Black widow assistance

[SpidderMom]

About a week ago, I adopted a black widow and her egg sac from our yard. Started off that I was just going to move her out of the way, but my boyfriend mentioned keeping her as a pet and I've been learning a bit about them on line. Any tips would be most welcome.

My current concern at the moment...I haven't separated her from her egg sac yet...I'm not sure if I really want to raise the babies or just find a wooded spot to release them in. However, at night, it seems that my gal is sticking her fangs into the sac. I don't know if this is some sort of protective measure, or if she is somehow feeding on her young even though they have not hatched. I know that the young cannabalize and maybe even Momma, so I was hoping for some suggestions...If she's feeding on them, should I just let her? Any other thoughts?

Thanks!

Tanya

 

[The Snark]

Hugging the sack is protective. But getting knocked and banged around, she may eat the sack, or abandon it. Abort the pregnancy so to speak. They decide the environment is too hostile to raise young. Separating egg sacks from mom may also lead to a dud sack.
They will not cannibalize mom nor present a hazard to her until near the final molt. Likewise she will ignore them. You need to decide what you want and are prepared for. Several hundred micro widows might be about to enter your life and home and they are almost impossible to contain.

 

[Python]

I've raised many Latros and I've never lost a sac. If I were you, I'd stick mom in a one gallon container with some sticks that she can anchor to. Throw in a cricket once a week or so and put the sac outside. She'll lay another sac in a couple weeks anyway. If you want to keep the sacs and raise a few, pull the sac and put it in another container and let them do what they do till you have a more comfortable number. Rinse and repeat. She'll lay a sac every couple weeks pretty much from now on.