How to Handle Arthropods (work in progress).
Created | Updated Jul 31, 2005
CONTENTS
Introduction
Crawlers
Fliers
Miscellaneous
Things to watch out for
Common mistakes
Disclaimer
INTRODUCTION
Your basic arthropod has an exoskeleton and several jointed legs. Many arthropods start out as larvae (grubs) and metamorphose into their adult
form when the conditions are right. Insects and crabs are examples of arthropods; snails and worms aren't.
How you handle your arthropod depends upon three basic considerations:
Your reason for handling it;
Its adaptations;
The degree of terror with which you and the arthropod view each other.
An arthropod has a range of automatic responses, making its behaviour easy to predict. Faced with a threat, it will first try to escape; if escape
fails, it may resort to scaring-off behaviour from its repertoire; otherwise, it will try to defend itself. When an arthropod perceives you as a refuge
or terrain, handling it becomes simple. This is achieved by considering the habitat to which your arthropod has adapted.
CRAWLERS
By 'crawlers' I mean arthropods that don't fly, jump or swim. Their reflexes are rarely faster than a human's, so they are easy to catch. Since they
spend their time crawling about on surfaces, dark spaces are important points of refuge for them. Handling methods for them fall into the
following categories.
Amblers.
Amblers are the most helpless and worst at running away. If they have legs at all, they are very slow ones. The larval stages of many arthropods
are amblers: caterpillars and maggots, for example. Stick insects are also amblers, as their camouflage negates their need to run anywhere.
The defense mechanisms of amblers consist of squirming, writhing, posturing and falling. They can be picked up (gently) between thumb and
forefinger. If placed on the palm of the hand, they will proceed to amble across it.
It is worth noting that certain people are prone to allergic rashes after handling some of the hairier amblers; gloves are useful in these cases.
Wearing gloves may also serve as a preventative measure for those inclined to fling amblers across the room the moment they move.
Diggers.
Arthropods such as antlions and mole crickets are adapted primarily for digging, so if you pick them up, their attempts to escape from you will
entail ineffectual burrowing movements against the palm of your hand. It is rare to find these creatures above the surface, so if you know the
underground location of one (eg. at the base of an antlion's conical dimple), it's best to dig it up swiftly along with the surrounding substrate, then
carefully spread the substrate over a resilient surface (your hand will do) to expose the digger. Many diggers are of the ambling persuasion, and
phobics may find gloves a suitable form of protection against (flinging) them.
Climbers.
Most arthropods can climb, but for some it is a way of life. Spiders and mantises are accomplished climbers.
Many climbers are parasites, with a propensity for hanging on grimly if you try to pick them up. Such an adaptation helps them to avoid falling, a
common danger to climbers, all of which have adapted in one way or another to this possibility. Many climbers are small enough to fall great
heights without injury. A large climber (such as a tarantula) is fragile and, if it falls, it will splay its legs to try to cushion the impact. If you lift a
large climber straight upwards by its thorax, it will respond as though it is falling and for several seconds will become immobile, with splayed legs.
This is a useful technique for moving an irritable tarantula into a new tank.
Many climbers are carnivores and may use their hunting adaptations to defend themselves, but humans are usually too big to feel much pain from
this. People commonly believe that they are in agony after, for example, a giant mantis has dug its leg-barbs into their fingers; compare such an
injury with the lacerations inflicted by a playful kitten, and it will seem laughable. It is fear that magnifies a leg-barb chafe into pain. (It is
nontheless worth remembering that carnivores have fast reflexes.)
It is usually best to handle a parasitic climber as you would an ambler (above), and a carnivorous climber as a scurrier (see below).
Scurriers.
These scurry about quickly; the smaller they are, the faster they scurry. They are tricky to hold, as they'll run away at the first opportunity.
Silverfish and house centipedes are examples of scurriers.
The glass-and-card method: this is advisable if scurriers give you the heebie-jeebies. Using a long implement, usher the scuttler onto an area of flat
terrain. When it stops moving, place a glass upside down over it, taking care not to catch its limbs under the rim. Slide a thin, stiff card under the
glass to trap the scurrier inside. The trick is to shove the card under the side of the glass furthest from the scurrier, then pause when you reach the
scurrier and wait for it to step onto the card before shoving further. (If your scurrier is on a wall, you will by now have realised that it's best to have
your card in one hand when positioning the glass: a serious phobic with no card could be leaning against the glass for days.) With the card in
position, the glass can now be tipped right-way-up and carried outside, where you can lie it on the ground and sprint back indoors before the
scurrier realises it is free.
Hand-cupping: cup a hand palm-downward in front of your scurrier, leaving a narrow gap; it will hide in the darkness beneath. Then lift one edge
of your hand to let more light in; the scurrier should climb your hand to stay hidden, and you can cup your palms together to pick it up. This is a
useful tactic for removing spiders from bathtubs to deposit outside, and makes you look brave and heroic. It takes a little practice, however, since
placing a hand too close to them can send them fleeing.
The terrain method: if the scurrier is too large to cup in your hands, or you wish to view it, it's best to behave like terrain. When you see the
scurrier scurrying, place a hand flat in front of it (palm-up for manoevrability) and allow it to step onto you. Once most of its legs are on your
palm, you can keep positioning your hands in front of each other, so that the scurrier doesn't have to break its pace. This method is easier but
scarier than hand-cupping; do not use it if either the scurrier or you are frightened, as dropping it could fatally injure it.
FLIERS
By fliers I mean, of course, flying arthropods. Their first defense strategy is always to fly away. The trick to handling them is to remove the stimuli
which make them take to the air. Wings are fragile precision instruments, so it is best to avoid touching them.
Gauzy wings.
Some fliers have transparent wings, criss-crossed with veins. Their reflexes are much faster than those of humans: their eyes pick up quicker
movements than the human eye can perceive, and their sensitive body hairs detect air tremors from approaching objects. Bees, mosquitoes and
dragonflies sre gauzy-winged fliers.
Their vision does have its disadvantages: there is no depth perception (to differentiate between 'small' and 'far away'). Their sight cannot be
adjusted for different light levels and, since light enables them to navigate, they will immediately drop from the air if you switch the light off.
If want out of room, waft towards brighter room, or towards food smell. Attracted to light, upwards, NH2, cheesy feet, pheromones & food. No
depth perception: catch flies by shrinking hand diameter on approach. Easily crushed. Pooters help. Net bags for flies bred in labs.
Wing-cases.
Beetles and bugs possess tough wing cases, to protect their wings at rest. They enable them to crawl about in undergrowth and other places where
most fliers fear to tread. In taking to the air, they must ensure that they won't become entangled in anything; they therefore avoid taking off until
they are at the apex of something. A beetle or bug on your hand will climb to the tips of your fingers to take off. If you keep placing your hands one
above the other, the flier will crawl upwards indefinitely, and you may hold it for as long as you like.
A beetle or bug will never take to the air without first unfolding and aligning its wings. If you see one opening its wing cases, you will know it is
preparing for take-off. To prevent this, simply turn your hand so that the flier's head is pointing towards the ground. It will fold its wings back up.
Some wing-cased fliers have evolved into ground-dwellers. Their wings are tiny and useless. These creatures habitually crawl downwards rather
than upwards when threatened, but the same principles for handling them apply.
Defense strategies. Phobics.
Lepidoptera.
Butterflies and moths are lepidoptera. Their big, delicate wings are covered in scales so tiny they resemble a fine dust. The angles of these
reflective scales give the wings their colouring. The slightest touch from a finger can brush patches of these scales off. There is a myth that
removing the scales removes a butterfly's ability to fly, as with a bird's wing-feathers. Lepidoptera can fly with very torn and damaged wings.
Damage to their wings reduces their life expectancy by reducing their ability to deter predators with warning patterns. It may also prevent
recognition by prospective mates.
Attracted to colour and light. Moth-lights & nets.
MISCELLANEOUS
Hoppers.
grasshoppers, fleas.
Swimmers, waders.
Crustaceans,larvae.
Crustaceans can't usually reach over their backs (except spider crabs, keen back-gardeners). Side-to-side pincer hinges; wrists bend down a bit.
Hold crabs by back end of shell, lobsters etc by thorax.
Pondskaters etc.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Open blood systems; blood won't clot. Arthropods are haemophiliacs. Big ones fall hard: abdomens can split. Legs & antenna brittle &
accident-prone; will regrow. Chop off a cockroach's head & it'll starve to death (ganglia). Most painful bites. Check direction they walk in: tells
you a lot. Foot hooks catch on things. Scary noises to intimidate predators such as yourself (cockchafers, bees, etc.)
COMMON MYTHS
They attack humans for no reason.
This myth usually concerns wasps and spiders. It is brought about by the fact that many people don't understand what has provoked them. An
arthropod can't afford to waste its energy by attacking enormous giants at random. Its responses are arranged such that it will attack only when
stimulated to do so.
It's best to pick 'em up by a leg.
Some people don't mind picking up arthropods so long as they don't have to come into close contact with them; these people will pick arthropods
up by their legs, wings or antennae. These appendages are brittle, and will snap easily if used as carrying-handles. It is better to allow the creature
to behave as it would in its usual habitat.
Pincers are dangerous.
Some arthropods possess pincers, at the ends of their limbs or abdomens. These are considered dangerous and painful, but not all of them are.
Crustaceans, such as crabs and lobsters, can give painful nips and, in some cases, break fingers; but in general, pincers are too small to cause any
damage (those of earwigs and scorpions being points in case). Pincers might look like weapons, but many are reserved for activities such as mating
and grazing.
Squeeze 'em hard, or they'll get away.
Certain arthropods, such as fleas and cockroaches, cope well with this treatment; but most are likely to die. Picking them up with tongs has a
similar effect, as it is hard to gauge the pressure correctly.
They'll burrow into your flesh.
Some things do burrow into your flesh. But they are not arthropods.
Certain flies, particularly in Africa, lay eggs beneath the skin, and ticks bury their microscopic heads in the skin. These arthropods are unlikely to
try such activities if they are being handled: they are slow affairs, and can be prevented by disturbing the arthropod.
Introduction
Crawlers
Fliers
Miscellaneous
Things to watch out for
Common mistakes
Disclaimer
INTRODUCTION
Your basic arthropod has an exoskeleton and several jointed legs. Many arthropods start out as larvae (grubs) and metamorphose into their adult
form when the conditions are right. Insects and crabs are examples of arthropods; snails and worms aren't.
How you handle your arthropod depends upon three basic considerations:
Your reason for handling it;
Its adaptations;
The degree of terror with which you and the arthropod view each other.
An arthropod has a range of automatic responses, making its behaviour easy to predict. Faced with a threat, it will first try to escape; if escape
fails, it may resort to scaring-off behaviour from its repertoire; otherwise, it will try to defend itself. When an arthropod perceives you as a refuge
or terrain, handling it becomes simple. This is achieved by considering the habitat to which your arthropod has adapted.
CRAWLERS
By 'crawlers' I mean arthropods that don't fly, jump or swim. Their reflexes are rarely faster than a human's, so they are easy to catch. Since they
spend their time crawling about on surfaces, dark spaces are important points of refuge for them. Handling methods for them fall into the
following categories.
Amblers.
Amblers are the most helpless and worst at running away. If they have legs at all, they are very slow ones. The larval stages of many arthropods
are amblers: caterpillars and maggots, for example. Stick insects are also amblers, as their camouflage negates their need to run anywhere.
The defense mechanisms of amblers consist of squirming, writhing, posturing and falling. They can be picked up (gently) between thumb and
forefinger. If placed on the palm of the hand, they will proceed to amble across it.
It is worth noting that certain people are prone to allergic rashes after handling some of the hairier amblers; gloves are useful in these cases.
Wearing gloves may also serve as a preventative measure for those inclined to fling amblers across the room the moment they move.
Diggers.
Arthropods such as antlions and mole crickets are adapted primarily for digging, so if you pick them up, their attempts to escape from you will
entail ineffectual burrowing movements against the palm of your hand. It is rare to find these creatures above the surface, so if you know the
underground location of one (eg. at the base of an antlion's conical dimple), it's best to dig it up swiftly along with the surrounding substrate, then
carefully spread the substrate over a resilient surface (your hand will do) to expose the digger. Many diggers are of the ambling persuasion, and
phobics may find gloves a suitable form of protection against (flinging) them.
Climbers.
Most arthropods can climb, but for some it is a way of life. Spiders and mantises are accomplished climbers.
Many climbers are parasites, with a propensity for hanging on grimly if you try to pick them up. Such an adaptation helps them to avoid falling, a
common danger to climbers, all of which have adapted in one way or another to this possibility. Many climbers are small enough to fall great
heights without injury. A large climber (such as a tarantula) is fragile and, if it falls, it will splay its legs to try to cushion the impact. If you lift a
large climber straight upwards by its thorax, it will respond as though it is falling and for several seconds will become immobile, with splayed legs.
This is a useful technique for moving an irritable tarantula into a new tank.
Many climbers are carnivores and may use their hunting adaptations to defend themselves, but humans are usually too big to feel much pain from
this. People commonly believe that they are in agony after, for example, a giant mantis has dug its leg-barbs into their fingers; compare such an
injury with the lacerations inflicted by a playful kitten, and it will seem laughable. It is fear that magnifies a leg-barb chafe into pain. (It is
nontheless worth remembering that carnivores have fast reflexes.)
It is usually best to handle a parasitic climber as you would an ambler (above), and a carnivorous climber as a scurrier (see below).
Scurriers.
These scurry about quickly; the smaller they are, the faster they scurry. They are tricky to hold, as they'll run away at the first opportunity.
Silverfish and house centipedes are examples of scurriers.
The glass-and-card method: this is advisable if scurriers give you the heebie-jeebies. Using a long implement, usher the scuttler onto an area of flat
terrain. When it stops moving, place a glass upside down over it, taking care not to catch its limbs under the rim. Slide a thin, stiff card under the
glass to trap the scurrier inside. The trick is to shove the card under the side of the glass furthest from the scurrier, then pause when you reach the
scurrier and wait for it to step onto the card before shoving further. (If your scurrier is on a wall, you will by now have realised that it's best to have
your card in one hand when positioning the glass: a serious phobic with no card could be leaning against the glass for days.) With the card in
position, the glass can now be tipped right-way-up and carried outside, where you can lie it on the ground and sprint back indoors before the
scurrier realises it is free.
Hand-cupping: cup a hand palm-downward in front of your scurrier, leaving a narrow gap; it will hide in the darkness beneath. Then lift one edge
of your hand to let more light in; the scurrier should climb your hand to stay hidden, and you can cup your palms together to pick it up. This is a
useful tactic for removing spiders from bathtubs to deposit outside, and makes you look brave and heroic. It takes a little practice, however, since
placing a hand too close to them can send them fleeing.
The terrain method: if the scurrier is too large to cup in your hands, or you wish to view it, it's best to behave like terrain. When you see the
scurrier scurrying, place a hand flat in front of it (palm-up for manoevrability) and allow it to step onto you. Once most of its legs are on your
palm, you can keep positioning your hands in front of each other, so that the scurrier doesn't have to break its pace. This method is easier but
scarier than hand-cupping; do not use it if either the scurrier or you are frightened, as dropping it could fatally injure it.
FLIERS
By fliers I mean, of course, flying arthropods. Their first defense strategy is always to fly away. The trick to handling them is to remove the stimuli
which make them take to the air. Wings are fragile precision instruments, so it is best to avoid touching them.
Gauzy wings.
Some fliers have transparent wings, criss-crossed with veins. Their reflexes are much faster than those of humans: their eyes pick up quicker
movements than the human eye can perceive, and their sensitive body hairs detect air tremors from approaching objects. Bees, mosquitoes and
dragonflies sre gauzy-winged fliers.
Their vision does have its disadvantages: there is no depth perception (to differentiate between 'small' and 'far away'). Their sight cannot be
adjusted for different light levels and, since light enables them to navigate, they will immediately drop from the air if you switch the light off.
If want out of room, waft towards brighter room, or towards food smell. Attracted to light, upwards, NH2, cheesy feet, pheromones & food. No
depth perception: catch flies by shrinking hand diameter on approach. Easily crushed. Pooters help. Net bags for flies bred in labs.
Wing-cases.
Beetles and bugs possess tough wing cases, to protect their wings at rest. They enable them to crawl about in undergrowth and other places where
most fliers fear to tread. In taking to the air, they must ensure that they won't become entangled in anything; they therefore avoid taking off until
they are at the apex of something. A beetle or bug on your hand will climb to the tips of your fingers to take off. If you keep placing your hands one
above the other, the flier will crawl upwards indefinitely, and you may hold it for as long as you like.
A beetle or bug will never take to the air without first unfolding and aligning its wings. If you see one opening its wing cases, you will know it is
preparing for take-off. To prevent this, simply turn your hand so that the flier's head is pointing towards the ground. It will fold its wings back up.
Some wing-cased fliers have evolved into ground-dwellers. Their wings are tiny and useless. These creatures habitually crawl downwards rather
than upwards when threatened, but the same principles for handling them apply.
Defense strategies. Phobics.
Lepidoptera.
Butterflies and moths are lepidoptera. Their big, delicate wings are covered in scales so tiny they resemble a fine dust. The angles of these
reflective scales give the wings their colouring. The slightest touch from a finger can brush patches of these scales off. There is a myth that
removing the scales removes a butterfly's ability to fly, as with a bird's wing-feathers. Lepidoptera can fly with very torn and damaged wings.
Damage to their wings reduces their life expectancy by reducing their ability to deter predators with warning patterns. It may also prevent
recognition by prospective mates.
Attracted to colour and light. Moth-lights & nets.
MISCELLANEOUS
Hoppers.
grasshoppers, fleas.
Swimmers, waders.
Crustaceans,larvae.
Crustaceans can't usually reach over their backs (except spider crabs, keen back-gardeners). Side-to-side pincer hinges; wrists bend down a bit.
Hold crabs by back end of shell, lobsters etc by thorax.
Pondskaters etc.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Open blood systems; blood won't clot. Arthropods are haemophiliacs. Big ones fall hard: abdomens can split. Legs & antenna brittle &
accident-prone; will regrow. Chop off a cockroach's head & it'll starve to death (ganglia). Most painful bites. Check direction they walk in: tells
you a lot. Foot hooks catch on things. Scary noises to intimidate predators such as yourself (cockchafers, bees, etc.)
COMMON MYTHS
They attack humans for no reason.
This myth usually concerns wasps and spiders. It is brought about by the fact that many people don't understand what has provoked them. An
arthropod can't afford to waste its energy by attacking enormous giants at random. Its responses are arranged such that it will attack only when
stimulated to do so.
It's best to pick 'em up by a leg.
Some people don't mind picking up arthropods so long as they don't have to come into close contact with them; these people will pick arthropods
up by their legs, wings or antennae. These appendages are brittle, and will snap easily if used as carrying-handles. It is better to allow the creature
to behave as it would in its usual habitat.
Pincers are dangerous.
Some arthropods possess pincers, at the ends of their limbs or abdomens. These are considered dangerous and painful, but not all of them are.
Crustaceans, such as crabs and lobsters, can give painful nips and, in some cases, break fingers; but in general, pincers are too small to cause any
damage (those of earwigs and scorpions being points in case). Pincers might look like weapons, but many are reserved for activities such as mating
and grazing.
Squeeze 'em hard, or they'll get away.
Certain arthropods, such as fleas and cockroaches, cope well with this treatment; but most are likely to die. Picking them up with tongs has a
similar effect, as it is hard to gauge the pressure correctly.
They'll burrow into your flesh.
Some things do burrow into your flesh. But they are not arthropods.
Certain flies, particularly in Africa, lay eggs beneath the skin, and ticks bury their microscopic heads in the skin. These arthropods are unlikely to
try such activities if they are being handled: they are slow affairs, and can be prevented by disturbing the arthropod.
