The exterminator is coming soon.

So, my apartment does not allow pets, so my tarantula collection is "secret". This month, my apartments are having an exterminator spray for pests (which is done twice a year, but this will be the first time since I began collecting tarantulas). When this is done, the guy usually just walks in and sprays around the doorways, bathrooms, and around the kitchen. My tarantulas are kept a good 10 feet away from where the nearest sprayed area would be, and they are in a closed closet, so would they be safe or should I remove them from the apartment for a few days?

Drop them off at someone elses house for a week or two, you don't want your collection around that.

I'd take them out of the apartment for an extended period of time. If you don't, you may see some of them ill or worse. I don't even spray air freshener in my T room, or store any chemicals or refrigerant drums in there, simply not worth the risk.

I would too move them to another place. They are too sensitive to that spraying oop: (and they have reasons, wish people would be just "half" wise like T's are) it's IMO not worth the risk, even if i know that you had take all you could for their safety.

On a personal consideration: damn if i hate that chemicals spraying fashion rapture there's in USA. For me is pay for breath death, oncology all the way in the long run.
No offence to anyone but i stick with my nation in that.. here no one spray nothing in condo/homes etc except for those who are into vineyards.

I'd refuse their entrance...then give notice that I'm moving....no way in hell I'd let them spray randomly for no good reason even if I didn't have a collection. What a horrid policy, they must have had or have a serious infestation issue at some point.

Hello 30 day notice!!

cold blood said:

I'd refuse their entrance...then give notice that I'm moving....no way in hell I'd let them spray randomly for no good reason even if I didn't have a collection. What a horrid policy, they must have had or have a serious infestation issue at some point.

Hello 30 day notice!!

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I don't care for random spraying either but a lot of the chemicals sprayed have little effect on people, they are formulated to attack specific pathways in invertebrates. Though I would move them as I go into total lockdown when just the yard company (I live in a condo so no choice) sprays as I've lost about 8 animals from their spraying.

Have you thought about getting a cheap hotel and waiting a week there with your Ts? It would be an annoying expense, but definitely worth it IMO.

awiec said:

I don't care for random spraying either but a lot of the chemicals sprayed have little effect on people, they are formulated to attack specific pathways in invertebrates. Though I would move them as I go into total lockdown when just the yard company (I live in a condo so no choice) sprays as I've lost about 8 animals from their spraying.

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I also worry about the dog, boxers have a high cancer rate, something I'd like to avoid at all costs. And just because the pest company SAYS its safe, doesn't mean its so...to admit the dangers of their product would take $ out of their pockets or possibly put them out of business....its clearly in their best interest to tell us they are safer then they are.

I've lost spiders because of a neighbor spraying his yard.

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elliotulysses said:

Have you thought about getting a cheap hotel and waiting a week there with your Ts? It would be an annoying expense, but definitely worth it IMO.

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Then you have to worry about the cleaning help wandering in while you are out....they could spray chemicals as well as complain about the spiders.

Just say you have chemical sensitivities, and bring up anaphylaxis type symptoms upon inhalation. They will probably want to avoid the potential for a lawsuit. When I lived in an apartment, I refused entry with that exact reason. They listened, however I still put my collection in double bagged contractor bags for a week.

The chem companies say it is safe; but if it is killing inverts so effectively what does it do to us over the long haul? CB and Chris are on the right track in referencing oncology later down the road. If there is money to be made everything is "safe".

cold blood said:

I also worry about the dog, boxers have a high cancer rate, something I'd like to avoid at all costs. And just because the pest company SAYS its safe, doesn't mean its so...to admit the dangers of their product would take $ out of their pockets or possibly put them out of business....its clearly in their best interest to tell us they are safer then they are.

I've lost spiders because of a neighbor spraying his yard.

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Then you have to worry about the cleaning help wandering in while you are out....they could spray chemicals as well as complain about the spiders.

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"And just because the pest company SAYS its safe, doesn't mean its so...to admit the dangers of their product would take $ out of their pockets or possibly put them out of business"

Ah ah, true. It's like Mafia here in Italy
When Totò Riina, Cosa Nostra Boss, was arrested, he stated: "Mafia? Quale Mafia? La Mafia non esiste! Signor Giudice, muratore 'sugno' ".
Means in English: "Mafia? What is Mafia? Mafia doesn't even exists! Sir Judge, i'm a bricklayer". LOL

Not to mention that, since i saw as a teen, "Henry: Portrait of a serial killer" with a great Michael Rooker, i somewhat fear exterminators weirdos :O

Here an exterminator who meet his destiny after killing hundreds of poor T's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwG6MyuhNUY

cold blood said:

I also worry about the dog, boxers have a high cancer rate, something I'd like to avoid at all costs. And just because the pest company SAYS its safe, doesn't mean its so...to admit the dangers of their product would take $ out of their pockets or possibly put them out of business....its clearly in their best interest to tell us they are safer then they are.

I've lost spiders because of a neighbor spraying his yard.

---------- Post added 10-13-2015 at 10:27 AM ----------



Then you have to worry about the cleaning help wandering in while you are out....they could spray chemicals as well as complain about the spiders.

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There are several chemicals that don't affect humans but take advantage of the fact that inverts have to rely on an exoskeleton, I used to be pretty well versed in chemistry so I did some independent research. I still don't want it sprayed anyway as I rely on natural predators to take care of my bug problems as spiders and wasps are very good at what they do. Also boxers probably have the highest cancer rate of any breed, most I know (including my own) all got some sort of stomach cancer that wasted them away.

I wouldn't worry about it.

I wouldn't worry too much. My apartment complex also sprays every now & then like yours (around the doors, around the edge of kitchen & edge of bathroom). If I'm home when they come by I refuse entry & go about my day but more than once I've come home to find a note on my counter saying that my apartment had been sprayed. In the two years since I've been keeping tarantulas, i haven't had any issues from the occasional spraying along the floor.

No wonder the bees are dying...

OliverWhatever said:

No wonder the bees are dying...

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Now that you mentioned bees, man.. here in Italy, in the South, near Napoli (Naples) so very far from where i live in the North, there's a sort of.. living nightmare extremely polluted enviroment called "La terra dei fuochi" (in English: Land of fires).

In sum "Camorra" -- one of the biggest and brutal organized crime brands of Italy, active mostly in "Campania" region -- buried and burned tons of chemical waste/stuff in the wild, and people die at 20 for malign tumors. Is a sort of "Fallout" game waste land, no joking. The politicians were aware of that, of course, but never took a valid action (only silly measures now since was leaked to Italy main medias).

Ok, where i live, in my city in Lombardy, so in the North and somewhat distant.. bees are dying at daily basis! I suspect something evil happened as well.. that's not normal, and never happened here.

There's scum out there who make tons of cash for destroying our nations/states, a lot of those "working", doing dirty jobs in the shadows, for big corporations, industries etc

That's the reason why i'm sad to see that there's "normal" people (so not involved in those traffic) who doesn't care about, and accept all sort of stuff, and doesn't care about nature, plants, animals.

Seems that a (fake) green yard "bug free" is more worth than people health!