Deon wrote: ... I'd like to run a suggestion by you. If you put cream on your hands and face before working with your T's, the bristles should attach to the cream and not your skin. You can then just wash your hands and face normally after the chores. It could be normal hand cream or even sunblock etc. This way you don't need to dress for the occasion.

I'm thinking the bristles would normally attach to any slightly sticky or sweaty surface or bends etc and the cream could just keep it off your skin for the time it takes to finish working with them. A soap like dettol hand wash should then easily get rid of the cream and hairs and disinfect any left over bristles or chemicals microscopically left behind.

Jake (or anybody else) should try this and report back to us. JUST USE THIS SAME THREAD SO WE HAVE AN ASSOCIATED HISTORY.


I just love when enthusiasts experiment gently with their little 8-legged buddies. Virtually everything we know about them came from such little experiments.

It would have to be someone who has issues with the urticating bristles, because they have no effect on me at all ...... not yet anyway.

Stanley A. Schultz wrote:

Deon wrote: ... I'd like to run a suggestion by you. If you put cream on your hands and face before working with your T's,

Jake (or anybody else) should try this and report back to us. JUST USE THIS SAME THREAD SO WE HAVE AN ASSOCIATED HISTORY.

That one excuse for a man with spiders to use cream and get away with it. .

Thanks for the suggestion Deon.
Uncle Stan, just the mention of my name has made me take up this challenge into the research phase.
I have the "cream" run set for later today.

I'll tell you my method for avoiding urticating hairs. I have found that the less I interact with a T, the more likely it is to flick me when I do have to interact with it eventually. With this in mind, if I suspect I'm going to get flicked I first make sure I am not sweaty and dry myself off nicely with a towel (might even be worth spreading some baby powder over your arms), I then use a long enough blunt plastic rod to initially start the interaction with my T thereby minimising the risk of getting the hairs on my skin. If it does flick at the first touch, I'm always ready to very gently keep a long breath blowing the hairs away from myself and also blow the hairs off the affected area instead of physically touching them.
Worst case scenario when I do occasionally get flicked, I use a towel to gently rub as many of the hairs of the affected area (at the same time drying the area) and make a conscious effort to not touch the area not matter how itchy it gets. I have found these steps to keep me from having any issues with urticating hairs.
My son still claims that rubbing peatmoss over the affected area helps but I don't really know if that helps. I still want to try using packaging or duct tape to remove them as well.....

That one excuse for a man with spiders to use cream and get away with it. .

Eish Jake, didn't think of that angle :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Taki's suggestion also considered, but my whole idea with the cream thing is to keep the bristles away from your skin completely. If it doesn't touch or penetrate your skin in the first place, it cannot irritate or cause a reaction. The experts believe it has a chemical agent, but they are so minute, it has not been proven. Therefor a simple cream would trap the bristles and a simple hand and face wash afterward will remove the cream containing the bristles.

Holding thumbs Jake and hey, if it makes you look younger, what have you got to loose? My wife is always on my case to put cream on my elbows, knees etc, where it bothers her, not me. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Ok, where to begin, That was insane and I'm so damn itchy/burning and frustrated it is not funny, Started at 20:50 and finished just after 21:30 as I could not handle much more of the burning that had started.

So let me say this, my first thought of the cream when I read about the suggestion, was it seemed like a good Idea and it could work as a protective layer but some thoughts off the bat.
How thick would you have to spread it just to get a nice layer?
What cream would one have to use a moisturizer or a protective oily cream?
Is it easy to wash off?
How long would it remain on one's skin before it got sucked in and stop being a protective layer.
Will it end up keeping the hairs on one’s body (yes) and when washing it off you would need to make sure you scrap or wash it off in one motion as the hairs might and can still find a place to attach.

So those were some of the thoughts I had before I tried the suggested method.
Ok, and the big one, In future the person who suggests the idea must be the one who gives it a try. : deal stir.

So, as I stated above I gave the cream suggestion a go and I must say I kind of regret it now.
My skin feels like it is on fire and feels like I have nasty sunburn, I still have this lingering itching feeling that still needs to be scratched, still itching today! :eyepoke:

I started by applying cream on the right side of my face and neck to just behind my ear and left side no cream.

(as per the norm I took photo's, well not his one, not happy with the "photographers" just take and get out response, I tried to look like a sexy model with that cream on your face look, did not come out like that topicsucks :igiveup: )



I then applied cream on the left arm, from the start of my elbow to my wrist and my right arm cream free.

(sorry for quality I took photo with cream on my face so I just aimed and took the picture you get the idea though :S )



I then went and started with my first spider.
I went about it like I had "nothing" to worry about as the cream was meant to be a protective solution and I was testing it out.

I went through 16 spiders, ranging from 12cm and up, from Brachypelma to Lasiodora all heavy flickers and potent bristles (I think the Lasiodora was the nail in the bucket)
I even took some hairs from the back of the one spider that had flicked and dropped it over the arm with cream. (I know right, that was not the sharpest moment, who does that? Wait a moment, a guy that trusts the cream will save him shocked )

I did not take down the exact order of reactions I got as it all just happened pretty fast, but I started to itch on my right side of my neck (cream applied)
Then on my right arm, inside my elbow and forearm (cream applied)
Then back of my neck left and right side, my left arm, under my nose, my left wrist.
Then on my right forearm and chest.
I closed the last spider put the container away and went directly into the bathroom to figure out a plan of action.
I took a plastic thingamabob and scraped the cream off my left arm which gave me such relief it was not funny, I actually gave a sigh of relief, but then IT came back with kick, I then got antibacterial soap and washed all affected areas and took my shirt and wiped all affected areas with a downward sweeping motion. I then proceeded to wash again and then got into the shower and proceeded to have a coldish shower as that gave me some relief from the burning.
The question comes up, what cream to use, My girlfriend suggested I use Vaseline the next time (not going to be a next time for me) as that would build more of off a protective layer than any of the other creams, we both agree that one needs an oily layer.

What I have experienced using cream.

It is messy.
My fear was correct; the areas that had cream were affected worse and are the areas that still have the burning feeling.
When Appling the cream you first have to go wash your hands before you start with your spiders.
You also have to watch what you do as you have cream everywhere.

I‘m just waiting for my suit to arrive, but I would rather take 20mins to get dressed in hazemate suit, with full gas mask than smear myself with cream or baby powder for that matter of fact.

Taki,I remember you told me about your sons method with peat, I did give it a try after I had the shower and the burning did not go away , it did help on my forearm, and a bit on my neck.
But again, it is messy and I used a far amount of peat.

(I took picture)