A Tarantula in the Composter

[Craig Bellamy]

What do you say guys, you might think I am crazy, but in theory a large garden compost barrel could actually be an ideal home for a borrowing T, say a hysterocrates sp. You have a food source, worms and mice etc.

You have the warmth, even in a freezing winter, it can still be 20-30c and the core will be 40-50c. It's dark, high humidity. The only worry is fungus I'd imagine. But surely if other insects can survive, a species of T can, again a hysterocrates is a good candidate.

Food for thought. Would be a great experiment. Of course with a remote camera, temperature and humdity probes.

[Steve McIntyre]

Hi Craig, sounds a good theory! Before you put a spider in there to live, I'd suggest collecting data on the temps, using an inside / outside type thermometer that has a memory, ie lowest / highest temp. As you say, the compost will heat up but after it has 'broken down', the heat will be lost. Also, any organic matter that decomposes, gives off gas, methane, I believe, so this may affect the spider, although other inverts don't seem to be bothered by this. It'll certainly save on electricity, anyway!!

[Peter Lacey]

There are a number of problems with this, not least the fact the T might escape although you might cure that with a water trough.

Compost can get so warm it ignites or explodes. Its rare but I've read it happens and therefore the recommendation is to turn the compost over once a month with a fork as well as adding water to the compost which also slows the whole process down.
Compost needs to be removed, it fills up over time and again the fork is the best way to remove.
Mice and other rodents often make their home in compost because of its warmth, a T might take a mouse but I think it would be under threat from a family of mice and its not uncommon for a mouse to rear 12 mice!
The compost attracts a variety of insects, including mites, beetles, flies, slugs, snails, maggots, spiders (see my House Spider thread), centipedes, fungi and bacteria. It may even attract grass snakes!
By its very nature compost regularly gets new vegetable matter thrown on top. This tends to compact the compost creating a soil like material. The fork is required to get air into it again but the weight of new material might pose a threat.

The more I think about this the more I'm inclined to shout NO! especially considering you'd probably not see the T at all. Maybe someone else can provide better advice but I'd stick to keeping them seperate.

[Phil Rea]

I'm inclined to agree with Peter. Irregular temperatures as well as varying moisture content could possibly pose a problem, as well as all the fact that not all of the reactions that occur during composting are well understood.

Also there is a question of whether the various fungi and the enzymes that are present within the compost when it's decaying could harm the spider.

[Ray Gabriel]

The compost attracts a variety of insects, including mites, beetles, flies, slugs, snails, maggots, spiders (see my House Spider thread), centipedes, fungi and bacteria.

I agree with Peter, there is also one of the main components of compost decomposition to be worried about NEMATODES, we dont know if the nematodes attacking our spiders are native or not.

Ray

[Pam Turner]

I also agree with Peter, for all the mentioned reasons, but also because every time the word "fork" passed my eyes, all I could picture in my head was a speared T.

[James Box]

*shudder*