Got hit bad last night while re-housing my 3 remaining hair kickers (B. boehmei, B. smithi, and L. difficilis). For me, the boehmei has always been the worst, for some reason. Even 10 years ago, when I kept many large adults of EVERY New World terrestrial I could get my hands on, the boehmei gave me more trouble than T. blondi, or any Lasiodora, Brachypelma, or Pamphobeteus.
Without a doubt, my reaction today is substantially worse than it was back then. It used to be that after spending a couple hours feeding these guys, I would be just a little itchy, and taking a shower would be all that was necessary to get relief. That’s after opening and closing maybe a couple of hundred shoeboxes, many of these accompanied by dense clouds of hair kicked off by their agitated inhabitants. But I’ve definitely noticed my reaction increasing over time. My reaction to last night’s single boehmei cloud has been the worst ever! I have a rash all over my hands and forearms. Also, a slight rash on my torso, even though I was wearing a shirt at the time. My fingers are swollen and tight feeling. My knuckles feel pressurized from the inside, and it’s difficult and painful to bend my fingers even a little. I was unable to sleep at all, and if anything it’s getting worse. No relief even ~18 hours after the event. I was hacking and coughing a lot last night, too. That’s mostly died down, but my throat still feels kinda tight. Oddly, and thankfully, I have had no trouble with my eyes.
Has anyone else had the experience that increased exposure, over time, can increase sensitivity to urticatorial hairs?
Here are a few pics to demonstrate my suffering, preceded by a photo of what will surely be the last time I handle any of these hair-kicking bitches!
Without a doubt, my reaction today is substantially worse than it was back then. It used to be that after spending a couple hours feeding these guys, I would be just a little itchy, and taking a shower would be all that was necessary to get relief. That’s after opening and closing maybe a couple of hundred shoeboxes, many of these accompanied by dense clouds of hair kicked off by their agitated inhabitants. But I’ve definitely noticed my reaction increasing over time. My reaction to last night’s single boehmei cloud has been the worst ever! I have a rash all over my hands and forearms. Also, a slight rash on my torso, even though I was wearing a shirt at the time. My fingers are swollen and tight feeling. My knuckles feel pressurized from the inside, and it’s difficult and painful to bend my fingers even a little. I was unable to sleep at all, and if anything it’s getting worse. No relief even ~18 hours after the event. I was hacking and coughing a lot last night, too. That’s mostly died down, but my throat still feels kinda tight. Oddly, and thankfully, I have had no trouble with my eyes.
Has anyone else had the experience that increased exposure, over time, can increase sensitivity to urticatorial hairs?
Here are a few pics to demonstrate my suffering, preceded by a photo of what will surely be the last time I handle any of these hair-kicking bitches!
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