moving

[newtots]

i will be moving tomorrow to a house a block away from my current home.... sooooo much more space! and i'm wondering if there are any tips for moving the tarantulas. i have 14 total, 12 are 1" and under and 2 are 4" as well as a whip spider. i also have 3 hermit crabs and a ball python but being that this is a tarantula site we'll keep it focused on them. it's really cold here only reaching a high of plus 4 celcius right now. rather than running my car just down the street all day most of the moving will be just walking stuff over. any tips or advice... maybe things i should consider?

 

[Bugmom]

If it's only a block away, there's nothing special I'd do. Just walk them over. Maybe drape a towel over the tops to keep cold air out.

Although I'd probably buy a little red wagon to transport them in lol.

Now, if you move 1,700 miles like I did last year, with 40ish Ts, a scorpion, a hedgehog, a salamander, 7 snakes, two geckos, and two dogs.... that's a whole other ballgame! I felt like the circus!

 

[kormath]

I wouldn't chance them just walking over with a towel. Depending how cold it is where you are. The cold air vs room temp air would be quite a shock to the system if your temps are like it is here.

My suggestion would be to package them up, like you were shipping them, and put them in a cooler. Like a styrofoam or igloo camp cooler. That way they're secure, they don't get the cold air shock, and the oxygen in the cooler (depending on cooler size) would last them an hour or so. Temps wouldn't change for a couple hours in the cooler if they were left in the car or outside.

I do this taking my son's Ts to school so he can do his study project with them, But then i'm only moving 2 or 3 so i just put them in the cooler with them in their enclosures to reduce their stress. Usually have to walk a half block or so from the visiting parking to the school, and where it's been single digit temps here the last week or 2 the cooler is the safest way I've found.

 

[micheldied]

They're hardy animals. A block is a couple minute's walk, and won't hurt them. Just make sure there's nothing large and bulky that could flail around and hurt the Ts while moving.

I walked around with a P. metallica sling in less than 0 degree celcius weather for over 2 hours and it was fine.

 

[kormath]

They're hardy animals. A block is a couple minute's walk, and won't hurt them. Just make sure there's nothing large and bulky that could flail around and hurt the Ts while moving.

I walked around with a P. metallica sling in less than 0 degree celcius weather for over 2 hours and it was fine.

that's just insane, and to carry a spider with you in that weather....

I figured the cold shock would be really bad for them. Good to know it's not as bad as i thought. Maybe i'll train the genic to get the newspaper, then i won't have to go out in the cold lol

 

[micheldied]

that's just insane, and to carry a spider with you in that weather....

I figured the cold shock would be really bad for them. Good to know it's not as bad as i thought. Maybe i'll train the genic to get the newspaper, then i won't have to go out in the cold lol

Yeah I brought it out to trade with a dealer, however I didn't expect to end up in the wrong place and because I was late he had left his home to a store, so I ended up hanging around in the cold for an hour longer than I expected to. By then, my bag had gone ice cold and I put the spider against me in the jacket, but it was still really cold.

They can be very tough animals. The cold isn't going to kill them that quickly.

 

[Bugmom]

Tarantulas are far hardier than people give them credit for.

 

[RedCapTrio]

This is good to know, thanks for the share guys.

 

[SpiderDad61]

i will be moving tomorrow to a house a block away from my current home.... sooooo much more space! and i'm wondering if there are any tips for moving the tarantulas. i have 14 total, 12 are 1" and under and 2 are 4" as well as a whip spider. i also have 3 hermit crabs and a ball python but being that this is a tarantula site we'll keep it focused on them. it's really cold here only reaching a high of plus 4 celcius right now. rather than running my car just down the street all day most of the moving will be just walking stuff over. any tips or advice... maybe things i should consider?

Put a towel or 2 in the dryer. Put the enclosures in a box or 2 or 3. Drape the warm towel over each box. That will keep them heated just fine for the short trip