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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Eighth Eye Blind" data-source="post: 240824" data-attributes="member: 49683"><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite9" alt=":eek:" title="Eek!    :eek:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":eek:" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite9" alt=":eek:" title="Eek!    :eek:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":eek:" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite9" alt=":eek:" title="Eek!    :eek:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":eek:" />Yikes!In case you don't know (and for the benefit of others who may not), some commercial insecticides that "don't work on spiders" actually do work extremely well on spiders and we just didn't know it. We're just learning that pesticide resistance in spiders is highly species dependent. A lot of the data that we have was only collected from a couple of different species - mostly European wolf spiders - and the numbers just don't apply to T's. It turns out that wolf spiders can happily shake off a fat spray of a neonicotinoid pesticide while some T species shrivel up and die at 1/10 the dose. Pyrethroids and phenylpyrazoles may have even more variability in true spiders versus tarantulas. Bifenthrin and cyhalothrin toxicity may be thirty times higher in T's than in web builders. There's some suggestion that fipronil has long-term toxicity in tarantulas at 1/1000th the commercial concentration for insects . . . which is just a crazy low dose.I strongly suspect that a lot of the excess mortality in pet store spiders is due to the staff carrying flea and tick treatments from other animals or parts of the store into the spider area on their hands and clothing. It's notable that stores that specialize in reptiles and fish don't seem to have a problem keeping spiders alive but stores that deal in cats and dogs do. So definitely wash those hands and change those clothes when you get home! Don't trust what the manufacturers say about toxicity of their products in arachnids. All of that data is almost certainly bad. Be careful not to accidentally contaminate your little spud!</blockquote>

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