EXACTLY, my friend. You know it! hahahaha

Thank you so much, Alexis! I'm glad that this was helpful!

I agree completely, Tam!

Congratulations, that's awesome! I got my first when I was still terrified of them. haha I'm glad some of my videos were a help!

Hahahah. Good point, Joyce! Unfortunately, not everyone can have one of those. ;)

You guys always forget the DW. Ha Ha.

Hello, John! Thank you so much....I really appreciate it! And I will definitely take that comparison as a compliment. :) I don't plan on going anywhere for a while. :)

I wholeheartedly agree with this!!

With John Locke on this. Good observation.

Sorry to be so offtopic but does any of you know of a trick to get back into an instagram account? I stupidly forgot the password. I love any help you can give me

@Kingsley Caspian instablaster ;)

Hahahaha. I'm lucky that Billie is very tolerant. ;) Thank you so much!

First off, so sorry for the delay in replying! Ugh. And thank you so much...I truly appreciate that! I like to show calm rehousings, as that's what we should all shoot for. They don't all have to be crazy.

Hello! Thank you so much! I'm glad that these are holding up. Yeah, you guys don't really have "beginner species" there, do you? Still, you have some awesome tarantulas. Congrats!

@@TomsBigSpiders We really don't, haha. But I got my Coremiocnemis tropix sling today and followed your sling advice for a very smooth move to its first enclosure. So thank you once again. :)

Hey, Jen!!! Awww...that's awesome! Thank you!

Hi, Kenneth! The GBBs seem to be a good stepping stone to old words as they are one of the faster NW species. I'm so glad that these videos have been helpful. Thanks!

Thank so much, bud! :) I just had my second escape ever the other night while rehousing a sling. I got sloppy and tried the old "poke and pray" (just tried to prod it into its new enclosure using a brush. Dumb move. The sling ended up my arm and on my leg. haha. Billie had to bail me out. haha

Hello, Chez! Yes, I used to be terrified of spiders and tarantulas. haha. It took a while, but I'm cured. And sorry for the delay!

Hello, Lou...welcome back! :) So glad to hear that the wife has softened her stance a bit. I talk to a lot of guys who are desperately trying to convince the Missus to let them have some. The answer is...I've done that before. haha. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I stopped doing it that way because I've had the substrate (especially if it's moist) clump up and fall, hitting and startling the T. That sent it bolting. I try my best to keep them calm at all times, I have a better, more predictable transfer if I coax them out. I find it easier to control where they are going and minimize mistakes. These are just the methods I use, and they work for me. I encourage folks to use whatever technique works for them. :) Thanks again for commenting!!! - Tom

Hahahaha! Sorry! I actually planned on posting it yesterday, but it took to darn long to to upload. Congrats on the rehouse! :) Taps are usually not much fun. haha

Thank you so much, Paul! Greetings from the US!

Thank you, Billy! I'm so glad that they helped. Hahaha Those lividums can be little punks. :)

Tom Moran yes they do lol

Thanks, so much, bud! :)

That's a great idea, Ben! I've used multiple hides before, but probably not as much as I should. It's always good to give the spiders some choices.

Thanks so much, Sean! I really appreciate it. :)

Thank you, Allen!

Hello, Ronaldo! Thank you so much! I plan to keep making them. :)

Thanks, William! That contraption has been SO helpful. haha

Thanks so much, Becky! :)

I absolutely LOVE the half bottles. They are secure and give you so many options. Thanks, Rachael! :)

Thanks so much! :)

Thanks so much, Christine! I really appreciate it. :)

Thanks so much, bud! Hey, I did the EXACT same thing myself! Got cocky and ended up with an H. pulchripes sling on my back. Billie had to catch him. hahaha Only my second escape ever! Lesson learned...no more cockiness for me! That's my son, Cael. Usually, he just sits off screen and mocks me. hahaha Thanks again, bud!

Hello, Lipton! Man, thanks so much! This is an awesome comment. :) Welcome back to the hobby!

My kid is a little video bomber. hahaha. I didn't even see that when I was editing. haha And thank you so much! :)

Man, thanks so much. I really appreciate that! :)

I am! hahaha. Thanks so much! :)

Hello! Thank you so much. And congrats on your jump into old worlds. I'm so glad that I was able to make you feel more confident about keeping them. That's EXACTLY why I do these types of videos. Thank you!

Thanks so much, Katie...that is really nice of you to say! :) That's great that you're getting over your fear of them, and even COOLER that you'll be getting one after Christmas. I got my first over 20 years ago in part to get over my arachnophobia. I'm in Connecticut, so we get the hot, humid summers and cold winters as well. So, anything I keep would work for you. Have you seen my video on beginner species? I would recommend the Mexican redknee (Brachypelma hamorii) or Brachypelma auratum (a little harder to find). They have a black base color but gorgeous yellow/orange/red bands on their legs. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oJ1nlaV3qLW7Y2Q.html Check this out if you get a chance, and we can chat after. :)

Thank you so much! :)

Hello, Michael! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment (and for the very kind words!). I truly appreciate it. :) Be careful; that 40 will quickly turn into 140. haha And I agree completely. Thank you again!

Thanks, CreepyCorners! :)

Thanks, Christine! That's a great idea! I wish we had room for one. I bought a little one for that purpose, but it was too small. For feeding and rehousings, I just use my dinner table. Ha! Me, too. :) She usually reads the comments, so hopefully she sees this. Thanks again!!!

Hi, Ben! Very nice to meet you! First off, a huge apology for not responding earlier. I somehow missed a bunch of comments. I'm so glad those techniques work for you! I try to find safe ways, so that means a lot. Thank you!!!

Thanks so much! Man, I love those speedy little buggers. hahaha :)

Thank you! :) I wish I had something like this myself. My first couple transfers were pretty sketchy. hahah

Thanks so much. Glenn! I know a lot of folks have seen all this before, but a couple people suggested doing one that shows the three different types.

Tom Moran It's actually a great idea to put the 3 types of tarantulas on the same video. I enjoyed it a lot. ❤ Then i'm a BIG fan of the way you & also eeriearachnids explain things so even a newbie gets it the first time around. I'm more grateful to you than you'll probably ever know for showing all these methods & easy to make or buy tools & how to raid kitchens at home. 😉🤣🤣 A big Thanx & have a great weekend. P.s. I just used knowledge gained from you when feeding my 2 adult females Psalmopoeus cambridgei, 1 of them engaged the warp drive & i didn't get spooked even though it was FAST as hell. She did Not manage to escape though. 👏🤗🕷

Thank you, Kevin!

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. :)

Thanks so much! :)

First off, Mary, I'm so sorry for the delay in responding. I just found a bunch of comments that I missed! Thank you so very much! And I've often thought about that, and I'm honestly not sure. It seems the ones from more hospitable and tropical places (where there is more consistently warm temps and where food is in abundance) grow much more quickly than those from arid and less hospitable regions. Perhaps the slower growing ones have evolved to have slower metabolisms due to their harsh environments?

Thanks so much, James! The catch cup method works great for me. And definitely grab some brushes and cardboard. The cardboard is particularly useful for blocking them off. :)

Man, I watch one once where the spider ended up on the kid's pillow, clearly kicked hairs all over it, and the kid didn't seem to care. hahaha. Blew my mind! :) The little hides thing is a great trick. They won't go far if they find cover. Thanks again, guys! :)

Thank you, Karolina! :)

Thanks, Nikolas!

Tom, give your knowledge to my question please: C.dyscolus black and C.black satan is the same specie or different??

Hey, Eric! I was going to wait to post it but then thought, what the heck. haha Thanks!

Thank you so much, Jean! :)

Love the videos and podcasts! Very good information from a great guy!!! Thank YOU for that👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

Hey, Michael! Thanks so much, bud!

Hi, Kerry! For ones that are handleable, you can always pick them up. However, for folks that don't handle, or for moving more venomous Old World species, this will work. :)

Thanks so much! Do you know when you are getting one? :)

I was afraid of ALL of them. Hahaha. It didn't matter how small (although large ones were particularly terrifying/fascinating). I never killed them, as I always found them so interesting, but they would freak me the heck out. We used to move them to the basement using a cup and a piece of paper when we found them in the house. If you spend enough time caring for one and observing it, it really does help start to make them less scary. It DOES take time to get over it, though. :) If you've already got the tattoo of one, then you HAVE to get over your fear soon. ;)

Have you seen this one? :) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/p7-ChdScpr7Kmp8.html Let me know if that helps. And thank YOU for the very kind words (and for the sub)! :)

Thanks so much, Debra! I'm a high school teacher, so I enjoy making them informative. :) I started out doing an informative blog, then made my way over to KZfaq. Are you just researching for fun? :)

Well researching for fun. I like educational videos on topics. You rock!!

Thanks, John! I've had a couple that I've moved using the cork bark. I think that I even moved my OBT that way. Sometimes, it's just the easiest thing to do. haha

Tom Moran just goes to show the fast Asian species sometimes won't move on que lol. Just uploaded my first video by the way, feeding my 26 year old G. porteri who moulted a month back, I would love your input on it!

Hey, Daniel! Hahaha. Yeah, the Chilobrachys species can be "fun". haha I lucked out in that my dyscolus and guangxiensis were both quite cooperative. :)

Thank you! :)

Thanks so much, Koen! Yeah, most will just circle that tub and run for a corner. A little spray around the edges does a good job with slowing them down, too. :) Yeah, the tub works great for some people, and it's definitely safe. It just hurts my knees and I feel like I'm limited with my movement. Plus, the videos wouldn't be nearly as pretty. haha

Hey, bud! If she's building the hammock, that sounds like she's laying down a molting mat. If that's the case, she should molt very soon. :)

Thanks, Joe! Ha! I'm a pen and ink artist, so have a pretty steady hand. I just eyeball it. :)

That's a tough one for me, as I love them all. I would probably go with P. regalis because I love the white, gray, black colors. And congrats!

Thank you, Tina! I hope that you are feeling better!

You're most welcome! :)

Hi, Rhys! Those were imported from Europe. The Europeans use them for fossorial and arboreal species. I wish I bought more at the time, as I only have two! Thank you!

My God...I completely missed that! I knew he was in the end, but not there. hahahahaha. That kid... :)

Hello, Shogun! Thank you so much! Yes, you can keep them in there until they hit 2-4" inches or so (depending on the species). If it's a slow growing species, like Brachypelma, Aphonopelma, or Grammostola, I usually move mine at around the 2" mark. Hope that helps!

@@TomsBigSpiders Thanks for responding. You rock man for real , been listening to your podcast at work too. So much information. You've got basically an encyclopedia on each species. Its great. I just got home from the expo and ended up with an a.geniculata and a c.cyaneopubescens. Both are a nice size. Maybe an inch and a half or 2 inches.

Hi, Meg! hahahaha, Yup, that's my son, Cael. He tries to do that all of the time. hahaha

Excellent advice, Alice. ;)

Hi, Kevin! I like to go from the top in case they bolt, but it all comes down to personal preference. If she kicks and you're coming from the top, it will protect you better from the hairs, too.

Thanks Tom ill be doing it tgis weekend ill let you know how it gies ive been watching all your videos preparing myself for it im kid of new to the hobby if you havent guessed i owned a T when i was 20 but im 45 now so been a while but i love it such s great hobby

Unless there is something heavy above them (like a large rock or heavy dish), they are in no danger if the tunnels collapse. They will just dig themselves out. Also, they reinforce their dens with webbing, which helps to hold things together.

Hello, Mary! Again, sorry for the delay. That's another fantastic question. I would guess that they do, but I haven't been able to notice the difference myself! Man...stumped again! haha

Hi, Bruce! Let me know when you post something, and I'll check it out. :)

Picked up most everything, and already to go just a few little odds and ends for the My Ts care, I did get a copy of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide: Comprehensive Information on Care, Housing, and Feeding buy the book just waiting for its delivery

Arachnophobia the Movie Is On the Television tonight... oh the irony of it all

Hello! Some burrow and some don't. I usually give them deep, moist sub to start and see if they decide to burrow. Neither of mine use their hides right now and are usually right out in the open.

@@TomsBigSpiders I have been told that my new girl is way to fat.. She's on a diet.. Lol.

Congrats on joining the hobby. Be careful...it's addictive! :)

If you're looking for old word, you can't go wrong with the C. lividus or H. gigas...or even the P. muticus. Heck, or any Chilobrachys species. haha This is a difficult question!

I spray them down outside with a hose.

Hi, Joyce! They're doing well, but since the weather got colder, they aren't out as much.

Hey me too. Where you live our cold would be like your spring, but after 140 days of weather over 85 degrees, 60 is downright freezing. When you live in the desert for a while your blood thins. I could never take the cold and snow of the middle west anymore.

Hello, Kristian...great question. Actually, they're not. There is this myth that the T. blondi is so much larger, and part of that is because it was the first real "giant" spider everyone talked about. The T. stirmi can get just as large and looks nearly identical to the blondi. In fact MANY people trying to buy a blondi end up with a stirmi and don't recognize the difference. The T. stirmi is also much less expensive and has proven to be more hardy in captivity than the blondi. You are basically getting an identical spider that is easier to keep an for much less money.

ok, thx alot for the answer :) I had just always heard it was bigger but thx for explaining that there is no difference in size :) Today I am going to unbox my 7 new m.balfouris and put them in :) and tonight it will be the h.pulchripes :) looking alot of videos on how to do it the easiest mainly because the balfouris are in seperate vials. they were fed 2 days before shipping to make sure they can go 5 days to settle in before I feed. was told to give them some days alone to avoid a bolting. I am just nervous on how to get all of them in the vivarium one by one without one escaping. the first one I got was NOT calm. came calmly out of the vial and then started circling the glas. I did start a dubia colony, a hysser colony and a cricket colony. also have meal worms and grasshoppers to vary their diet. Now i have 8 fossorials and a terrestrial so I am looking for my final T for now and thats going to be an arboreal, hoping a c.versicolor sling. I dont feel anywhere near ready for a pokie. yes I know i started with balfouris and now a pulchripes but pokies scare me with their speed and potency. so looking for a more "friendly" arboreal :) But again thx alot for clearing up the differences and why so many stirmis are in the hobby :)

No worries...a lot of folks think that. It's sad, really, because I think that the T. stirmi goes overlooked in some instances. Did you see my original housing video when I put the 9 balfouri slings in? Give them several hides and starter burrows to run into. If they run, they will often run to one of these and then relax.

yes, I did watch it :) ok, I will make some starter burrows and hides to go run for :)

That was the trick for me. If you give them some cork bark stacked and some starter burrows, they seem to bolt right for them. Actually, it worked pretty well for the rehouse as well! Good luck!

How long has it been, Jan? Sometimes, it can take them a little while to settle down.

It’s been about 2 weeks and she’s still not eating, but no signs of premolt either.

Oh man...that's awesome! hahaha

How did it go? Did it go smoothly? :) Mine ALWAYS chew up their molts. I don't think I've ever got a pokie molt that was intact. hahaha That is awesome. Watch out...this hobby is VERY addictive. Thanks again!!!

It actually went surprisingly well no threat postures no bolts. getting it back in however was a bit more difficult but on the second attempt it went in. the molt ofc had chew marks At the important part :D bottle with holes a tool i would recommend to anyone :)

i Would allso recommend bringing a non skittish friend. Mine helped get me stuff when i needed it was really a huge help the first time around. Btw i will admit i was shaking like hell at a point, and him giving me moral support allso huge help :D

Hello! It's short for "tarantula."