HELP: How do you get a T out of a burrow?

KUJordan

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
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Nov 22, 2005
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344
I have a few H. gigas and an H. lividum that I'm trying to get out of their burrows. The gigas are about 2.5-3" and the lividum is about 5.5". I built custom burrow display tanks for them (w/ panes of glass about 2" apart) and they have constructed intricate burrows already. The only problem is that I want to cast the burrows with dental resin, and I obviously want to save the spiders. How can I get them out? I've tried flooding (obviously this does NO good with the H. gigas), smoking, ice water flooding, luring, etc... The only thing I haven't tried is a heat lamp- moving it gradually up from the bottom of their burrow. Do you guys think this will work? If so, or not, or if you have any other suggestions please let me know. Thank you!
 

Scorp guy

Arachnoangel
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Dec 22, 2005
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smoking them out? dont try that...that's asking for BIG trouble.

Try getting a pair of tongs and slowly opening the burrow....but this will not save the burrow. Try blowing on it.....while keeping a safe distance of course. Maybe try dropping some small pieces of bark or wood (i mean TINY pieces) OR....try vibrations near the entrance of the burrow, like a cricket with it's back legs taken off.
 

Lorgakor

Arachnomom
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Maybe if you leave the lid of the cage open one evening, you can sit and wait for the spider to come out on its own. Most of my burrowers come out at night. That way the lid is already off so it won't run down its hole at the disturbance of taking the lid off, and you can sneak up and block the hole on it.

I really have no idea, I've never had this problem before!:D
 

Cirith Ungol

Ministry of Fluffy Bunnies
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Use a red light to work with during the night, that won't sent the T down the hole (if you're careful not to move to violently).
 

sick4x4

Arachnoprince
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for my h. lividums i use a fogger, the ones that use water..this doesnt destroy the burrow and they usually come right out
 

Derekool

Arachnosquire
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May 19, 2006
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Sorry this might be a sill question but...
What are you going to do with the casts?

And also Sick4x4 how would you direct the fog?
 

sick4x4

Arachnoprince
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Sorry this might be a sill question but...
What are you going to do with the casts?

And also Sick4x4 how would you direct the fog?
basically i put the fogger in a small bowl or a larger deli cup...it then fogs up the enclosure completely once it has filled the enclosure for a couple of minutes i let the fog dissipate....everything is wet and they come right out..usually takes a few minutes..sub depth is usually 5-6 inches in a basic burrowing set-up..hope that helps....i have tried other methods but this to me this is the least stressful...for me it works great
 

KUJordan

Arachnobaron
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Nov 22, 2005
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Thanks guys! I'll have to try the fogger idea, the only problem is that the substrate is about 18" deep. Both the gigas and lividum have all made burrows that go to the bottom! This could be interesting...

This whole thing is a research project for the KU entomology/paleontology deptartments and is funded by the Unifersity. The substrate is packed as layers of different composition to determine how spiders' (between true and mygs and between different mygs) physical burrow features reflect the composition of substrate they are burrowing through. It's pretty cool stuff actually. Thanks for asking!
 

Sarah.S

Arachnosquire
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Sep 14, 2006
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Mmm I know what I would normally do but as you need to keep the burrows intact I think chopsticks a ruler or some other long tool is going to be needed. I also found blowing on webbing for some of my smaller and shallower burrows also works. I would defentely do this in the evening or even at night and would have the lid of the tank off as there is more chance of them playing nice and comming out at that time of day to stimulation.
 

maarrrrr

Arachnoknight
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Feb 27, 2006
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225
Usa a chopstick and gently tap the web surrounding the burrow entrance. The burrower will come up and you can lead it further out with the chopstick. It's actually quite easy. This is the method that works for me.
 

Derekool

Arachnosquire
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May 19, 2006
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This whole thing is a research project for the KU entomology/paleontology deptartments and is funded by the Unifersity. The substrate is packed as layers of different composition to determine how spiders' (between true and mygs and between different mygs) physical burrow features reflect the composition of substrate they are burrowing through. It's pretty cool stuff actually. Thanks for asking!
:worship:

That is really neat, what journal and when are you going to be publishing your findings?
 

sick4x4

Arachnoprince
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Thanks guys! I'll have to try the fogger idea, the only problem is that the substrate is about 18" deep. Both the gigas and lividum have all made burrows that go to the bottom! This could be interesting...

This whole thing is a research project for the KU entomology/paleontology deptartments and is funded by the Unifersity. The substrate is packed as layers of different composition to determine how spiders' (between true and mygs and between different mygs) physical burrow features reflect the composition of substrate they are burrowing through. It's pretty cool stuff actually. Thanks for asking!
at 18"'s i would try to keep it close to the burrow entrance...since its heavier then air it should go in the hole....where have i heard that before???? golf commercial lol
 

KUJordan

Arachnobaron
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Nov 22, 2005
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344
thanks for all the help guys. i got a new heat lamp that puts some serious heat on a very small area- it works great. I just put it on the glass at the ver back of the burrow and very, very slowly (I'm talking hours) move it up the burrow and the spiders stay just in front of it and out they come! It's pretty cool.
 

AfterTheAsylum

Arachnodemon
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Aug 13, 2005
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674
thanks for all the help guys. i got a new heat lamp that puts some serious heat on a very small area- it works great. I just put it on the glass at the ver back of the burrow and very, very slowly (I'm talking hours) move it up the burrow and the spiders stay just in front of it and out they come! It's pretty cool.
There is a less time consuming way of doing it. I saw the chopstick mention, but you could you it in another fashion. Take a hanger, unfold it, tape the end to make it soft. Then stick it in the ground and push it toward the spider at the bottom of the burrow. It will come right out. Worked with all of my burrowers, and still works with my King Baboon.

The Sickness (YES! HE'S BACK!)
 
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