are allways hungry. Hehe

i usually use a straw to hold it back with while i clean, what a nice set of piercings in the straw after it have been chewing on it :biggrin:
or i give it some food, Both works fine.

Good luck with your spawn of satan :laugh:

GG80 · Apr 9, 2015

Sorry guys, I forgot to mention that I am aware it's a feeding response and it's not attacking me

. Anyway, some good responses here. I like the idea of covering the spider with a cup, although I am sure this will be easier said than done haha.
Day or night doesn't seem to bother this spider, it's always out and ready to pounce

.

Poec54 · Apr 9, 2015

GG80 said:
I started a thread 2 weeks ago about my first 'attack'. It was my 2"+ A. genic who, since its last molt, has turned out to be the spawn of Satan. I can't do any maintainance without a vicious attack. The moment I touch the substrate.....Bang!!!
I had to clean a bolus and other rubbish out of the water dish today and couldn't get near the dish without an attack on the tongs. After a 10 minute Sergio Leone-esq standoff (I could almost hear the 'El Trio' music from the end of 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly') I had to resort to frightening it into its hide by tapping hard on the enclosure.
I'm quite vigilant so I'm not in much danger of being bitten but my concerns are that the T will either escape or damage itself on the steele tongs.
What, if anything, do you guys do to make maintainance easier with aggressive Ts?

I just fed and cleaned a bunch of my spiders last night. For most, I fill/change the water bowl, pick up boluses, and then drop in a few crickets. With the ones likely to have a very positive feeding response, I give them one big female cricket first, which distracts them, and then I do the water bowl and cleaning. If the water bowl is right in front of them, I drop the cricket behind them, and they'll go after that and leave me free to get the water bowl without them knowing. After maintenance, I'll toss in a couple more crickets and put the lid back on.

While they're holding the first cricket and spinning in a circle, with a few I was actually able to carefully pick up boluses under them with my 6" forceps; in all their excitement and commotion they didn't even realize it. Of course that's with NW terrestrials, I doubt I could do that with arboreals and OW terrestrials as they're more alert and have better eyesight, along with being able to run faster should they see me and panic.

Dave Marschang · Apr 9, 2015

I play banjo and have found that if you wear banjo picks you can use them like a males tibial hooks and hold the tarantulas fangs back with one hand while you do maintenance with the other hand..........

ok that was a joke DO NOT try this.
I did buy bamboo tongs for this reason so no fangs get broken but I stepped on them and broke them before I could put them to use.
luckily I don't really have this issue with any of my T's yet and have nothing but jokes to add to this thread. sorry . lol

gobey · Apr 9, 2015

Cup them....

As your genic approaches full size itll be harder... But shouldn't be an issue for a juvie.

I have to cup my porteri all the time. She hates it.

She hates everything.

skar · Apr 9, 2015

It's not a big hassle. First off I don't use a water dish.
If there is any maintenance to be done push the tongs through a zip lock bag, cover the enclosure
as you clean through the bag. Waste can be expelled with the bag.

GG80 · Apr 9, 2015

skar said:
It's not a big hassle. First off I don't use a water dish.
If there is any maintenance to be done push the tongs through a zip lock bag, cover the enclosure
as you clean through the bag. Waste can be expelled with the bag.

Great idea, thanks.

Poec54 · Apr 9, 2015

gobey said:
Cup them....

As your genic approaches full size itll be harder... But shouldn't be an issue for a juvie.

I have to cup my porteri all the time.

I've never had to cup anything to do maintenance, and I have some fast and feisty species. If the cage is an appropriate size, then there's room to work in there with forceps or tweezers.

gobey · Apr 9, 2015

skar said:
It's not a big hassle. First off I don't use a water dish.
If there is any maintenance to be done push the tongs through a zip lock bag, cover the enclosure
as you clean through the bag. Waste can be expelled with the bag.

I like your maintenance idea.

You don't use a dish?

gobey · Apr 9, 2015

Poec54 said:
I've never had to cup anything to do maintenance, and I have some fast and feisty species. If the cage is an appropriate size, then there's room to work in there with forceps or tweezers.

She's the only one I've had to do so with. She seemed unhappy last time she was in a larger enclosure.

Perhaps it's time for just a slightly larger one.

She'll run to the slightest vibration to attack.

Too cramped eh?

Time for a new home?

awiec · Apr 9, 2015

gobey said:
She's the only one I've had to do so with. She seemed unhappy last time she was in a larger enclosure.

Perhaps it's time for just a slightly larger one.

She'll run to the slightest vibration to attack.

Too cramped eh?

Time for a new home?

That looks fine to me, she just has a high prey drive it sounds like, usually my more excitable spiders calm down once they figure out there is no food.

gobey · Apr 9, 2015

awiec said:
That looks fine to me, she just has a high prey drive it sounds like, usually my more excitable spiders calm down once they figure out there is no food.

She gets real defensive after she figures out it isn't food. Ready to fight tongs, paintbrushes, or me to the death. She kicks, slaps, threat poses, bites.

Of course sometimes she does nothing at all.

Because Grammostola.

:sarcasm:

How do you deal with your aggressive Ts?

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