For Belle Ann Elementary teacher Kay Moreau, what started out catching a few small spiders to demonstrate the fine art of web building to her first grade students, has produced a rather large hairy classmate.
‘A few years ago, John Sherman, a custodian at the school, noticed that I was hunting spiders around school and asked if I wanted his son’s pet tarantula,? said Moreau, a district teacher for the past 28 years. ‘At first, I kept saying no, but I finally decided to take the tarantula’only on a trial basis. That was about four years ago’it’s been here ever since.?
Although uncertain of the species, Moreau says the Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula, is nocturnal and quite shy. Rose Hairs are venomous, even if only slightly so.
Most humans suffer no systemic effects from a Rose Hair bite, instead experiencing localized pain, itching, and burning. Unfortunately, every person will react differently, say experts.
‘I catch crickets for it to eat, and, for the most part, it’s been really no problem’the students never handle it. The bite is similar to a bee sting’but so far no one has been bit.
‘I still hate spiders, but at least now I can shoo it into a box so I can clean the pen,? laughs Moreau. ‘When parents come into the classroom for conferences, they typically sit on the other side of the room from the tarantula.?