Black Widow and Superworms?

[LiathLucidity]

I just want to know if someone could tell me if superworms are too big of a meal for a western black widow. I know widows are gluttonous eaters and will eat herself to death if given too much to eat at once, so I usually give her one small feeding cricket every weekend or a large cricket every other weekend. But the pet stores around here are completely out of crickets so I got the only other option available, superworms; figuring if Willow(the spider) couldn't eat them I know my mice will. But after getting one in her holder, she's having a hard time catching it and seeing them side by side I'm worried it may be too big.
I attached a small video clip of her trying to web it for relative size reference(best angle I could get), and show how it jus slips out again. It's currently holed up in a spot that Willow can't reach and letting it stay there for now until I know for sure.

 

[Ferrachi]

It does look a little big but I'd be more worried of that super worm biting Willow

 

[BoyFromLA]

You can always cut it in a half.

 

[LiathLucidity]

You can always cut it in a half.

I can? I considered that, but didn't know if she'd be interested in it if it was already dead; assuming it'd die before she got to it. I'll do that, thanks!

 

[LiathLucidity]

It does look a little big but I'd be more worried of that super worm biting Willow

I wasn't sure whether or not they bite though when trying to pick it up I kept reflexively dropping it when it twisted in my fingers like an earwig thinking it was going to bite me. I should listen to my instincts xD she did seem to make a point to avoid going near it's head, even as it was trying to escape.

 

[Arachnoenthusiast]

Crush the head to prevent it biting

 

[Ferrachi]

I wasn't sure whether or not they bite though when trying to pick it up I kept reflexively dropping it when it twisted in my fingers like an earwig thinking it was going to bite me. I should listen to my instincts xD she did seem to make a point to avoid going near it's head, even as it was trying to escape.

Oh yeah... they bite !

 

[dangerforceidle]

Your widow will be fine with superworms. They are very cautious and will have wrapped the prey quite a bit before going for the bite.

There are images of widow spiders eating snakes and lizards much larger than a superworm, and much more capable of biting.

 

[rusted180]

i feed mine meal worms all the time. never tried super worms tho...

For mine, she just kills the meal worm and i see her feasting on the worm and then drops in on the floor the next day half eaten. hope that helps

 

[maskedbandit]

Does earthworms work for black widows I wanted to know

 

[Reluctant Widow Mother]

Your widow will be fine with superworms. They are very cautious and will have wrapped the prey quite a bit before going for the bite.

There are images of widow spiders eating snakes and lizards much larger than a superworm, and much more capable of biting.

Well, a snakefly that was pupating in the bamboo in my widow's enclosure emerged and took her leg off. Maybe it was the elongated thorax that allowed it to reach her? Regardless, the leg never grew back, even after a couple of molts. Can widow spiders regenerate legs? Maybe only very young ones can? I dunno.

 

[Wolf135]

Probably not, me and my brothers would feed wild black widows grass hoppers and lizards and the black widows won every time.

 

[darkness975]

I just want to know if someone could tell me if superworms are too big of a meal for a western black widow. I know widows are gluttonous eaters and will eat herself to death if given too much to eat at once, so I usually give her one small feeding cricket every weekend or a large cricket every other weekend. But the pet stores around here are completely out of crickets so I got the only other option available, superworms; figuring if Willow(the spider) couldn't eat them I know my mice will. But after getting one in her holder, she's having a hard time catching it and seeing them side by side I'm worried it may be too big.
I attached a small video clip of her trying to web it for relative size reference(best angle I could get), and show how it jus slips out again. It's currently holed up in a spot that Willow can't reach and letting it stay there for now until I know for sure.

Regular meal worms are better as they are smaller.

 

[darkness975]

Does earthworms work for black widows I wanted to know

Just feed it meal worms.

 

[Reluctant Widow Mother]

Probably not, me and my brothers would feed wild black widows grass hoppers and lizards and the black widows won every time.

I have video of a wild black widow taking down a HUGE katydid. I re-watched it last night. The widow was fully aware of how large her prey item was. She stayed far away from it, then swung toward it while pulling a strand of silk out of her spinnerets with a back leg. When she was closest to the katydid, she'd tag it with the web and swing away again. It was pretty amazing. I think my pet widow just got unlucky with the snakefly. She's fine, despite everything. The missing leg isn't that noticeable.

 

[DustyD]

My personal approach is I cut the heads off of the superworm. No wondering whether i have fully incapacitated the head. They still move when touched for quite a bit.

 

[darkness975]

I have video of a wild black widow taking down a HUGE katydid. I re-watched it last night. The widow was fully aware of how large her prey item was. She stayed far away from it, then swung toward it while pulling a strand of silk out of her spinnerets with a back leg. When she was closest to the katydid, she'd tag it with the web and swing away again. It was pretty amazing. I think my pet widow just got unlucky with the snakefly. She's fine, despite everything. The missing leg isn't that noticeable.

They can take down much larger prey in the wild most of the time but those battles are never 100% in the spiders favor. There have been plenty of documented instances where the predator became the prey. For those in captivity I say it's not worth the risk. And given the pressure our native Latrodectus are under now from the invasive brown widows that are out competing them we need as many native Latrodectus to survive as we can manage.