BUGGY VENDOR REVIEW: Fear Not Tarantulas

I got my first tarantula in 1977 and I have been hooked since. Over the years I have purchased my tarantulas from various sources; at reptile shows, from pet stores and online. Though I have known of Fear Not Tarantulas for a while now, I only placed my first order with them recently.

Thanks to Tom’s Big Spiders, I have become even more excited about tarantulas than usual recently. Thanks to Tom I started a Monocentropus balfouri communal enclosure and with his high praises of Fear Not Tarantulas, I decided to give them a try.

Let me start by saying that they have a huge selection. For me, this makes choosing very difficult. Since they offer different freebies, based on how much you spend, I decided to work backwards and choose what freebie I wanted, and then ordering based on that price point.

For a freebie I chose Aphonopelma seemanni, the Costa Rican Zebra. I have always been a fan of this species and since I hadn’t had one in a while, I chose it to start my order. I have always had a running wish list so went to that first and chose four more tarantulas for my order.

Next up was one new to the hobby, Aphonopelma sp. diamondback. From the first time I saw this I knew I had to add it to my Aphonopelma collection. To see a species that looks like the back end of one species was grafted onto the front end of another was very attractive to me.

Next up was a species from another favorite genus, Grammostola. Over the years I have come to appreciate these spiders more and more and have always had good luck with them. Grammostola actaeon, the Brazilian Red Rump Tarantula, is one I always wanted and never got. This was a great opportunity.

One species that I had had for almost 15 years was Lasiodorides striatus, the Peruvian Orange-Stripe Tarantula. This hardy species was one that hit me hard when she passed away and it seems like it has only been the last year or so where they became available again.

The last species I grabbed was one I have never had but also always wanted, Megaphobema robustum, the Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula. Though they always seem available, it is one species that I kept putting on the backburner. Let me add that I was very excited for this shipment.

Now keep in mind that the pictures I am using are of adults and not the actual tarantulas that I received. These were all sent as spiderlings, which I prefer. They are much cheaper, and it is cool to see how they grow and develop. So, the order was placed. I immediately received an order confirmation and a “what to expect next” email. Though I have purchased spiderlings through the mail countless times, this extra e-mail, to me, showed how much Fear Not Tarantulas cares about their animals.

As a tarantula keeper you want your spiders as soon as possible after ordering. One thing I did appreciate though was that Fear Not checked the weather in my area and delayed shipping, to make sure my new babies got here safe and sound. Some companies will take the risk and ship regardless which may give you the instant gratification you crave but also means you may end up with dead spiders.

The next thing I appreciated is that they shipped my order directly to the local FedEx. This helps to guarantee live delivery as well. If it was shipped to my home and left on the porch in the cold weather, the spiders could still be greatly impacted.

Next up is the packing. The five spiders arrived packed into an insulated Styrofoam box within a FedEx box. Not only were the containers nicely packed to avoid movement within the box, but the spiders were also beautifully packaged safely in their individual containers. Not one of my new babies seemed stressed in any way, which is a great feeling. In fact, every one of them ate after being put in their new enclosures.

Everything Fear Not Tarantulas did was right. Not once during the entire transaction did I worry. Their professionalism from day one was very much appreciated and when they followed up to make sure everyone arrived safely, it made me more confident in ordering from them in the future.

~David Albaugh