H. lividum rehouse

[Red devil]

I need to rehouse my H. lividum. She is in an enclosure that is to big. She has burrowed about 8 inches down and about 4-5 inches accross. I've read of different methods but these sources do not go into as much detail. In the Tarantula keepers guide it talk about pouring water down the burrow. Any insite? And what would I expect from her? For example if I pour water is she going to fly out and up my arm or up and away from the enclosure? This is my first time with a borrower of this sort. My others are out enough where I can block the burrow to rehouse them. Not this one tho.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[WolfSpider]

I need to rehouse my H. lividum. She is in an enclosure that is to big. She has burrowed about 8 inches down and about 4-5 inches accross. I've read of different methods but these sources do not go into as much detail. In the Tarantula keepers guide it talk about pouring water down the burrow. Any insite? And what would I expect from her? For example if I pour water is she going to fly out and up my arm or up and away from the enclosure? This is my first time with a borrower of this sort. My others are out enough where I can block the burrow to rehouse them. Not this one tho.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

I think your best bet would be to scoop substrate out onto a pan or sterilite container in your bathtub. When the spider comes running out, use a catch cup. Tom Moran has some interesting videos on this. He has tried it both ways--much more success without water. But, just MHO.

 

[kormath]

from what i've seen water just pisses them off. That's not a T i would want to have running out of it's burrow pissed off at me for pouring water in it.

I don't have any experience with this species but this is how i would imagine to rehouse a pissed off lividum

Put the enclosure in a large tall aquarium. Then with a small spade and extended handle (like 4 ft or so) gently scrape away the substrate and shovel it out of the enclosure into the aquarium for easy clean up. Keep doing that until you've pissed off the T enough it comes out of the enclosure. Then using 3 ft long tongs lower a catch up and with similar tongs lower the lid, and coax the T into the cup, then hold the lid in place with the tongs. Carefully move the catch cup to the new enclosure and remove the lid with the tongs. squint your eyes and cringe until the T leaves the catch cup and goes into his new home.

 

[WolfSpider]

@Shampain : I would have thought your technique would be kinda like kinoodling--just stick your hand in and grab it using the pinch technique.

 

[WolfSpider]

Nice Shampain!!! Awesome that you kept the camera rolling when the T went into turbo mode!!

 

[Metalman2004]

Looks like @Shampain's method works.

I rehoused mine twice before I sold it. Both times I tried the flooding method and both times it failed miserably. The T didn't come out and the substrate was floating around in thebwater and became this soupy muddy mess.

I ended up using my kids' plastic play shovel that has about a 3' handle to remove substrate until I got the the spider.

I'd say use shampain's method or just dig it out, but defintely not the flooding method.

 

[MassExodus]

8" down is great for this sp..why rehouse it?

 

[Red devil]

Way to large of an enclosure and not feeding and molted just a few weeks ago.

 

[Red devil]

I know my video wasn't the greatest example (tired I was) but your tongs are your best tool to get burrowers out, gentle patience is the way I've found... If unlike me you used a catch cup at the entrance then the odds are defo in your favour...

Can you explain the tongs method?

 

[Red devil]

I posted a video there... It's not a big deal... You're gonna know roughly where your T is... Scrape if you have to then gently poke through the sub and coax with your tongs, I guarantee the spider will come out the burrow the same way it went in lol... That's it... Have a catch cup at the burrow entrance also... It's incredibly easy to get T's into cups... Let's say you fluff it and the T runs out and into a corner or just out in the middle, wherever... Put the cup in a strategic position and nudge the T on the booty, it's gonna run straight in the opposite direction right into the cup... If it rears up just put the cup over it, wait 10 min and slide the lid underneath... I hope my waffling has helped you lol

Some how missed the video. Since mine is about 8 inches deep would I make my life easier in digging down to a more work able depth?

 

[Red devil]

Thanks everyone for all the great advise. I dug down to about 2 inches above her burrow. Then i destructed the vertical aspect which was about 10 inches high. As I neared the bottom she sprung up and right into the catch cup without even defensive threat at all. She is now in her new home without incident. She did grow quite a bit since I saw her prior to her molt.

 

[MassExodus]

Way to large of an enclosure and not feeding and molted just a few weeks ago.

I have adults that won't eat for a month or longer after a molt, just as an fyi The reason I say leave it is that my own lividus is extremely skittish and the fastest fossorial spider I've ever seen She actually leaps when she runs, like a jumping spider, and my eyes can't keep up with her, which is normally an arboreal trait.