Help!

[Wg25]

Hey guys!
So my B.Smith literally just turned over on her back to molt. But when I looked closey I saw 2 crickets still in the enclosure! I don't wanna open the lid because I'm afraid it will disturb her. It's a plastic container and makes a lot of noise when opened. Will she be okay!??? What are the chances of them harming her during the molt????

 

[BLUE BEAUTY]

They could really harm her. I would go ahead a remove them. When she emerges her exoskeleton will still be soft. It has also been known that crickets could eat a molting T.

 

[Wg25]

They could really harm her. I would go ahead a remove them. When she emerges her exoskeleton will still be soft. It has also been known that crickets could eat a molting T.

What are the chances of her flipping back over when she hearsaid the lid? It usually frightens her

 

[Tomoran]

Personally, I would remove them. Crickets can pose a risk to a molting T. I would just work very carefully to get the lid off the enclosure to try and disturb it as little as possible. I've accidentally jostled enclosures and even opened one with molting Ts in them before and they did not flip back over. Good luck! Also, if you can't catch the crickets without sending them bouncing all of the enclosure (and possibly on your T), it's sometimes easier to just smash them and pull out the bodies.

 

[Wg25]

Personally, I would remove them. Crickets can pose a risk to a molting T. I would just work very carefully to get the lid off the enclosure to try and disturb it as little as possible. I've accidentally jostled enclosures and even opened one with molting Ts in them before and they did not flip back over.

Okay let me see what I can do! Wish me luck! And thanks Tomoran

 

[Tomoran]

Okay let me see what I can do! Wish me luck! And thanks Tomoran

I've had to do it before myself, so I know the feeling. Good luck!

 

[Wg25]

I removed them savely without disturbing her! Thanks for the advice guys!

 

[BLUE BEAUTY]

no problem

 

[Wg25]

 

[SasyStace]

View attachment 12464

great photo and I can see the cricket watching like it's waiting for a meal LOL good thing you got them out

 

[Wg25]

great photo and I can see the cricket watching like it's waiting for a meal LOL good thing you got them out

Hahahaha exactly what I was thinking! Thanks Stacey

 

[Kymura]

bedamned crickets ! Glad you got them out safely

 

[Tomoran]

I removed them savely without disturbing her! Thanks for the advice guys!

Awesome! So glad that it went well.

 

[kaz]

iv found my Ts wont molt untill I remove anything moving around in their enclosure. My p.irminia on the other hand, nothing moving in the enclosure is left alive for long. I offered a cricket last week which she refused not surprised as she's looking fit to burst. Thought hmm better go remove that cricket and discovered it literally left and shredded to peace's, bits of leg here and there. Meanwhile shes happy sitting in her den!! Just thought id share!! Glad that removing them went well for you, I find that task a real pain.

 

[kormath]

Our GBB kills anything left in its cage before molting also. Waiting to see what the boehmei will do and the Vagans.

 

[RedCapTrio]

This is exactly the reason why it's a good practice to remove feeders a couple of hours when not eaten.

 

[kormath]

This is exactly the reason why it's a good practice to remove feeders a couple of hours when not eaten.

Crickets i do. Dubai he won't touch so my comment about him killing anything isn't accurate lol. He runs from dubai. I've got an order in for lateralis and we'll see how he does with those.

 

[SpiderDad61]

I removed them savely without disturbing her! Thanks for the advice guys!

Yea, good job. When they're flipped, last thing they worry about is u opening the lid. Those crickets really could have harmed the poor bugger

 

[Wg25]

Thanks ! I'm glad she molted safely!

 

[Chubbs]

So you get them out? If so, that's really good. Crickets left in the enclosure are more of a threat to terrestrials since many of them molt out in the open. I try to make sure there are none in the enclosure regardless if I suspect a tarantula to be in premolt. However, it's not as much of a concern with arboreals since A) They don't normally molt on the ground (Avics and Iridopelma species never do) and B) They'll seal themselves inside of their hides using a thick wall of silk which crickets can't get through. This also goes for heavy webbing terrestrials. Terrestrials that don't web much and molt in the open are at greatest risk.