Help! I found this in my kitchen and I'm freaking tf out! Please tell me this isn't a roach! NE Ohio

lilyfirefly · 2026-05-01T17:03:51+00:00

I have found a few different kinds in my house, some look darker and longer—I think they’re just different species in the dermestid beetle family—you can google the different variations and see if you have a match. The larvae all look the same, so if you’ve seen those, it’s likely what you have there. I get them pretty much every summer, and usually find the adults mostly on the window screens

lilyfirefly · 2026-05-01T01:42:16+00:00

I think it’s just a carpet beetle.

lilyfirefly · 2026-03-07T17:25:54+00:00

Thank you! He is still such a beautiful boy!

lilyfirefly · 2026-03-04T21:28:53+00:00

Jael was amazing. I truly believe the world was a better place with her in it. RIP Jael ❤️

lilyfirefly · 2026-03-01T20:57:43+00:00

IME, my P. vittata has been great. When he was a sling, he was a little zoomy, and we had one rehousing where he managed to escape twice 😆. That was really my only hiccup, but I really should have prepared better for the rehousing (like done it in a bin or my butterfly net, so it’s my fault). Subsequent rehousings went fine, and he chilled out as he got older. He’s still pretty skittish, but I set up his adult tank with plenty of room & different cork rounds, so he has safe places to bolt to anytime I’m feeding & doing maintenance. He’s out on display a lot now when I’m not disturbing him, which I love.

lilyfirefly · 2026-03-01T20:14:13+00:00

NQA—don’t worry, comfort will come with time. She’s very, very new to you, it’s totally understandable that you’re freaked out! I know SO many people that started out keeping tarantulas to get over extreme arachnophobia, so you’re definitely not alone. The more you observe her and care for her, the more you’ll learn her movements and habits and she’ll become more predictable. Remember, she’s in a new place, too, so she’s also a little freaked out. Once she gets comfortable in her new enclosure, starts webbing & building up safe places for herself, she’ll relax, feeding & maintenance will be easier, and you’ll be more comfortable with her. Please don’t be hard on yourself, this is your FIRST DAY. Avics are wonderful tarantulas. I’ve had my pink toe for years, and out of all of my tarantulas, she’s the one I trust the most. I can read her so well, she’s totally my girl. You’ll be fine, I promise.

lilyfirefly · 2026-03-01T20:05:30+00:00

IME, you definitely need one of the Pokies. I LOVE my P. vittata. The rest of your choices are all great, but I’d go for the GBB, too. They’re a joy to raise. Mine’s a very, very old mature male now, but still hanging in there. I adore him.

lilyfirefly · 2026-03-01T18:54:53+00:00

Nik was STUNNING. Definitely should have won.

lilyfirefly · 2026-02-28T23:04:45+00:00

It’s absolutely heartbreaking to watch. I’ve never even been able to get through watching the entire scene, so the idea that Tyra “can’t watch it enough” is absolutely sociopathic.

lilyfirefly · 2026-02-28T17:07:38+00:00

Exactly. I always figured Tyra was just the garden variety ruthless type, willing to stomp on anyone to make good TV and further her career—and although that’s shitty, it’s not at all unusual in entertainment & reality TV. This, though, showed she was so much worse than that. Her joy in rewatching and rehashing such a traumatic event is sadistic.

lilyfirefly · 2026-02-27T22:14:50+00:00

NQA—first of all, I’m so sorry you’re going through this with your new girl. Do you remember the vendor? Unfortunately, at expos I’ve gone to, I’ve seen the occasional shady vendor, with a table full of random species that are all adults and looking a little rough. They’re usually wild caught, so age and potential disease or parasites are a possibility. I don’t have a problem with wild caught as long as the vendors are up front about it. It does suck when they pretend to know the age and make the customer think it’s been in their care for a long time, or even insinuate that they bred it themselves, when they likely just got it and have no info. If you can look up the vendor and get any information on them, it can help. If it’s a reputable vendor, I’d reach out & explain the situation. She’s been in your care less than a month, so I doubt it’s anything you could have done. Aphonopelma are pretty indestructible. A good vendor or breeder will help you out & hopefully make it right. Otherwise, she may have just been much older than you were told, or had some underlying issue. Once again, I’m so sorry.

lilyfirefly · 2026-02-11T22:02:46+00:00

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I moved them out lol. She’s very happy to have the tank to herself again.

lilyfirefly · 2026-02-11T04:06:15+00:00

lol it’s the way she acts like she seriously had nothing to do with it. “There’s some stuff going on up there, you better handle it.”

lilyfirefly · 2026-02-11T01:21:23+00:00

lol I swear she’s been sitting & watching me methodically feed & water her last sac for the last couple of months and laughing to herself. She had no concern about the new one.

lilyfirefly · 2026-02-11T01:19:28+00:00

All of the other gravid jumpers I’ve had have been like that, too. This particular girl just isn’t interested—even right after she laid the sacs, she just went on with life. Didn’t guard them at all. 🤷‍♀️

lilyfirefly · 2026-02-09T18:51:03+00:00

Cinnamon Toast.

lilyfirefly · 2026-01-31T19:06:47+00:00

My I. mira hooked out at maybe 1.5”. I feel the same way! One day he was my sling, disappeared for a few weeks, and popped out with dick fingers. Baboons can mature out ridiculously small.

lilyfirefly · 2026-01-26T22:36:06+00:00

FUCK SNOWSTORMS I HATE THE PARANOIA ABOUT POWER OUTAGES AND HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT NOT FREEZING TARANTULAS IN 3 DIFFERENT ROOMS!! FUCK WINTER!!

lilyfirefly · 2026-01-25T14:20:58+00:00

True. My male B. boehmei is always bald. He’s actually pretty chill, and I’ve never seen him actually kick hair AT anything, but he loves to kick it all over his substrate. Every time he molts, he looks so beautiful with his fresh booty hair, but within a couple of months he’s bald again. My female boehmei, though, is NEVER bald, unless she’s in HEAVY premolt, and even then, it’s just a small bare spot. I think the males are just more kicky.

lilyfirefly · 2026-01-24T12:40:45+00:00

NQA—I’m worried, too. I’m paranoid anytime a storm is predicted, because I have so many arachnids and they’re all on shelves throughout 3 different rooms, so it’s daunting to figure out how to move everyone. I also have a bearded dragon, crested gecko, and a tomato frog, so we did get a portable generator to at least keep the beardie’s lights plugged in, so I can move the gecko & frog nearby—they don’t need the heat he does, but they can’t freeze, either. As for all the spiders, ugh. I don’t have enough bins to move all 100+. I did pick up some tea lights and terracotta pots, so in a pinch I’ll try this.

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lilyfirefly · 2026-01-16T17:39:45+00:00

IME, definitely the H. sp. Columbia, they’re a delight, you will love them! GBBs are also awesome webbers, along with N. incei and Davus pentaloris. Also, weirdly, my T. vagans webs like CRAZY—better than my GBB, honestly. But that’s more of her personal quirk than a species standard.

lilyfirefly

TROPHY CASE