It finally happened!

[Jamie Cooper]

After 5 or so years of keeping tarantulas, I have an escapee on the loose!

I never thought it would happen to me because I am so careful. The closest I ever came was a few months back when a Psalmopoeus irminia juvenile ran under the bed in my T Room. It took me about an hour to catch it!

The T on the run is a tiny 0.5cm Cyriocosmus perezmilesi. The annoying thing is, I have no idea when it escaped. I hadn't been able to locate the spider in it's 3oz tub for several days, so after carefully digging out all the substrate and finding nothing I've come to the conclusion it must have escaped through one of the ventilation holes!

I have no idea where to start looking and to be honest I think I'd be wasting my time looking for something so small.

Any thoughts guys?

Jamie

[Peter Roach]

A loose species of that size ?
I would expect it to die very soon due to the lack of humidity, if not the average house spider would make a meal of it.

I would expect a 3oz container to be a sub adults enclosure not something small as 0.5cm !
When something that tiny dies in its tub, it can disappear into the substrate within a few days.

[Jamie Cooper]

A loose species of that size ?
I would expect it to die very soon due to the lack of humidity, if not the average house spider would make a meal of it.

My thoughts entirely Peter!

When something that tiny dies in its tub, it can disappear into the substrate within a few days.

That's interesting. Are you saying it might have died and deteriorated so much that I can no longer see it?

Either way, I don't think I'll be seeing it again. Just as well I bought 5

Thanks for the input Peter!

Jamie

[Peter Roach]

That's interesting. Are you saying it might have died and deteriorated so much that I can no longer see it?

Yep thats the idea

[richard looker]

I lost a P ornata sub adult a couple of months ago. It was during the heatwave. I convinced my wife that the T would have left the house via the open window and would be enjoying life amongst the british wildlife until it got eaten or the cold weather kicked in.

Came home from a night out a couple of weeks ago and guess what was sat in the middle of a window blind, waiting for food?

No idea how the spider got out but I know that the kids had had some friends round so they've had a reminder not to open the enclosures.

[Stephen jordan]

16 Chilobrachys sp alladins on the loose presently, Little sods! My own fault completely

[richard looker]

It sounds like they need to go to a good home where they will be well looked after

I housed some c. huahini spiderlings yesterday. Each and every one of the little buggers played up. They've certainly got spirit from a young age.

[Jamie Cooper]

16 Chilobrachys sp alladins on the loose presently, Little sods! My own fault completely

Wow! To think I had problems. I hope you find them Steve!

[SamLees17]

My C fasciatum is now about 1cm after about 6 months; and I can now see it. I expect it was digging it out that did it

[Stanley A. Schultz]

After 5 or so years of keeping tarantulas, I have an escapee on the loose!
...

The T on the run is a tiny 0.5cm Cyriocosmus perezmilesi. The annoying thing is, I have no idea when it escaped. I hadn't been able to locate the spider in it's 3oz tub for several days, so after carefully digging out all the substrate and finding nothing I've come to the conclusion it must have escaped through one of the ventilation holes!

I have no idea where to start looking and to be honest I think I'd be wasting my time looking for something so small.

Any thoughts guys?

Jamie

The good news is that a spider that size and age isn't likely to travel very far. Get a good flashlight and establish a systematic, thorough search pattern (about like when you're mowing the lawn) so you hit every nook, cranny and square centimeter. Close any curtains or drapes and use the flashlight even in broad daylight. It helps to focus your attention. The spider is most likely below knee level unless you were keeping it on a high shelf. Get down on your belly and start looking.

Be very careful about moving things in the process of searching. You don't want to squish it behind something. Shelves and bookcases pose a particular hazard in this respect. Be sure to look in folds of fabric like drapes and curtains (all the way to the top), shoes and clothing, laundry or other things on the floor, etc.

By now it may be rolled up in a ball of lint or dust and look like any other dust bunny. Don't discount anything that may hold an errant spider until you've looked at it in detail.

If and when you finally do find it, regardless of whether you think it's dead or alive, you should plan on putting it in an ICU for a few days to recover. These things are capable of making some truly miraculous recoveries!


Hope this helps. Best of luck.


It ain't dead until it smells dead!

[Jamie Cooper]

The good news is that a spider that size and age isn't likely to travel very far. Get a good flashlight and establish a systematic, thorough search pattern (about like when you're mowing the lawn) so you hit every nook, cranny and square centimeter. Close any curtains or drapes and use the flashlight even in broad daylight. It helps to focus your attention. The spider is most likely below knee level unless you were keeping it on a high shelf. Get down on your belly and start looking.

Be very careful about moving things in the process of searching. You don't want to squish it behind something. Shelves and bookcases pose a particular hazard for this reason. Be sure to look in folds of fabric like drapes and curtains (all the way to the top), shoes and clothing, laundry or other things on the floor, etc.

By now it may be rolled up in a ball of lint or dust and look like any other dust bunny. Don't discount anything that may hold an errant spider until you've looked at it in detail.

If and when you finally do find it, regardless of whether you think it's dead or alive, you should plan on putting it in an ICU for a few days to recover. These things are capable of making some truly miraculous recoveries!


Hope this helps. Best of luck.


It ain't dead until it smells dead!

Thanks for the input Stan!

I'll be amazed if it does turn up. But if it does, I will take your advice and put it in an ICU for a couple of days to recover.

Jamie

[James Box]

ahh what a nightmare! hope you all find your missing spiders

[mikegardiner]

I have a 3cm M. balfouri on the loose, no ideas really checked many times.... 3 weeks now

[Stephen jordan]

Wow! To think I had problems. I hope you find them Steve!

Got more than that loose, Theyve gone! Found two first day they went missing and now nothing.