Agatha - Steatoda Triangulosa

[goaethic]

This is Agatha. I've had her since early November, which is when I caught her from outside. Originally, she was in a mason jar, but tonight she was moved into a slightly larger container for my ease of cleaning and feeding her.
Right now, she is unhappy.

Tips for care are welcome and encouraged!

Question: Her abdomen has gotten fairly bigger since I've caught her, I believe, and I'm unsure if that is good or if she's being overfed. I don't feed her every day, so I'm hoping it just means she's well-fed compared to how little she ate while outside.

 

[CRX]

My little experience with web building spiders like that, is that they like to web around the top of the enclosure. If you have an opening lid on the top, this is gonna disrupt the web every time you open it. Its best to find some way to access it from the side.

 

[Jumping Spider Fanatic06]

My suggestion would be to cut a hole in the bottom of the enclosure and cover it with mesh. Then simply turn the enclosure upside down, so your spider can build its web, uninterrupted. To access the enclosure simply open the bottom. I find this works with most of the small spiders I have kept; jumping spiders, thorn spiders, orb spiders, crab spiders etc. I hope this will help you.

 

[darkness975]

You can also use a tall enough container and keep the decor in the bottom half to discourage building further up. Yours is very short and the design inside is set to have the whole thing webbed.
You don't need 20 sticks either. 3 or 4 arranged strategically will suffice.
Also, their abdomens often do expand in captivity because people tend to feed them more.

 

[goaethic]

My suggestion would be to cut a hole in the bottom of the enclosure and cover it with mesh. Then simply turn the enclosure upside down, so your spider can build its web, uninterrupted. To access the enclosure simply open the bottom. I find this works with most of the small spiders I have kept; jumping spiders, thorn spiders, orb spiders, crab spiders etc. I hope this will help you.

How would I make sure her anchors and web don't just tumble and disrupt if I have to open from the bottom or turn her upside down to open it?

 

[Jumping Spider Fanatic06]

How would I make sure her anchors and web don't just tumble and disrupt if I have to open from the bottom or turn her upside down to open it?

This generally works when the container is quite tall, meaning they are less likely to anchor onto the bottom. Also, I usually only open these set ups to feed the spiders/ mist the enclosure.
To Mist: Remove the lid and mist with a spray bottle facing up, so the enclosure is misted. Make sure the bottle is far enough away to not cause droplets that are big enough to drown your spider. Then put the bottom back on and you're done.
To feed: I just hold the enclosure in an upright position, before removing the lid and replacing it quickly with another one. I then place the food item onto the old lid and remove the new one, then replace it with the old one. I hope this makes sense, if not, feel free to tell me. If this option doesn't work for you, what CRX suggested will work fine.

 

[darkness975]

How would I make sure her anchors and web don't just tumble and disrupt if I have to open from the bottom or turn her upside down to open it?

If you get a tall enough container like the ones I use then you can just open it like normal and drop a prey item in or mist without disrupting the web.
Occasionally the stray thread will end uo attached to the lid but it's not common when there is that much space.

 

[goaethic]

If you get a tall enough container like the ones I use then you can just open it like normal and drop a prey item in or mist without disrupting the web.
Occasionally the stray thread will end uo attached to the lid but it's not common when there is that much space.

What about cleaning? When they drop their finished prey onto the floor of their enclosure or there's a build-up of spood-poo?

 

[darkness975]

What about cleaning? When they drop their finished prey onto the floor of their enclosure or there's a build-up of spood-poo?

I use long handled tweezers to pull out prey remains.