Why does not the tarantula spider eat. The reasons for the appearance of a large number of spiders in the house. Different spider bites have different symptoms

It would seem, what is so terrible about a spider - a small insect that hides in the corners and feeds on flies? However, most people instinctively dislike and fear spiders. Arachnophobia - fear of spiders - is one of the most common human phobias. And, as it turns out, not without reason: despite their modest size, spiders can prove their strength even to the king of nature - to man.

The spider web is one of the most durable materials in nature.

People are often frightened when they accidentally bump into a web with their hand, perhaps because they instinctively feel its strength and strength. Scientific research shows that spider webs are as strong as steel! Its threads are able to stretch five times without breaking. And one of the types of spiders knows how to weave a web, which is ten times stronger than Kevlar in strength. So the military could save a lot of money by using the spider web to make body armor!

Tarantulas are large spiders covered with hairs that make them even more repulsive in human eyes. There are many legends about the deadly bites of a tarantula, but they do not correspond to the truth: tarantulas are not too aggressive creatures, and will not bite if they are not attacked, and their bite, although painful, is no more unpleasant or dangerous than the bite of a wasp ... But tarantulas have another, much more terrible weapon. If you show aggression towards him, he, turning his belly to the source of danger, shoots a bunch of poisonous hairs in his direction - thin as threads and sharp as needles. Digging into the victim's skin, these hairs cause severe irritation. The only way to get rid of them quickly is to use duct tape as an emergency epilation strip.

The study of spider venom is required both for the development of antidotes and for other scientific experiments. Therefore, scientists keep spiders in laboratories and periodically milk them in order to obtain a valuable substance. But milking a spider is not so easy - much more difficult than, for example, a snake. To receive a portion of the poison, the spider is beaten with a weak discharge of electric current. But that's not all. After such an electric shock, spiders often vomit, and the poison, spoiled by spider vomit, is not suitable for experiments. Therefore, scientists have to either carefully dose the discharge, or cleanse the spider's mouth of vomit, and only then extract the poison. This process is very dangerous and time-consuming: to get 100 grams of poison, the procedure has to be repeated from 50 to 100 thousand times.

Spiders generally prefer small game such as flies or mosquitoes. But usually the spider web is much larger than is required to catch such game, and because of its strength, very large creatures sometimes get entangled in it - birds, bats, snakes and lizards. In this case, the spider is not lost - it wraps up the unexpected prey in a web more tightly, diligently pumps it with poison, and then begins to eat - slowly and with pleasure.

The digestive system of spiders is very imperfect, so the spider is not able to eat solid food, and it liquefies its prey. The poison secreted by the spider not only immobilizes the prey, but also turns its insides into a liquid gruel, which the spider sucks out, saturating. The spider wraps the remaining hard shell in cobweb threads, like in a garbage bag, and throws it away.

The first remains of a spider discovered by archaeologists belong to an animal that lived 420 million years ago. It is no surprise that over such a long time, spiders have managed to become one of the most diverse families on the planet. The smallest spider is less than 1 millimeter in diameter, and the largest is over 30 centimeters. They demonstrate excellent mimicry abilities - for example, there is a species of spider that looks like an ant, and the pattern on the back of another species resembles bird droppings. Their hunting habits are also quite varied. Not all spiders sit in the net, waiting for their prey - some pounce on prey from an ambush, others shoot cobweb threads from their forepaws, stopping the game on the fly. Most spiders are absolutely harmless, but there are also very poisonous species, whose venom can kill a person in a matter of minutes. So, when dealing with spiders, it will not be superfluous to consult a guide about the habits and characteristics of the species you meet.

Almost all spiders are poisonous, however, the poison of most of them is dangerous only for small insects. However, some are quite capable of killing a person with their poison. Most often, people suffer from the black widow - a spider that is very widespread on the planet, and has a habit of stretching its webs in shady places, including near human habitation. No less dangerous are the Australian red-backed spider and the brown recluse spider, common in the United States. Of the spiders widespread in Russia, the tarantula is especially dangerous - if it bites, you should immediately consult a doctor, otherwise the case may end in the death of the victim.

Different spider bites have different symptoms

In case of a poisonous insect bite, help should be provided immediately, but how to help if you do not know what happened? Meanwhile, due to the wide variety of spiders and, accordingly, their venoms, it is not easy to identify a spider bite without habit. Some spiders use neurotoxins to attack - in this case, sweat flows from the victim, the heart beats intermittently, in some cases muscle spasms begin. Strong spider venom can cause temporary paralysis. Hermit spider venom contains a hemotoxin that destroys red blood cells and causes tissue necrosis, which, if not consulted in time, can lead to limb amputation.

Although most spider species are solitary, some of them prefer to live in colonies like insects. Several thousand such spiders gather in one place and cover vast areas with their nets. Not only flies fall into such snares - birds and even small mammals get entangled in huge sticky nets, turning spider colonies into creepy animal graveyards. But the worst thing happens if a flood begins in places of mass concentrations of spiders. In this case, hundreds of thousands of spiders gather on small heights, not affected by the water, completely entwining them with a cobweb that does not let anything alive. A similar terrible spider occupation, when many hectares of fields turned into swarms of cobwebs, happened in 2015 in the vicinity of Memphis, and in 2016 in Tasmania.

Funnel water spiders are inhabitants of Australia, which is famous for many dangerous species of animals. They are sometimes called "leg-crippling spiders" - and for good reason. The size of a tarantula, these spiders are highly aggressive, especially during the mating season. At this time, they run around their territory in search of females and viciously attack anything that does not resemble a spider - including human legs. Funnel spiders have powerful jaws, with which they bite into flesh with such force that they can easily bite or even bite off a person's toenail. They do not want to let go of their victim, so the victim has to literally tear off the aggressor from himself with meat. So if you are thinking of a trip to Australia, don't plan it during the spider mating season!

This spider is perhaps the most dangerous on the planet. First, as his name implies, he does not sit still, but wanders around his territory in search of victims. Secondly, he is very aggressive and never runs away from danger, preferring to attack, preferably first. And thirdly, it is one of the most poisonous spiders on the planet. Its poison is a powerful neurotoxin that causes incredibly severe pain, and in men, it also causes priapism - a long and painful erection, which without medical assistance can result in tissue necrosis of the most sensitive part of the male body.

The largest spider on the planet runs pretty damn fast

Until 2001, the goliath tarantula was considered the largest spider in the world. But in 2001, in the jungle of Laos, scientists discovered an even larger species, dubbed the "giant hunter spider." Its length exceeds 30 centimeters! In addition to its size, it is known for its incredible speed: thanks to its long legs, it runs much faster than normal spiders. He is not too aggressive, but if he decides that you are attacking him, he will not run away, but instead will move at you (run!) Or jump from the ceiling on your shoulders. Most likely, the impressions received from such an attack will haunt you for the rest of your life.

In Cambodia, Thailand and Venezuela, spiders are considered a delicacy. For food, take large spiders, carefully brush off their hair (keep yourself in hand), sprinkle abundantly with sugar, salt and sodium glutamate and fry in oil until the legs are completely firm. Don't forget to write down the recipe!

Due to their diversity, spiders inhabit all regions of the planet, with the exception of the polar regions. Moreover, unlike most wild animals, they are not at all embarrassed by the neighborhood of people. Rather, the opposite is true: since flies, mosquitoes, midges love to crowd around human housing, be it a secluded hut in the forest or a skyscraper in the center of a metropolis. So, no matter where you live, you cannot avoid meeting spiders.

In family life, spiders have a solid matriarchy and cannibalism. In most species, the female is much larger than the male, therefore it is she who dictates the conditions for mating. And the conditions are simple: at the end of intercourse, the lady bites off the gentleman's head. In many species, the unlucky father, moreover, becomes food for future children: the mother either eats him or lays eggs in his mortal body. To avoid such a fate, in some species of spiders, males, having mated, leave their genitals in the body of the female and run away, saving their lives. In a word, disgrace, and nothing more!

Dehydration

Occasionally, the authors received a spider suffering from extreme dehydration and emaciation, mainly due to rough handling or delivery problems. The first step is to place it, cephalothorax down, in a saucer of water for at least forty-five minutes. If he continues to drink, leave him there for a longer time. The animal should be closely monitored at this time so that its abdomen and pulmonary books are above the surface of the water, otherwise it will choke. If the tarantula does not improve after a few hours, place it in the ICU. The next day, put it back in the saucer, nose down, just like last time. On the third day in the evening, it must be transplanted into a permanent, drier terrarium, equipped with an obligatory container with water and a stone.

Extreme exhaustion

Tarantulas can survive without food for about a year, sometimes longer. However, this is very stressful for them, and they may be dying.

When it becomes clear that the spider is exhausted, one cricket is offered to it in the evening. If it is not eaten in the morning, remove it. After that, the spider should be offered one or two crickets every other day until it starts eating. If the spider appears to be active and able to fend for itself, crickets that are not eaten immediately may be left in the enclosure for several days, provided they have food, such as a bottle cap filled with soft flakes.

If the tarantula is weakened due to exhaustion, you can offer him food only in the evening. The room should be dimly lit or not lit at all. After turning off the light and until the morning, no one, not even the owner, should enter the room or otherwise disturb the spider. Of course, once the spider has been planted in the main enclosure, neither it nor the enclosure should be moved until it is feeding normally.

Cases of refusal to eat for a long time are sometimes reported. This is especially the case with Phhxotrichus spatulata, it is even known that one individual of this species did not eat for twenty-four months for no apparent reason. As long as the spider does not lose too much mass and generally looks healthy, there is no need to worry about this.

The owner of a spider that has been starving for several months can try raising the temperature in the tarantula enclosure, but remember that 40 ° C (104 ° F) is likely the highest safe temperature when trying to stop the hunger strike. Another option is to lightly spray the terrarium with room temperature tap water using a spray bottle. Do not use a spray bottle that has ever been used for pesticides and do not direct a powerful jet of water at the spider to avoid crippling it.

The authors once had one such spider ( Brachypelma albopilosum), who escaped and could not be caught for more than half a year. One morning he was found half-dead. He was treated for dehydration (see above), and two days later he was given live crickets. He did not eat them, probably due to weakness. He also ignored the mealworms offered after that.

All live crickets were caught, one was killed and crushed so that its internal organs and fluids were visible. A dead cricket was leaned against one of the forelegs of the tarantula and left so for the evening. In the morning the cricket disappeared. The same situation was repeated the next evening. On the third day, live crickets were launched into the terrarium, which the spider ate at night. Subsequently, the tarantula fully recovered.

Shedding problems

Death against shedding

Before continuing the discussion, we must once again emphasize that a tarantula lying upside down (that is, on its back) is definitely does not die! This is a normal preparation for shedding. Dead tarantulas sit in a standard position (with their eyes upwards - chelicerae downwards), bending their legs under them, resembling in some way a hand clenched into a fist.

Commit or die

Molting is the most significant period in the life of a tarantula spider. Having begun to molt, he must either molt successfully or die. In some ways, this is similar to the birth of a mammal, with many of the dangers accompanying this process. In a mammal, this happens once in a lifetime. For a spider, once a year. From experience, we know of three types of problems that a spider can experience during molting.

The dehydration myth

It is a widely known hypothesis that a spider kept in excessive dryness will have problems with molting. It has not yet been conclusively proven and remains a big question.

Since seventy percent of the mass of these creatures is water (Stewart and Martin 1970), it is assumed that they should have enough liquid to molt even under the most severe conditions. Accordingly, these authors put forward a different hypothesis. Unless the tarantula dies from dehydration, it can extract from internal sources all the water required to keep the old exoskeleton softened. For molting, the humidity of the surrounding air is, in any case, insignificant. This assumption is also supported by the fact that the spider throwing off the skin leaves a little water on its inner surface, which is noticeable by the wet sheen. Hence, there must be other reasons for shedding problems (see below).

Slow molt

Most often, problems with molting occur in a tarantula due to physical weakness due to old age or illness. In this case, the reason for the difficulties is a failure in the physiological processes of the animal.

Worst of all, the tarantula is unable to pull its legs out of the solid rings between the leg segments of the old exoskeleton. These narrow rings are as stiff and unbending on the fresh skeleton of a very young spider as on the skin of a very old one. The same is true for tarantulas that did not have problems with molting, and for those that had to be surgically removed from the exuvium. The moisture level of the old exoskeleton does not matter - the rings remain rigid no matter what.

The physical condition of the spider is critical. If, due to age or illness, he does not have the strength to get out of his skin, he will shed too long. Over time, the rings of the new exoskeleton will begin to harden. Soon they will lose their plasticity and will not be able to pass through the rigid rings of the old exoskeleton.

What can be done to help the tarantula moult? There is a hypothesis (the authors did not have the opportunity to test it in practice) that it is useful to lubricate the spider's joints just before molting with a small amount of glycerin using an art brush. The glycerin may loosen the rings or serve as a lubricant to make it easier to pull new legs out. Particular attention, apparently, should be paid to the joints of the third and fourth segments of the legs, as well as the fourth and fifth (counting from the cephalothorax, that is, the joints of the femur with the patella and the patella with the tibia). After molting, it will probably be useful to gently wash off the remains of glycerin from the new exoskeleton.

Of course, you need to be extremely careful not to damage the newly molted and, accordingly, very vulnerable spider.

Apart from these simple steps, we can only hope for the best as the moulting period approaches each year.

Jamming

Damage can be another reason for unsuccessful shedding. If the leg has been injured so badly that an overgrown scar covers the entire thickness of the exoskeleton, then during preparation for molting, the scar may prevent the old exoskeleton from separating from the new one. Actually, the scar will serve as a seal between the old and new skins. During molting, the new exoskeleton, with all the appendages, will not be able to free itself from the old one, and the animal will be trapped.

However, in this case, there is still hope for a successful outcome. The tarantula can throw away a stuck leg and complete the molt no matter what. Indeed, the authors had at least one tarantula that threw off a stuck leg during a moult.

If the owner of the tarantula noticed the problem in time, he can amputate the spider's leg himself. No matter how terrible it may sound, but tarantulas have the advantage over humans that the loss of a leg is accompanied by relatively mild pain in them. As soon as the amateur realizes which of the legs is stuck, it is likely that it will be enough for him to quickly pull on it, slightly turning it to separate it from the body.

However, this is a risky undertaking. Thus, irreparable harm can be caused to the tarantula. The owner should be fully responsible for such actions.

Some never give up

One of the rarest cases of unsuccessful molt may be the attempt of a sexually mature male to molt after the last molt. The reason sexually mature males fail to molt successfully may be because their bulbs and tibial hooks get stuck in an old exoskeleton. If the owner discovers such a possibility, he can lubricate the tips of the tarantula pedipalps with glycerin and raise the humidity in his container to prepare for molting. With careful attention, there is a significant probability that the male will survive the molt unharmed. Will he be able to mate with a female? Can he fertilize her?

Surgical method as a last resort

If the pet tarantula has difficulty dropping the old exoskeleton, it can be helped, but only very carefully. First, make sure he is in real trouble and not just a respite. If no progress is observed within six or eight hours, you can already assume the worst and begin an operation to rescue the animal.

DO NOT move the spider unless absolutely necessary!
If it is important to move it, do so carefully by sliding it onto a piece of thick cardboard. After moving, leave the spider on the cardboard.

Start with a set of required equipment. You need good, sturdy forceps or tweezers with small, but not pointed tips, such as those found at beauty supply stores, school labs, and research tool stores. It is important to have a large magnifying glass or low power jewelry loupe. The ideal would be a low-power binocular microscope (about 5x magnification) from a biology classroom. The authors use glass with 3x magnification, which is attached to a headband and is usually used for watchmaking and other delicate work. Good lighting is absolutely essential.

First, dissolve one to two drops of a mild liquid dish soap in 235 milliliters (one cup) of room temperature tap water. Thoroughly dampen this solution on a spider that is suspected to be stuck in an old exoskeleton. Gently drip the soap solution with a pipette or apply with a cotton swab. Protect the lung books from getting solution into them. If this happens, the spider may choke. Within half an hour, the solution should begin to soften the exoskeleton. Wait another half hour to determine if the spider can free itself. If he fails, continue the operation.

Most likely, the spider will have already freed itself from the carapace and sternum plates, but, perhaps, it will have to be freed from them manually. These plates are connected by relatively thin membranes. If the spider is unable to open the plates on its own, these membranes must be torn or cut so that the plates can be removed, and thoroughly soaking the membranes with the solution is vital.

Once the plates are completely detached from the spider, try to determine if the exoskeleton has been removed from the abdomen. If you are not sure if this is so, consider that it is removed and proceed to your legs. If it is not clearly separated, one should try to separate it. Do not be overly aggressive by peeling off this skin. Be especially careful with lung books. The soap solution should not get into them, and the inner membranes, if they have already become visible, should be very carefully removed.

Legs are a special problem. It is impossible to determine how the new fragile limbs are located relative to the old segments, since the spider has already managed to partially pull its legs out of the old skeleton. The new membranes are extremely vulnerable, and there is a real chance of damaging them when trying to remove the old exoskeleton from the legs. Extreme care should be taken. The strong rings holding the segments of the old exoskeleton together must be gently broken and removed with tweezers. Extreme care should be taken. The strong rings holding the segments of the old exoskeleton together must be gently broken and removed with tweezers. At this stage, at least a jewelry magnifying glass or a large loupe is required. A binocular microscope is much preferable. After that, you need to remove the thinner matter covering the segments between the rings.

Work consistently, releasing one joint and one leg at a time. Get plenty of rest. The most dangerous thing is to make a wrong move because of fatigue, nervousness or impatience. Be careful not to pierce the exoskeleton. The new exoskeleton is still incredibly soft. Important not damage the connecting membranes or exoskeleton under the old skin. After removing the old exoskeleton, gently rinse the soap solution off the spider with a gentle trickle of room temperature tap water.

Congratulations. You are now an orthopedic surgeon specializing in spider exuvectomy. (Show off this to your family doctor!)

Postoperative care

After an unsuccessful molt, the tarantula may refuse food for several weeks or even several months. Do not despair. The tarantula may be trying to align its mouth, esophagus, and sucking stomach. They usually shed with the exoskeleton. If this is the problem, the animal must solve it on its own. Tarantulas can fast for an astonishingly long time if they have water and, most importantly, if they are in good physical condition.

After such a painful molt and surgical removal from the exuvium, the spider may be so weak that it will not be able to eat, drink, or even move. It happened to a very old female Aphonopelma of an unidentified species that belonged to the authors. The tarantula survived an unsuccessful molt on 17 May. One of the authors (SAS) spent several hours with a magnifying glass on his head and various forceps and tweezers in his hands, freeing the spider from his old exoskeleton. After that, the second author (MJS) began to literally manually water the tarantula twice a week.

A shallow saucer was given to the tarantula to drink. It was raised on one side so that a small pool of water formed at the opposite edge. The spider was placed on a saucer so that the chelicerae and fangs were submerged in the water, and the rest of the body was higher. The author watched him carefully so that he did not slip down and choke. All precautions were taken to prevent water from entering the openings of the lung books. In this state, the tarantula was from forty-five minutes to an hour, then it was placed back in the terrarium. From time to time, about once a week, in the evening, one cricket was killed and placed under the spider's chelicerae, after which the light was turned off. Sometimes the female ate it at night.

By September, the spider had significantly lost weight, but occasionally took food. He learned to crawl around the terrarium with his fangs and became remarkably mobile. However, in January, he began to experience mobility difficulties and completely stopped eating. Unfortunately, he died on February 16.

This tarantula was very old, he was received already sexually mature and lived for nine years in captivity. No doubt his death was delayed by several months thanks to the heroic efforts made to save him. Sooner or later, Death takes what is due to it.

Wounds and bleeding

Very little is known about the doses and effects of pain relievers such as chloroform and halothane on tarantulas. We know they work since there have been cases of successful use of them. We also know that if used incorrectly, they will kill the animal. Therefore, they must be used with great care. In most countries, the government controls the dispensing of such drugs, and it is unlikely that a bystander can freely get them. However, small doses of pain relievers or prescriptions for pain relievers may be issued by doctors and veterinarians.

Ether is highly flammable and almost explosive. It is believed that halothane leads to liver disease and cancer in the human body. Accordingly, both substances have their drawbacks and should be used with extreme caution and in well-ventilated areas. In any case, a beginner is strongly advised to seek the help of a veterinarian for any pain relievers.

If using halothane, ether, or other inhaled pain reliever, place the sick spider in a glass container with a lid. These substances are solvents, so a plastic container will not work. Soak a cotton ball with a few drops of pain reliever and put it in a container. If the tarantula is able to move, or at least in consciousness, he will immediately start running around the container or writhe. Watch him closely. As soon as it begins to decrease in activity, either transfer it to another container, or significantly reduce the concentration of the vapor of the pain reliever through ventilation. Support by increasing ventilation when you think the anesthesia is too strong, and decrease it when you see the tarantula begin to move. In veterinary and medical operating surgery, the only job of an anesthesiologist is to keep the patient in a kind of nothingness between the feelings of pain and death thanks to the anesthetics. The next most expedient plan is to take the sick tarantula to the veterinarian for pain relief and surgery.

Professional entomologists and arachnologists use carbon dioxide, which has been known for decades, as an anesthetic for insects and spiders. Amateur arachnologists are now also convinced that they can use this remedy on their pets. Carbon dioxide can be obtained from many sources: by carbonating soft drinks, from dry ice, or by adding mild acids (such as vinegar) to regular baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). The main problem with using this agent is its method of application in such concentrations that, on the one hand, it produces anesthesia, and on the other, does not expose the tarantula to danger with vinegar vapor or inaccurately directed contact with dry ice. Thus, it is necessary to follow the safety precautions that are usual for working with ether.

Professional entomologists and arachnologists also use nitrogen gas and claim that it works much better than carbon dioxide. Nitrogen gas has the significant advantage that it is non-flammable and, moreover, relatively non-toxic. The Earth's atmosphere is approximately 78% nitrogen, but it is relatively difficult for a keeper to acquire nitrogen at the concentrations at which it will act as an anesthetic. Compressed nitrogen cylinders are available from companies that sell compressed welding gases. But hardware in which nitrogen is bound, such as pressure regulators, water cannons, etc., can be very expensive. Liquid nitrogen is available from many of these same companies (or may recommend other sources), but requires special tools, equipment, and handling precautions due to its extremely low temperature (-195.8 ° C, -320.4 ° F). Nitrogen gas can be produced in the laboratory from fairly simple chemicals (ammonium chloride and sodium nitrite), but this should not be attempted without the guidance of an experienced chemist, because such substances can be flammable and even explode if not handled properly.

Some books recommend using cold as an anesthetic. However, there are still some unclear points regarding the exact effect that cold has on animals. Many researchers who frequently use poikilothermic animals in their physiological experiments believe that cold does not produce pain relief until it becomes life-threatening. Cold anesthesia only dulls the ability of motor neurons to activate muscles and the ability of muscles to respond to impulses. Thus, while the tarantula is not completely dead from the extreme cold, it can feel everything, but it simply cannot respond. If so, then we shouldn't use cold anesthesia.

Disturbances in the outer integument

If the outer covers of the tarantula are torn or damaged, this usually causes hemolymph to drain from under them. This most often occurs when the moult is unsuccessful, or if the tarantula was too roughly processed, or fell from a great height. If the damage is not too severe, the hemolymph that oozes out from under the damaged integument usually dries up soon, and scabs become clearly visible at this point.

If the damage is minor (for example, on the legs), you just need to plant the tarantula in its enclosure and not disturb it for four to five weeks to give the wound time to heal. All this time, the tarantula is fed as usual, and there should always be a drinker with water in the terrarium. The scabs will be removed by the tarantula itself at the right time, or they will be discarded on the next moult. If the damage to the leg is serious enough (that is, it can result in a large loss of hemolymph), there are two options. Damage can be closed with starch grains or tissue paper (see below). In some cases, the leg may simply be amputated. The latter method may seem very dangerous at first consideration, but we remind the reader that the limbs of tarantulas are built to allow their removal, which is one of the strategies for its survival. Although removing a limb is an injury, it is still a better option than letting the tarantula bleed to death. This is done like this: securely fix the tarantula in one hand and, taking the injured leg by the thigh, pull it down. Crushed or badly crippled legs should be removed as early as possible before the next moult.

Breaks in the prosoma or opisthosoma have the most serious consequences for the tarantula and usually end in death. Our philosophy is that it is better to try to save an animal and then fail than not to try to save it at all. Therefore, we offer these rescue options simply as experimental. The owner of the tarantula must be aware that the damage has already been done and the consequences must be accepted, whatever they may be.

Stopping the flow of hemolymph and preventing the growth of the rupture margins is of paramount importance in rescuing the tarantula. Adhesive bandages will not work on a tarantula due to the presence of integumentary hairs. You can make an impromptu bandage from unscented thin cloth or a very soft tissue paper. The absorbent paper bandage is designed to bind the tear and form a stable matrix for the formation of scabs. Exactly the same technique is used by Chinese peasants to heal wounds and injuries on their own bodies, only they use rice paper for these purposes. And all shaving men have ever covered their cuts with tissue paper. Dry paper should be sanitized by heating in a microwave oven and then placed on the open wound. The paper will serve as the basis for the lump, which will hopefully seal the wound. If the opisthosoma is ruptured, urgently take the animal to the veterinarian, who will probably be able to find the right way out of the situation if he has wide knowledge in his field and is used to trying new methods. The veterinarian may use a suture to try to bring the edges of the tear together, as the exoskeleton is thin and the opisthosoma is very leathery. However, great precautions must be taken not to disturb or puncture the internal organs, that is, only the exoskeleton should be processed! The suture material must be of very high quality and the stitches must be very small and precise. In addition, the suture material must be of a type that will spontaneously disintegrate and disappear over time, because it will be impossible to remove the non-disintegrating parts once the exoskeleton begins to overgrow. Any remaining stitches will make subsequent moulting impossible and your pet will die despite your best efforts.

While this treatment of a tear may seem a little unusual at first glance, remember that the human race has sewn wounds for millennia. There is no obvious reason to admit why this practice would not work on a tarantula as well. Intravenous administration of Ringer's solution can be considered to compensate for the extensive loss of hemolymph.

There have also been advances in other methods of sealing wounds in tarantulas. Among them is the "triple nail", a nail polish hardener sold in cosmetic stores, department stores and pharmacies. Another product used with great success is New Skin (Medtech, Inc., Jackson, Wyoming, USA) applied to the entire wound surface. The authors of this book have heard of one instance of using cyanoacrylate glue (Superglue or Crazy Glue) as a wound sealant.

Any of these products that may use organic solvents should be used with great care. Not only are they flammable, but their vapors can also harm the tarantula. Use them in a well-ventilated area and away from open flames. Observe safety measures so that the vapors of these substances do not fall on the tarantula until they dry completely and until the harmful substances evaporate. Please note that none of these products have been approved for use in animals or veterinary medicine. Their use on a tarantula or any other animal should be considered an experimental method and should be agreed with the owner, who bears full responsibility for the consequences.

The pharmaceutical industry produces several products capable of promoting thickened blood, which is used during surgery on humans and other mammals. They are usually not widely available, but can be obtained through your family doctor or by prescription. Two medical devices that the authors of this book are already familiar with are Gelfoam (Upjohn) and Surgicel (Johnson and Johnson). There is no doubt that similar products are available from other manufacturers.

In the case of a minor disturbance in the outer integument of the tarantula, or after the underlying disturbance has been surgically repaired, one of these remedies can be tried to reduce or stop further bleeding. Simply cut off a small section of the sheet with a razor or scalpel and attach it to the bleeding area. Thin plates perform better than thick blocks. Thin plates perform better than thick blocks. Carry out this procedure at all sites of hemolymph flow. If possible, show the tarantula to the veterinarian, as he will do the job faster than you at home.

Another strategy suggested by the authors was to use cornstarch, flour, or pure odorless talcum powder applied to the wound. The hypothesis is that these substances will prevent the flow of hemolymph and become the basis for a developing blood clot, and later scabs. We do not have any information about the effect of fragrances and other cosmetic substances contained in talcum on tarantulas. Thus, it is best to avoid them.

One keeper, a friend of the authors, had Aphonopelma seemanni, which did not tolerate molting well. One leg got stuck in an old exoskeleton and was thrown back as a result to allow the tarantula to free itself. In the course of this difficult struggle, the tarantula split its carapace and its life was threatened.

The owner talked about this and asked for advice. He was told to sprinkle some cornstarch or wheat flour on the crack in the carapace and the resulting hemolymph. On top of it, he had to place a small piece of toilet paper or unscented thin tissue, which would be slightly larger in size than the length and width of the wound. And at the same time, it should not cover the ocular tubercle or extend beyond the edges of the carapace.

The impromptu bandage worked. The tarantula eventually recovered and shed without problems the following year.

Ointments containing antibiotics such as mycitracin, bacitracin, polymyxin, neomycin, and lidocaine or any similar drug should be applied to all wounds to prevent infection. For serious wounds, such ointments should be applied every other day. They are very effective in treatment and very few are required. These drugs are available over the counter and are a good addition to any home medicine cabinet or ambulance kit. Never use any strong disinfectant such as iodine, Merthiolate, Mercurochrome, alcohol, or peroxide. The risk of poisoning your pet is too great. Do not pick up the tarantula until the next moult is over!



Nature presents us with a variety of riddles. We are used to the fact that large species tend to rank higher in the food chain than small ones. And it seems that spider bugs feed on nectar or sap of plants, birds feed on these spider bugs, birds are eaten by animals or stronger birds. And here, on you - a tarantula spider, how can an arthropod defeat a bird !? Let's try to figure it out.

Tarantula spider: lifestyle, nutrition, breeding

As always, at the beginning of the article we will give a brief description of the type of animal so that the reader can immediately imagine what, in fact, we are talking about, who this tarantula spider is. It turns out that there is a whole family of tarantulas of various sizes and colors. These spiders are so interesting and diverse that nowadays some people are happy to breed tarantulas.

Spider biology

These spiders got their name thanks to the engravings of the German artist and entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian. These prints depicted huge spiders eating hummingbirds. This happened at the end of the seventeenth century, when this outstanding woman traveled to South America, in particular in the territory of modern Suriname.

Description

Tarantulas are huge spiders of the family of the same name, which includes many different species, which have the following similar characteristics:

1. The size of the animal, huge for arachnids, is 20-30 centimeters in leg span.
2. These spiders do not weave patina, but are ambush predators.
3. All these arthropods have an exotic coloration, which becomes more intense with each subsequent molt.
4. Huge shaggy limbs.
5. The body is covered with a dense chitin exoskeleton.

Help from Wikipedia. An exoskeleton is an external type of skeleton in some invertebrates. It forms a protective armor like a knight's armor and does not have a cellular structure. In terms of relative strength, the exoskeleton is one of the best tissues in nature!

The body structure of tarantulas is similar to all representatives of arachnids: cephalothorax, abdomen and eight limbs:

• four legs;
• two are chelicerae for capturing prey, digging holes, and so on;
• two pedipalps that carry out the function of touch.

By the way! The hairs on the legs of spiders are the organ of smell and hearing!

Nutrition

In fact, tarantulas rarely eat meat, their digestive system is so complex that it requires more tender and easily digestible (remember the miniature about rabbits?) Food. But the food of these spiders is exclusively carnivorous; they are also referred to as the so-called strict predators.

Our help! Strict, or obligate, predators are animals that feed exclusively on other animals without eating plant foods.

The diet of tarantula spiders can include such species as:

• birds;
• small rodents;
• insects;
• arachnids;
• amphibians;
• fishes.

Lifestyle

Various tarantulas inhabit different levels of the biosphere. There are spiders living in the crowns of trees, there are individuals living in the grass. The third arthropods of this family prefer a burrowing way of life. Biologists divide these spiders into three broad categories:

• woody;
• terrestrial;
• burrowing.

It is not difficult to guess about the lifestyle that individuals of each of these categories lead.

Moreover, in ordinary life, giant spiders are very inactive. Even a hungry tarantula is able to wait for its prey in ambush for a long time, and there is nothing to say about a well-fed individual. Adult spider females stay in one place for months without leaving the ambush.

Reproduction and development

Before the start of mating games, the body of the male tarantula is slightly modified. On his limbs - pedipalps, the so-called cymbium is formed - an outgrowth containing seminal fluid. Chylicers also undergo mutations, on which grips grow to hold the female during mating, they are called tibial hooks.

Before mating, the male secretes part of the seminal fluid onto a cobweb specially woven for mating play. In addition, the man performs a mating dance, showing that the arthropods belong to the same species.

During mating, the male with the help of tibial hooks holds the partner, and with the pedipalps transfers the seed into the body of the female. After this action, the male flees, since the often hungry female can easily have a snack with her sexual partner.

After a while, it can last up to several months, depending on the species, the female weaves a nest from the web, in which she lays her eggs. Their number also has a specific difference: from 50 pieces to two thousand. Then, around the clutch, the mother spider forms a cocoon in the shape of a ball and is near it for protection and incubation. A caring female regulates the temperature inside the cocoon by dragging it from place to place or turning it over in different positions.

A female tarantula spider with a cocoon

After some time, specific for each species, small nymph spiders appear from the cocoon. They are almost transparent and do not feed from the external environment, using for life the supply of nutrients that nature laid in them even in the egg.

After some time and a couple of molts, the nymphs turn into larvae, which already look like spiders, but, incidentally, do not feed for some time, continuing to use the food supply in their abdomens.

The larva molts and turns into an adult - an adult.

Molting

Speaking about the process of development of spiders, one cannot but touch upon the topic of their molting. This is the most important process in their life, during which qualitative changes occur in animals. Young spiders molt every month, with age, the molting period lengthens to one year or more.

Molting is the process of replacing the exoskeleton in spiders. Shortly before the start of this process, animals stop feeding, so that it is easier to get rid of the chitinous integuments that have begun to weigh on their bodies. The process of molting spiders in most cases are carried out, turning over on their backs, so it is easier for them to throw off the shell that has become out of size.

Reference! Often, during molting, spiders can lose their chelicerae or pedipalps, which are usually restored the next time the shell is replaced.

After molting, the spider grows in size almost one and a half times, while its color becomes brighter, as if it had acquired a new shell in a fashionable clothing store.

Age

Tarantulas hold the record for life expectancy among arachnids. Females of some species live up to thirty-odd years. By the way, the age of spiders is sometimes measured by the number of molts. Males live much less, depending on who is lucky during mating.

Defense mechanism

Tarantula spiders have three types of defense mechanisms against external enemies.

1. Bites.
2. Burning hairs from the abdomen.
3. Excrement attack.

Bites

The bite of a tarantula spider combines the painful sensations of piercing the skin with the action of poison, which spiders kill their victims with, and therefore you need to be doubly careful.

Many people are wondering what will happen if a tarantula spider bites? We answer that the reaction of each organism is individual: from mild itching to headache, fever and severe inflammation. However, there have been no deaths from spider bites.

But if the tarantula spider is not dangerous to humans, this does not mean that there is no need to be afraid of it at all. Cases of death of cats after spider bites have been recorded.

Stinging hairs

The hairs on the abdomens of tarantulas, in contact with the skin of a person or animal, can cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, spiders protect the most valuable thing with them - egg-laying. Females weave stinging hairs into cobwebs and cocoons.

Excrement

Some types of spiders, when defending, shoot a stream of excrement in the direction of the enemy's eyes, trying to blind the enemy.

Breeding

Now let's talk about how to properly breed a tarantula spider at home. In order to properly maintain such an unusual animal from the point of view of an ordinary person, you need to know a few rules.

Terrarium

A terrarium for a tarantula spider must be selected and equipped depending on its belonging to a particular category. So, for example, for tree representatives, the height of the walls of the structure should be at least 35-50 centimeters. It is good that such a dwelling has an interesting branch of a tree, on which your animal could climb as in natural conditions.

Terrarium spiders acquire a terrarium, elongated in length, so that the pet can have a place to run and frolic.

For burrowing spiders, it is desirable to have an impromptu mink, like one made in nature. These can be objects such as:

• coconut shell;
• shell from a large clam;
• a piece of a bamboo trunk;
• earthenware cup with a broken side.

Regardless of the type of spider, the bottom of the cage should be covered with a loose substrate. Coconut flakes are best suited for this, although clean, dry soil can also be used.

Climatic conditions

For residents of warm countries of tarantulas, the temperature regime means a lot. When kept at home, you need to keep it at 25 degrees Celsius. This can be achieved by using special heating lamps or heating mats on the bottom of the terrarium.

Humidity also plays an important role for the inhabitants of the subtropics. It should be at 80-90 percent. To do this, sprinkle the substrate 2-3 times a day or put a bowl of water, which humidifies the air during evaporation.

Attention! It is only necessary to moisten the substrate in one corner of the terrarium, the rest of the litter should be dry.

Feeding

The domestic tarantula spider is unpretentious in food, the main thing is that it is of animal origin and exceeds in size the body of your pet.

The choice of what to feed the tarantula spider at home is diverse, it can be:

• locusts and grasshoppers;
• large insects;
• little mice;
• frogs;
• worms;
• bloodworm and maggot.

Attention! It is very important that your pet's prey is alive. So the spider feeds and develops at the same time.

Spider species

Now we will list several of the most popular species of tarantula spiders, which are mostly kept at home by lovers of these exotic animals.

Goliath

The goliath tarantula is perhaps the most famous of the family. This spider is the largest of the tarantulas. In the Guinness Book of Records, a female is mentioned, whose limb span was 28 centimeters. And the size of the body is ten.

Many spiderlings are eager to get it in their collection, but thanks to the bans of the authorities of the South American countries where it is found, the goliath is still a rarity.

Chilean pink

The Chilean pink tarantula, on the other hand, is one of the most common inhabitants of indoor terrariums. He is very handsome and not very aggressive. In nature, it is distributed almost throughout the entire American continent, from the United States to Chile.

The dimensions of the "Chilean" do not exceed one and a half dozen centimeters in the span of the legs.

Other types

We will briefly list a few more original species of tarantula spiders:

• Brazilian black and white;
• Brachypelma Smith, in another way Mexican red-knee;
• Avicularia purpurea;
• Avicularia versicolor;
• Brachypelma boehmei;
• Brachypelma klaasi;
• Cyclosternum fasciatum.

At the end of our conversation about these interesting animals, we invite you to watch the video of the famous TV channel "Nat Geo Wild":

The tarantula spider is a large spider, the size of which, together with its legs, can exceed twenty centimeters. Many exotic lovers keep these spiders in terrariums at home. Tarantulas belong to arthropods, belong to the class of arachnids, the order of spiders, the suborder migalomorphic and the family of tarantulas.

What does a tarantula spider look like, its characteristics and structure

The tarantula is arthropod a spider that has an exotic look. It has large and fluffy paws and a very bright color, it becomes even more juicy after molting. Their body is made up of abdomen and cephalothorax, united by a bridge, covered with a chitin exoskeleton. Such a cover performs a protective function, protecting the tarantula from external damage, in addition, it retains moisture, and this is a very important factor for species that live in arid regions. On the cephalothorax there is a shield - carapace, on which four pairs of eyes are located.

The abdomen contains digestive organs and the reproductive system, and at the end of the abdomen there are arachnoid appendages, there can be from two to six pairs. The birder has six pairs of limbs, of which four pairs of legs, one chelicera and pedipalp. They use chelicerae to tear holes, they protect and hunt with them, thanks to them spiders drag the caught prey, they also have small glands in which poison is located.

With the help of very fine and sensitive hairs that are on the paws, they distinguish between different smells and sounds.

Their species depends on the type of tarantulas the size... Basically, it ranges from three to ten centimeters. But you need to add the span of the legs to the size, it can be twenty-eight centimeters. Their weight varies from 65 to 85 grams, but there are individuals whose weight is 150 grams or more, they live in Brazil and Venezuela.

Without exception, all tarantulas are poisonous. But poison for an adult is not fatal, but for small animals, it can become fatal. It is also very dangerous for young children and people who are allergic to spider venom.

Tarantulas do not use poison every time they attack, they can simply bite without using it. When a birder's bite is poisonous, then immediately after the bite, a very sharp pain is felt, the temperature rises and convulsions may appear.

On the body of the tarantula there are many hairs that are poisonous, with these hairs the spider protects its nest, braiding it with cobwebs, and, in self-defense or in stressful situations, it scratches its abdomen with them.

Tarantula spider habitat

Tarantulas can be found on everything earthly balloon, except for Antarctica. They live in African countries, South America, Oceania and Australia are also found in Europe, but much less frequently than in other countries. Their regions in Europe are limited to Spain, Portugal and southern Italy.

V wild In nature, tree spiders live on shrubs and trees, they can still live in shelters that are at ground level and in burrows. In addition, during development, their lifestyle can change: the larvae that live in burrows eventually move to the ground. Some of the tarantulas prefer tropical and equatorial forests and semi-deserts.

The tarantulas that live in burrows pull them out on their own, after which they strengthen the burrows with spider webs. The arboreal birders make special pipes from the cobweb. Regardless of the way of existence, all spiders move very little and make some kind of movement, only in case of great need or danger.

How long do tarantulas live?

Females tarantulas can live more than thirty years, they have no competitors among arthropods in terms of life expectancy. But males, when they reach the age of reproductiveness, immediately stop shedding and mostly die during the same year or immediately after mating with a female.

Tarantula feeding

Tarantulas wait for their prey somewhere in shelters and do not catch it in spider webs. Contrary to their name, tarantula spiders do not eat large birds and can constantly eat and digest meat or birds, so they mainly feed on insects:

And an adult tarantula is able to eat a small bird, a frog, various rodents, fish and snakes.

Species of tarantulas

At the moment, the family of these arthropods is divided into thirteen subfamilies, which have many species. Description some of them:

Reproduction of tarantulas

Male tarantulas are ready for reproduction much earlier than females. When the male reaches reproductive age, cymbium appears on the pedipalps, this is a reservoir for seminal fluid, and tibial hooks are formed on the legs, which are needed to hold the female during the mating period. Before mating, the male begins to weave a web, after which he covers it with seminal fluid, and then fills the cymbium with it. When a male and a female meet, they carry out special actions that confirm that they belong to the same species.

Mating may be over in a few seconds, or it may take many hours. With the tibial hooks, which are formed on the forepaws, the male holds the female's chelicerae, and with his pedipalps brings his seminal fluid into her body. During mating, the female tarantula can eat the male, therefore, after mating, the male tries to escape.

After a while, the female begins to whip from a cobweb nest, where it later lays eggs, eggs can be from 50 to 2 thousand. How many eggs a female will lay depends on her species. Then, from the nest made, the female forms a cocoon, which has a round shape and contains villi from the abdomen of the spider. The incubation period lasts from 20 to 106 days, during this period the female protects her cocoon and periodically turns it. If the female is hungry, then she can safely eat the cocoon with eggs.

After a while, they begin to appear small spider-nymphs, which at first do not eat anything and live together. After the nymph sheds twice, it turns into a larva, this larva looks like a spider, but, unlike a spider, it has nutrients in its belly. After some time has passed, the larva begins to molt and turns into a tarantula spider.

Molting plays big role in the life of a tarantula spider. After the spider sheds its exoskeleton, it grows approximately one and a half times and may even change color. Young spiders molt every month, and an adult tarantula once a year. When spiders molt, they lie on their backs, and in this long process some limbs may be lost, but during the next molts they are restored. How old a spider is can be determined by the number of its molts.

Before molting, spiders may refuse to eat. Another sign of an impending molt is a darkening of the abdomen or the entire color of the spider.

Tarantula spider at home

These spiders live in many homes, as they are completely unpretentious, and they can be bred at home. To prevent spiders from eating one one, they must be kept alone. And you should also follow some rules when content tarantula at home:

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Habitat

Spider tarantulas inhabit all continents of our planet, with the exception of Antarctica. They are most common in Africa, Oceania, Australia, and South America. In Europe, individuals of this species are extremely rare in nature. They can be found in small numbers in Spain, Portugal and Italy. Moreover, both wet and desert areas can be inhabited by tarantula spiders.

Views

According to their behavior, these representatives of the class of arthropods are divided into burrowing, arboreal and terrestrial. Moreover, during their existence, animals can change their way of life. Burrowing spiders dig a hiding place for themselves in the ground. They use the web to strengthen the soil. Ground spiders also dig shallow burrows or use ready-made shelters. Woody ones live in trees, weaving a cobweb among the dense branches of bushes.

Animals feel great both in small and fairly spacious rooms. That is why the tarantula terrarium can be purchased in any size. The main thing is that it is twice the size of the animal. Tree spiders are best kept in a vertical enclosure, across which a thick branch should be placed, so that the pet can find a secluded place for itself. For terrestrial animals, a sufficiently large layer of substrate should be poured into the terrarium, at least five centimeters. In addition to the fact that adults crawl well, they are also distinguished by remarkable strength. Therefore, housing for an exotic pet should be tightly closed with a lid on top. The terrarium should have a ventilation window, but not too large so that the substrate does not dry out, which can be used as gravel, peat, sphagnum, sawdust, lichen. If there are several individuals of the same species, spiders should be kept in separate containers. This will prevent the manifestation of cannibalism. In winter, the terrarium should be heated so that the temperature in it does not drop below 25 degrees. For these purposes, you can use an infrared lamp or a thermal mat under the substrate. Since the tarantulas are predominantly nocturnal, lighting in the terrarium is not required. Moreover, bright sunlight is even harmful to animals. The litter should be changed after each molt. And in adults - once every four months.
The tarantula's dwelling can be decorated with driftwood, live moss or artificial plants. However, all parts must be well secured. For these purposes, you can use only special glue for aquariums, other means can negatively affect the health of the pet. Decorative items with sharp edges should not be placed in the terrarium. You should not take the animal with your bare hands, as the bite of a tarantula spider can be not only very painful, but also very toxic. In addition, the body of the arthropod is covered with numerous brittle bristles. When in contact with mucous membranes or skin, they cause inflammation and itching.

How to feed a tarantula spider?

For animal nutrition, it is best to use live insects (crickets, bloodworms, cockroaches, etc.). Food should depend on the age of each individual. Young people need smaller food. Adult animals should be fed less frequently, but with larger insects. It is worth noting that, on average, spiders eat twice a week. Small pieces of raw meat or fish are also good food.

This process usually takes place while lying down.
The spider rolls over onto its back and is in this state for several hours. At this time, his shell slowly begins to crack on the sides. The animal carefully pulls out its limbs and gets out of the old skin. After molting, the spider noticeably grows in size and brightens. In the intervals between shedding the skin, arthropods very often lose their protective bristles from the abdomen. It should be noted that a week or two before molting, the animal completely refuses to eat. As a rule, domestic tarantula spiders molt about 12 times during their life.

Breeding

It is possible to determine the sex of an arthropod only after molting. In this case, the spider must be at least four centimeters. To identify gender, you should carefully examine the inside of the discarded shell with a magnifying glass. In females, you can see a small depression in the form of a slit, and in males - paired "tongues". Adults are much easier to distinguish by sex.
Male tarantulas (spiders) have rather long legs. In addition, they are much slimmer than females. Sexual maturity of individuals of this species occurs by the age of five. 14 days after molting, the male begins to tinker with a special nest, which he fills with seed. After that, the spider goes in search of the female. It is recommended to place it in a more spacious room in advance so that it has time to get used to it and settle down in it. A little later, a male ready for mating should be sent there. Upon meeting, the spider begins to perform complex ritual movements. As a rule, males and females, ready to mate, use certain signals. Most often, this is tapping with pedipalps, creaking, rustling. Having approached the spider, the male fills her seminal pocket with his liquid. After that, it must be removed from the fertilized female as soon as possible. One and a half to two months after mating, she will begin to reproduce offspring. But before that, the female will weave a large cocoon for herself, in which she will subsequently lay about 500 eggs. To preserve the offspring, it is necessary to place the container with the nest in a dark place. The recommended temperature is 24-28 degrees. For the proper development of babies, it is necessary to maintain air humidity in the room. Almost all the time, the female holds the cocoon between the chelicerae, thus protecting it. The larvae, appearing at 4-5 weeks, are in the nest until the first molt. The amazing thing is that all this time they do not eat anything. To prevent the female from eating her cubs, after the first molt, they should be moved to a separate terrarium or one by one in small containers. In this case, the food for the tarantula spider should be special. Newborn crickets or fruit flies are best.
The young grows rather slowly.

Safety engineering

After talking with your pet, you should wash your hands well with soap and water. Leaning over the open terrarium is strictly prohibited. All actions in the predator's home must be performed using special long tweezers. Objects that the animal has come into contact with are allowed to be touched only with gloves. Do not leave the terrarium open unattended. It is very important that he is out of the reach of other pets. When in contact with spiders, remember that they cannot be tamed or trained. Even the most calm and sedentary tarantula, sensing danger, can bite the owner.

Life span

A spider lives in Mexico that is more than twenty-six years old. This is a record case. As a rule, rather large individuals from desert habitats grow slowly. Moreover, their life expectancy is much longer than that of other species. Rainforest spider tarantulas grow rapidly, but unfortunately die early. It was noticed that predators living in captivity live much more than those removed from natural conditions. Moreover, they are less aggressive. Usually, male tarantulas live no more than a year after the last molt.

When purchasing a spider from a pet store, make sure that it is active. Its body should be slightly raised above the substrate. A spider that squeezes under itself or is constantly lying down may be sick. A healthy animal responds actively to touch. As a rule, the tarantula raises its front legs, quickly runs away, or, conversely, attacks. If you look closely, you will notice that the fur on his belly is puffed up. In the period before molting, animals are rather slow. They usually lie on their backs with their legs outstretched. After - the tarantulas also move with difficulty. One way or another, it is not recommended to acquire a pet that is on the eve of molting. Attention should be paid to the abdomen of the predator. It should be rounded. Many rainforest arthropods have shrunken abdomens when dehydrated. Such tarantulas should not be purchased. Broken limbs can grow back in a spider after a few molts. This is not a serious defect. Nevertheless, it is better not to buy a tarantula with open wounds on the legs. After all, it can be infected with a fungus or other infections. If, by purchasing this exotic animal, you are pursued exclusively for decorative purposes, then females should be preferred. They have a longer life span. It is not worth buying very large individuals, as they may be of advanced age.

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In nature, tarantula spiders are active hunters. Their victims are a wide variety of small animals, such as crickets, butterflies, cockroaches, small vertebrates. In captivity, the cricket is the most successful food for most spiders, but cockroaches are also often eaten well. You should not give spiders prey that is more than half their size. Although it should be noted that some tarantulas are aggressive eaters (for example Theraphosa blondi) and can eat prey of equal size, however, in these cases there is a danger of damaging the spider itself during the fight with the prey. You can add wild-caught insects to the menu of your pets, but only if you are sure that they are not contaminated with pesticides. Pesticides used in gardens and agriculture are dangerous for spiders!

Spiders are known to have external digestion. This means that, having immobilized the prey, they inject digestive juice into it and after a while suck out the contents. The process takes a long time, sometimes up to a day or more.

The main food of spiders is living insects of a suitable size. Large individuals can eat small vertebrates (naked mice), small frogs. Young spiders begin to feed from 1-3 days of age with young crickets, fruit fly, newborn mealworms. Large spiders are fed with adult crickets, grasshoppers, large species of exotic cockroaches, etc. The food insect should be 14 to 13 times the size of the spider's body. Larger is undesirable - it makes it difficult to digest. Small insects can be given 2-3, the spider is able to eat them at the same time.
The meat of mice and frogs is quite suitable for feeding.
The frequency of feeding is 2 times a week for young, often shedding animals, and once every 7-10 days for adults. More frequent feeding is necessary before breeding. Food that has not been eaten, even if it is alive, should be removed. A well-fed spider can be stressed due to the activity of a large cricket, and at the time of molting, a large insect can damage its not yet hardened integument.
The easiest way to feed spiders is cockroaches, they are unpretentious in food if you forget to feed them, they do not eat each other like crickets. To feed one spider, 2-3 cockroaches per week are enough.
Sometimes tarantula spiders refuse food. This can happen for a number of reasons:
1.The living conditions (detention) may have worsened.
2. The spider is not hungry.
3. The spider prepares to molt.
Some spider species stop feeding for no apparent reason. In preparation for molting, they may not eat for weeks, or even months.

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What are tarantula spiders

The Latin scientific name for these predators is Theraphosidae. They belong to the family of spiders, which are characterized by a bright color. Tarantula spiders are quite large. Their paws can span up to 20 centimeters.

The conditions of keeping, the type of feeding and how long the pet will live in your house depends on what kind of this exotic pet is. The two main species are the terrestrial and arboreal tarantula. They are also divided into types.

He loves to live on tree trunks. Small spiders live on the ground, and also dig small holes.

Semi-woody tarantula

Loves dense branches of plants as shelters. It hides in bushes, tree crowns, crawls under the bark. At the same time, it produces an amazing amount of cobwebs.

Terrestrial tarantula spiders

Like partisans, they hide in shelters, which they themselves break through in the ground. Or they crawl into ready-made, but thrown by someone earthen burrows. This is the most dangerous type of spider, because it tends to actively hunt, suddenly attacking the victim. Among them there may be wandering individuals who do not really need holes.

Burrowing tarantulas

The name speaks for itself: this type includes predators living in burrows. They rarely leave them, since the underground way of life is far more comfortable for them.

How long will the tarantula spider live in your apartment?

It depends on the gender. Have you decided to buy a female tarantula spider? She can live for 10-20 years. And the male dies much earlier: after a year or two of life. The life span of a tarantula spider is influenced by the conditions that you provide to it:

• the temperature of the content in the apartment;
• the amount of food and the mode of its serving;
• the presence of other animals on the territory of the spider.

If there is a wild cold in your room, you will get sick and weak. And the tarantula spider - on the contrary: it will feel good as never before. A minimum of food will allow him to live longer. And the overabundance is the opposite. This arthropod lives on all continents of our planet. The only exception is Antarctica. The optimum temperature for its content is 20 degrees.

Is the tarantula spider poisonous? Yes. But this poison is not fatal to an adult. Although there are cases when cats or small children died from it. Therefore, be careful when handling the tarantula. It is not recommended to do this for pregnant women and especially those who are prone to poison allergies.

If a tarantula does bite you, the venom may not penetrate your skin. This is the so-called dry bite. Feels like you've just been stung by a bee. The result may be a sudden rise in temperature, muscle cramps, and acute pain.

Big and small dangers to the spider

There is no need to touch the tarantula spider for other reasons. The animal will experience severe stress and will certainly bite you in defense. And she herself will “worry”: she will lose her appetite, become lethargic and inactive. Do you care about your tarantula spider? Leave him alone.

Some species of these arthropods are equipped with extremely poisonous hairs on the trunk and legs. As soon as it is disturbed, a nervous tarantula spider begins to scratch its legs and comb off fragile hairs from them.

Once in your palm, they will cause unpleasant itching and burning. As soon as a few hairs get into your eyes, you can lose your eyesight for a long time. You need it?

How to deal with a tarantula spider

Do you adore it so much that you pick it up? Be sure to wash them after such "communication". Do not lean too low over the terrarium as you may be suddenly attacked. Domestic spiders of this type are insidious and unpredictable.

Use gloves and tweezers when cleaning the spider habitat. Desirable long. This is not the time to relax while cleaning the terrarium and leave it unattended. The tarantula spider can take advantage of your absent-mindedness and break free. If there is a cat, dog or hamster in the house, such a walk will result in the sudden death of pets.

Tarantula spiders do not lend themselves to taming. They are ready to bite even an attentive and loving owner, it is enough for them to imagine at least a shadow of danger. Even the calmest indoor spiders of this breed are not safe.

What and how to feed the tarantula spider

The diet includes crickets, cockroaches, frogs. The tarantula is not against the tender meat of newborn mice, reptiles. Chicken or beef is also great. The tarantula also loves fish.

All that you include in the diet of a furry pet, pre-grind into pieces. While the tarantula is still small, feed it 1 time in 2-3 days so that the baby is full. But adults should not overeat. Treat them no more than once every 14 days to avoid oversaturation and deteriorating arthropod health.

Be sure to remove leftover food from the spider's territory. They can deteriorate and cause infections in your pet. The digestion time for a spider is three days or more.

But even if you forgot to feed the tarantula spider, it's okay. In nature, he can remain without food for more than a year. The main thing is to have water all the time. It should be clean, so change it as it gets cloudy. Then domestic tarantula spiders will be contented and happy.

megapoisk.com

As mentioned earlier, tarantula spiders are obligate predators and feed exclusively on animal food.

As you know, in nature, tarantulas eat only mobile prey, while in captivity, both young spiders and adult specimens eat immobilized food objects, as well as their individual parts, pieces of meat and fish (individually).

The most important principle of feeding tarantulas is that the food should be as varied as possible and not pose a danger to the spiders themselves.

The frequency of feeding and the size of food items depend on the age of the tarantulas themselves. For intensive rearing of juveniles, the method of continuous feeding is recommended, i.e. as one food item is eaten, another is offered. With this technique, used with simultaneous maintenance at elevated temperatures, young spiders grow very quickly, noticeably increasing in size with each molt, and in the first 2-3 instars, the intervals between molts are less than a month. In any case, it is recommended that young spiders are fed at least twice a week. The size of the food item for young spiders should not exceed the size of their abdomen.

On the other hand, intensive feeding of adult spiders accelerates their aging, so the optimal regime would be to offer food 2-3 times a month.

The main feed at home are: various types of crickets (brownie, banana, red-headed, two-spotted), cockroaches (marble, Madagascar, Colombian), mealworm, zofobus (or giant mealworm), locusts, frogs, small lizards, "naked" mice and young mice.

Remember that a spider in a state of harmless health, with unlimited access to water, go without food for weeks, and large specimens for months. For example, in a natural way, such a giant as, can refuse food for 2-3 months before the onset of molt, and also for another 1-2 months after it sheds; and for natural specimens Grammostola rosea fasting for up to six months or more is a physiological feature.

Scientists conducted an experiment regarding the duration of starvation of tarantulas. The established maximum fasting period is two years, nine months and nineteen days ( Baerg, W.J.

As a substitute for conventional feed, it is also possible to feed the tarantulas with pieces of beef, chicken and fish. But in this case, eating them depends on the specific specimen of the spider, since some specimens never accept such food, while others willingly eat it.

Do not attempt to feed the tarantula when it is in a pre-molt state, molts, or immediately after molting!

In this case, an active insect (for example, a cricket) will not be eaten and, moreover, can damage the integument of the tarantula with its jaws, as a result of which adverse consequences for the health of the spider, up to its death, are possible.

Try to disturb him as little as possible at this time and in no case pick it up.

It is advisable to offer food to a shed tarantula only a few days later, after the spider sheds its exoskeleton will finally harden. In large specimens, as already noted, this period can last up to a month or more.

A well-known fact of long-term refusal of food was recorded for the Chilean tarantula Grammostola rosea living in places with a pronounced cold period. Obviously, this behavior is likely for other tarantula species as well. 2 group.

In any case, always remove the food item if it has not been eaten within 24 hours. It is advisable to make the next proposal to his tarantula only in a day.

It is also necessary to carefully monitor the hygienic cleanliness in the terrarium and remove organic residues left after eating the tarantula, pieces of food animals, excrement.

As already stated, water for tarantula spiders is vital... When keeping medium-sized tarantulas, it is advisable to install a drinking bowl with water in the terrarium. Large specimens must be provided with access to open water for drinking without fail. At the same time, on average, once a week, a water change is required, since many terrestrial species dump the chewed remains of a food animal and excrement directly into the drinker.

Newborn and young spiders can do without a special container with water, if there is a layer of moist substrate sufficient to dig out a burrow.

tarantulas.su

Description

In many countries, tarantula spiders are gaining popularity every day. There are a number of reasons for this.

1. All spiders of this species are beautifully colored.
2. Keeping a tarantula spider at home is not too expensive and quite simple.
3. The tarantula spider looks very extravagant as a pet. And if traditional pets have become commonplace, then the spider will certainly arouse the interest of your guests.

The tarantula spider is a predator, but in nature these arthropods do not hunt large prey. Basically, these spiders feed on small insects, smaller spiders, as well as small rodents, small birds, fish, and maggots. The difference between this species of animals from others is that tarantula spiders do not use web traps for their prey, they wait and attack their prey from ambush and at a short distance.

Is the tarantula poisonous

It is believed that the tarantula spider is dangerous to its owner and at home can harm a person. This is not entirely true, of course, all tarantula spiders are poisonous, however, most of these individuals do not pose a danger to humans. Only a few species of these animals are dangerous. It is believed that the most toxic poison in spiders that inhabit Eurasia and Africa, and those that live on other continents, the poison is less toxic, however, no research has been carried out on this topic.

It is worth noting that in the entire history, not a single death was recorded from a bite of a tarantula spider. Scientists have found that the venom of this animal is not allergenic, however, in people who are allergic to bees and wasps, a reaction may begin after being bitten. The wounds at the site of the bite will often be large, since the chelicerae of this spider reach 2 centimeters in length. When bitten, they leave a large mark. Very often there are cases when an animal, when bitten, does not inject poison at all. Such a bite is called clean.

Protective reflexes

The tarantula spider defends itself in two ways.

1. Bite

You need to understand that absolutely any spider can bite, even if it looks very calm. Spiders bite their enemy with chelicera. Spiders of burrowing and arboreal species bite especially often. They do not always inject poison when bitten, however, when handling these animals, you must be as careful as possible. Sometimes, spiders scare off their enemy by striking the skin with their front paws.

2. Hair

Tarantula spiders comb hair from the abdomen with their hind legs. After contact with the victim's skin, lungs or mucous membrane, the victim feels intense burning, itching and tearing. If this situation has happened to you, then you should immediately rinse the bite site with hot water. In this case, the symptoms are likely to resolve immediately, although depending on the type of spider, symptoms may persist for two to three days.

The molt of the tarantula spider is the most difficult period in its life. Before replacing its old exoskeleton, the spider hardly moves or eats. At this time, it is better not to touch the animal or expose it to any external stimuli. The day before molting in a spider passes practically without movement. Often, they change their cover while lying on their backs. Young individuals change their cover regularly, adult spiders shed less often, and females change their exoskeleton up to once a year. During the change of cover, the old exoskeleton is detached, and a new one begins to form under it. After discarding old clothes, the spider is defenseless until the new cover hardens. Until this same time, the spiders will not eat, in general, this process takes several days. Sometimes it is difficult for spiders to throw off the old cover, this happens after injury or illness. If the animal does not shed the old cover, it may die.

The most optimal for keeping a tarantula spider at home is a glass terrarium. The terrarium for the tarantula spider can be square and no larger. In size, the terrarium should be only twice the length of the spider itself. For example, if, together with the paws, your pet will be 20 centimeters in size, then a 40x40x40 terrarium will suit you.

You need to buy a pet house taking into account the fact that the spider will grow and increase in size. With all this, the height should be reduced to a minimum. After all, it happens that after eating, the spider climbs the walls of the terrarium and falls down, thereby damaging its abdomen. If you are going to feed your spider with live food, then you should not use large terrariums, since the prey will hide in the far corners, and the spider will not be able to catch it, since it is used to hunt at a short distance from the victim, attacking it from an ambush.

If you have a tarantula tree spider as a pet, then it is recommended to increase the height of the terrarium, while adding a large piece of tree or branch bark to it.

If you have a burrowing spider, you should add more soil to the bottom of the cage. The optimum soil depth is 5 to 10 centimeters. A coconut substrate moistened with water is best suited as a substrate. Vermiculite or peat is also suitable. Regardless of the type of spider, the animal will need water. A saucer or so-called socket is perfect for this.

Nutrition

The best food for spiders is cockroaches, larvae and worms. The Madagascar hissing cockroach, marble cockroaches, crickets, zophobas larvae, and mealworm are best. Frozen meat and any other food we are used to should not be given, this can lead to the death of the spider. It is very important that the food of the spider is at least half the size of the body of the tarantula. Also, when feeding a spider, it is necessary to take into account the personal wishes of the arthropod, as well as use food that may be found in its natural habitat. Otherwise, the tarantula spider may refuse food. A tree-type spider is likely to refuse food that a burrowing tarantula spider prefers and vice versa. It is recommended to feed the tree spider with crickets and flies, but this species of spider should not be offered as food for cockroaches.

Reproduction

Breeding spiders in captivity is very difficult, so it is better for a beginner not to do this, unless you intend to breed spiders for sale. The differences between males and females are obvious. In males, the color is much brighter than in females, males are much more mobile and smaller in size, and the male also has very long limbs. Sexual maturity in males occurs much earlier than in females. The male becomes an adult at 1-1.5 years old, while the female reaches sexual maturity by 2-3 years. However, with poor living conditions, as well as a lack of food, maturation can take much longer.

Mostly mating takes place at night. The male will weave a special bag from the web to carry the sperm. Before mating, the male will try to get out of the cage to find the female and will become more aggressive. In nature, a male can run up to several kilometers per night before mating. At this point, the spider should already settle in a large terrarium with a lot of soil and shelters.

This terrarium should be 2-3 times larger than usual. The amount of substrate on the bottom of such a terrarium should be much more than usual. Next, you need to add one animal to another and carefully observe so that a fight does not start.

There is an opinion that it is better to plant the male with the female, but this is not always the case. When adding one animal to another, one must take into account the aggressiveness of the female, if she behaves aggressively, it is better to plant her to the male. If you do the opposite, then the male in an unfamiliar environment may get confused, and the matter will end in a fight and the death of the male. You also need to closely monitor the animals, if they are not ready to mate, then one of them may attack the other, and this can lead to injury and death of one of the animals. It can be understood from their behavior that both animals are ready for the process. Spiders will hit the ground with their paws, if this does not happen, most likely you need to wait a little longer. After mating, the male will instinctively try to quickly leave the female's enclosure. It is best to help him do this as soon as possible and move the daddy to his habitat.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can say that tarantula spiders are unusual creatures, they stand out for their size and color. They differ from other spiders in many ways. They catch their prey in a completely different way than simple spiders. They are not too whimsical to care for, and with proper skill they are malleable for breeding at home, the main thing is to give them the right food, equip a good home, and show a little of the care they need.

Perhaps you will be interested in keeping another exotic pet of the order of arthropods - a domestic scorpion. We described how to keep this little monster at home here.

ekzopit.ru

How to feed a tarantula spider:

Tarantula spiders, contrary to their name, do not eat birds, but eat small (about the size of a spider's body) insects, which they hunt in their natural habitat. How to feed a tarantula spider at home?

The answer to this question is very simple - food insects. The most popular food insects are marble , Turkmen , madagascar , Argentine and other cockroaches, as well as larvae zofobasa and a mealworm.

These are general rules, many consider it optional to follow them, and videos often appear on the Internet in which a spider is fed with mice, or insects from the streets. To be honest, I also like to feed my pets with caught singing grasshoppers in pairs.

Why you can't feed the tarantula spider with insects from the street:

Small vertebrates in the form of frogs, or newborn mice are very heavy food for a spider, he will eat it for several days, and at this time it will begin to decompose and fill with cadaveric poisons. Also on the forums I sometimes saw reports that after feeding with vertebrates, spiders for some unknown reason fell ill with DS. It is not known whether it is connected or not, but, in my opinion, it is better not to risk it.

Again, if you still decide to feed the tarantula spider with small vertebrates, then make sure that the animal is healthy and bought in a trusted place. Choose animals by size, do not give large animals to the tarantula spider, they can damage it.

Also, do not feed the tarantula spider with other predatory insects such as praying mantises, other spiders or centipedes. There were times when the prey won the battle and killed the tarantula spider.

Summarize: you need to feed the tarantula spider food insects suitable size (about the body of a tarantula spider, excluding paws), purchased in a trusted place, or from their own colonies.

How often to feed the tarantula spider:

After we figured out what to feed the tarantula spider, let's find out how often it should be done.

An adult tarantula spider should be fed 1-2 times a week, appropriate in size food insects. When the tarantula spider has eaten enough, it will stop paying attention to food, but sometimes you need to determine what is “enough” for the spider and stop feeding.

Usually, a sign that a tarantula spider has eaten is an increase in the abdomen in relation to the cephalothorax by 1.5-2 times. After this happens, feeding should be stopped to avoid rupture of the abdomen.

Feeding spiders of small age tarantulas is a little more specific, and I took it out in a separate article , which you can read by going to link .

• Do not feed the tarantula spider after molting for a certain number of days, which can be calculated using the formula: number of molts + 3-4 days. Otherwise, the food may damage the spider, or other, more specific problems may arise.
• If the tarantula spider does not eat, you should not sound the alarm and create threads on the forums like: "Alba does not eat for the 4th day, what should I do?" Refusal to eat is absolutely normal for tarantula spiders, some of them can go on hunger strikes for a period of 1-3 months, without harm to health. The genus is usually famous for this. Grammostola .
• If the tarantula spider does not eat the insect right away, then you can press down the insect's head and leave it overnight with the spider. If by morning the spider does not eat the insect, then the corpse must be removed.
• Do not leave food insects unattended in the spider's cage to avoid a number of problems that may arise. For example, when molting, a hungry cockroach or a zophobas larva can damage a spider, a female cockroach can give birth in a container with a spider, and babies will scatter through ventilation, and the like.

That seems to be all that I wanted to tell, maybe it turned out not very orderly, but there are a lot of tips here and some of them are even good. And so, with time and experience, you yourself will understand what and when to feed your tarantula. Thank you for the attention.

vdbr.ru

What does the Tarantula eat? Yes, everything that moves and fits him in size! Do you think this is a joke? No! Any insect, small mammal, reptile, etc. You can feed everyone. I sometimes fed unpeeled parrots !!! Yes, yes, just my budgerigar lay too many eggs, up to 12-14 eggs. But I could not feed the chicks, so I had to doin such a barbaric way! Let's start in order. The size of the feed should be one and a half, two times less than the body lengthtarantula. Otherwise, the spider will be scared, and you will get nothing but stress from your pet. Although this depends on the nature and mood of the spider, a hungry Tarantula can take food even larger than it. Small spiders are most conveniently fed with small cockroaches. Do you think who run at your home? :-))) No. The marble cockroach is bestsuitable for this. For example, I keep a colony of these insects at home. This is very easy to do. Take a small aquarium, glass jar, etc. you can put grates from under the eggs without a lid on the bottom, you can pieces of bark, sheets of cardboard, empty coconuts and much more, the main thing is that there is a place for cockroaches to hide. Cover the edges of the aquarium with a thin layer of Vaseline on top, so that the cockroaches do not scatter around the apartment. Launch a couple of hundred of these animals and feed them scraps from your table. It can be bread, and cleaning vegetables, meat waste, in general, whatever comes to hand. Marble cockroaches are very prolific and grow fast. You can feed the Tarantula right away. Choose for food from the beginning of the wingless, these are still non-adult individuals. Leave the adults to breed.What is good about marble cockroaches is that if they arescatter around the apartment, then they will not live there anyway, our apartments do not suit them! Adult Tarantulas can also be fed with cockroaches, but it is very dreary if you have, let's say, more than one spider. I feed the large tarantulas with frogs, they are freely sold atThe poultry market of all sizes. Store live frogs in the refrigerator. Pour half of water into the container, start the frogs, you can close the top with a lid with holes, and put it in the refrigerator (Not in the freezer, of course!). Change the water twice a week. And that's it, you always have food for spiders in stock. Sometimes I pamper my pets with naked, newborn mice, sometimes for especially large and adult ones. But this is dangerous enough. Crickets are good food for Tarantulas, but keep the culture of theseinsects are troublesome enough. They require damp soil or sand to reproduce, and they are very cannibalistic if they are hungry enough. You can also buy locusts at the Bird Market, which is also good food for your pet. In summer you can catch grasshoppers, caterpillars, flies, but most importantly, you must be sure that the caught insect is free of pesticides! How often should the Tarantula be fed? I feed small spiders as much as they can eat. I run it into the container that containsspider, pieces, five cockroaches of a suitable size. As soon as he eats them, I start again. Five of them are enough for 5-7 days, unless of course he is hungry. Most importantly, if the spider refuses to eat for 6-7 days, then the food must be caught, perhaps the spider is going to molt (more on this in another section). I consider good growth of young animals, this is an abundance of feed and an increased temperature of up to 30-32 grams. The main thing is that there are no temperature jumps. Adult spiders can be fed once every two weeks, this is enough for him. You can do it more often, it's up to you. In general, a spider can be without food for a very long time, more than a year, the main thing is that it has free access to water. But I do not advise you to experiment like that! The bird-eater, seeing the prey, quickly rushes to it, grabs it with chelicera, at the same time injecting poison. Have In some species, the poison is strong, and the prey is immobilized after 1 - 2 minutes, in others it is weaker, and the caught insect fights for a long time in the fangs of the spider. Further, the Tarantula usually performs the so-called dance, weaves a rug from a cobweb on the ground, sometimes braids prey. Then he injects gastric juice into it, in spiders external digestion, and for a long time, sucking out already digested food, eats the insect. Meal time can be up to 3 days. After that, a dry lump, interspersed with cobwebs, remains from the prey. The Bird-Eater takes this ball away from its shelter. Very often he just throws it into a drinking bowl with water. Never leave leftover food in the cage for a long time, together with the moisture it promotes violent development of mites! I must say that ticks cannot do anything harmful to the Tarantula in its normal state, but if a spider molts, then they can severely damage it. The water in the drinker should be changed as it gets dirty. Keep the enclosure clean at all times, some hobbyists change the bedding with each young spider sheds. And in adults, at least once every three or four months. And here is a bloody photo of a meal with mice for lunch for you to eat ...

Frequent inhabitants of living quarters are spiders and cockroaches. Their appearance does not bring joy, but rather troubles, physical and financial costs. In living quarters, people, thoughtlessly, create excellent conditions for them to exist and reproduce. Few asked questions: "Why did spiders appear in the apartment?" "Who is stronger - spiders or cockroaches?", "Do spiders eat cockroaches?", "Do these insects need to be exterminated?"

Cockroach

Domestic cockroaches are the most unpleasant insects that grow in the house. Scientists claim that they are carriers of infectious diseases that affect the intestinal tract. Pests can start in every housewife in the house, even the cleanest, they can get into the apartment from neighbors who have started repairs.

Cockroaches feed on everything: food, waste, paper, cloth and much more. They can fast for about two weeks. Not finding food in the house, which is unlikely, they run to the next apartment.

The harm that cockroaches bring to humans:

• They are carriers of infectious diseases.
• They spoil things, climb into the equipment, eat wallpaper and bindings of paper.
• They can get tangled in the wires and a short circuit can occur, as a result of a fire.
• May cause allergies.

Pests multiply quickly, so experts recommend taking immediate action and destroying them. You can fight pests with folk, mechanical and chemical means. The most effective remedies are chemicals.

• Treat the apartment with a solution of water and vinegar.
• Cockroach crayons. This drug is ineffective in the fight against insects, but it is not very toxic and safe for humans.
• Sprays and aerosols. A highly toxic agent, which is not very good for humans. When using an aerosol, do not forget about your own safety, handle the room with gloves and gauze masks.
• Traps. Small and poisonous inside.
• Alcohol. Wipe or spray with ammonia all places in the house where pests live.
• Smoke bombs. The most effective pest control agent and the most dangerous for humans. Smoke is highly toxic. When self-processing a room, do not forget about your health and safety precautions.

House spiders

In the darkest hidden corners of the apartment, you can stumble upon cobwebs and the spiders themselves. These insects live in the wild, are predators and feed on other insects. But they can also settle in a residential building, if the living conditions are suitable, there is enough food. They enter the house through cracks in windows, doors, in the floor.

These spiders are not dangerous for the occupants of the premises. However, when bitten, they release poison, but this poison does not provoke inflammation and is not toxic, it has a detrimental effect on other insects. They are destroyed only for more comfort or if someone in the house is afraid of spiders. They appear and multiply in warm places; in cold conditions, they die.

When domestic arachnid insects appear, their number should be monitored. If there are too many of them, it means that bedbugs, cockroaches or flies are in the house. At home, this is the best food for spiders. The absence of spiders in the house indicates the cleanliness of the house.

Spider control methods:

• Frequent cleaning. Initially, you need to get rid of the cobweb by collecting it with a mop, rag or vacuum cleaner. After using a vacuum cleaner, it must be immediately cleaned, and the bag washed in hot water, the spider can survive and get back out into the open.
• Chestnut. The chestnut fruit repels the insect. The fruits of the plant should be placed in those places where spiders are most often found.
• Vinegar. In a jar with a sprayer, mix water and vinegar in a 1: 1 ratio and spray the places where the pests accumulate.
• Chemicals. In this case, you can use aerosols, trap tablets, boric acid, ordinary paint.

But it is worth recalling that spiders are not dangerous insects and do not harm humans, so it is not necessary to get rid of them.

Do spiders and cockroaches live in the same house?

There are times in the house when many harmful insects appear and immediately many arachnids appear. After all, few people thought about the relationship of this. House spiders are bred in large numbers in a house where there are many pests. Since domestic spiders eat cockroaches, bedbugs and midges. They weave a web and are waiting for the victim to fall into a trap. Then he injects the poison. After a few minutes, the insect dies. At this time, the predator hides until the prey stops moving. This is the reason why spiders and cockroaches don't get along.

I would like to note that it is desirable that a small number of spiders live in apartments that are located in old high-rise buildings. They will protect the apartment from the invasion of cockroaches.