breeding black widows need tips

[bhamgreg]

I found a fairly massive colony near the house of both male and female black widows and wanna try breeding them for giggles. any advice?

 

[HcUnderoath]

your from AL thats awesome im not familiar with irondale what big city is that near? im about 30 mins from Huntsville,

tips on breeding black widows, dont get bit.. ha
the only non tarantula related breeding ive done was with jumping spiders

 

[bhamgreg]

Just east of Birmingham

 

[Widowman10]

I found a fairly massive colony near the house of both male and female black widows and wanna try breeding them for giggles. any advice?

i would bet you $100 that any female of breedable size is already gravid. especially since you are finding tons of males around. buuuut, if you get a juvie, wait til it molts to maturity, then the only tip i will give is: put the male with the female. easy as that. he will do his business quickly and effectively. easy as eating pie IMO. enjoy your widows.

 

[bhamgreg]

cool there were a lot of egg sacs around but not in her particular web. I guess i'll go catch a male tomarrow.

Shes a very pretty specimen I wish I could get a good pic of her.

 

[Moltar]

It's reeeeeal easy.
1- Catch a mature female, she's almost certainly gravid already.
2- Put her in a jar.
3- Feed her, she'll give you a sac after a big meal.
4- Remove the sac when it starts to darken.
5- Feed her again.
6- Remove another sac
7- Feed her again
8- Remove another sac... see the pattern?

 

[bhamgreg]

LOL I have had her abotu a week and a half with no sac yet but we shall see. I'll go collect a male from the "colony" just in case.

 

[Widowman10]

LOL I have had her abotu a week and a half with no sac yet but we shall see. I'll go collect a male from the "colony" just in case.

she'll pop one out soon enough, don't worry

 

[bhamgreg]

I got her a lovely boyfriend this afternoon just in case. So now i play the waiting game

The pics arent great I still havent figured out all my cameras features and gotten the lighting right but here she is.

I'm working on a little bit better enclosure for her now. what about humidity levels? should i mist her occasionally? same for care of the eggsacs when they come.

 

[eminart]

Cool. I'm also in huntsville. I have quite a few of widows out in my shed. They've probably disappeared now that it's gotten cooler though.

 

[bhamgreg]

ya i was afraid i wasn't gonna find a good male specimen since it got cold. but sure enough a few of the spiders form the colony were still hanging out in the open.

 

[Widowman10]

They've probably disappeared now that it's gotten cooler though.

i doubt it. found them catching and eating prey before at 35F

 

[bhamgreg]

They are definantly hearty lil spiders. He have had near freezing weather for a couple nights and they were still out chillin in there webs were i found them. caught a male for my female. May go back and collect a few more specimens.

 

[SilentWidowMaker]

Does anyone know if specifically pairing the widows during their breeding season is the only way to breed them or can I pair some up in fall time?