Brown Widow spiderlings...

[Axe]

Hi guys,

So I'm currently in the process of remodelling the garage and came across some brown widows. A couple of females and a few males.

I collected the females and a couple of males, and currently have them in just regular small plastic "Kritter keepers". A male and a female in each.

The larger of the two females, was pretty huge, so I assumed she was gravid. The other female had already dropped at least one sac (as evident by all the babies I saw in the garage, heh).

The large female laid a sac last night. But now I'm not quite sure what to do.

Once the babies hatch out, I'm pretty confident that they'll easily be able to escape from through the ventilation in the kritter keeper's lid, so a few questions.

What can I move the sac into that will allow the emerging spiderlings to both breath, yet be escape-proof?

How long will it take the spiderlings to start hatching from the sac? (the sac was laid sometime during the night. It wasn't there at 3am when I checked on them, but I just checked now at 1pm, and there it was).

Once the spiderlings are starting to hatch out, what and how soon should I feed them? (crickets, mealworms, superworms, silkworms of many sizes are no problem, we have thousands of those on-hand due to all the reptiles we keep).

What's the easiest way to feed the spiderlings in a way that doesn't allow them to escape in the process?

This is my first attempt at keeping any kind of arachnid, so thanks in advance for all the replies

 

[Axe]

Let's see if a photo helps me get any response

 

[Sheri]

Well... you could try the container in a container method... and use... ummm what is it called....

Those very light disposable cloths that allow ventilation... drape it under the lid of the critter keeper. Provide lots of hides and sticks and stuff that do not reach the top of the enclosure.

Those are just suggestions... I don't have ANY experience with rearing widow babies, and only have one mactans... a CB female so that I know for sure I don't have to deal with any unexpected eggsacs.

I am sure there are more on here that can answer you much more expertly... but this is a slower moving forum than the T ones.

 

[smalltime]

Well, you could already remove the sac and incubate it somewhere else... In a larger size jar for example, no ventilation needed...so no escapes. Seperation would be simpler in that case. Sticks and all is always a good idea but not nescessary...

You could also use a stocking of some sort to pull over your kritterkeeper, something like Sheri said. But I would remove the mother at some point...
The problem with this method is that you cannot really control a feeding point, when feeding you'd have to pull the stocking or cloth off and those small guys will be everywhere...

Good luck anyway...

 

[Axe]

Thanks guys.

I have indeed separated the eggsac into a separate enclosure. But, I'm still not sure what I can contain them in and easily feed them.

 

[critterz]

I saw a method once where two small condiment cups were used. you cut the bottom out of one and stack it inside the other. Put a lid on the bottomless one. The spiders will make a web inside the one, and that can be raised up, allowing you to drop feeders in. replace the top cup and you're done.

 

[Kugellager]

The best thing that I have found is to use a large vial with only pinholes in the top/lid. This way there is no chance of the slings escaping. The egg sacs of most widow spiders will 'hatch' 2-3 weeks after they are made but may go as long as 4 weeks.

What I do once I have an egg sac hatch is to let the slings cannibalize themselves down to a dozen or so then begin feeding them pin-head crickets or fruit flys. They grow fast and will mature out in 2-4 months. For humidity I will put one or two drops of water in the vial per week until they are large enough to separate into individual vials.

John
];')

 

[Axe]

Thanks everybody for the replies...

A couple of days ago, the other female dropped an eggsac, and later that day, I found maybe 9 brown widow eggsacs (and a few possible black widow eggsacs), just inside the door frame of the front porch on the house.

Looks like I'm gonna be up to my eyeballs in babies, heh.

Letting them cannibalize down to manageable numbers seems the smart thing to do.

Thanks again everybody

 

[death1]

My 2 cents

I have hatched many brown widows. 15-20 sacks. No escapes(knock on wood). I use a chinese soup container. I poke pin holes in the lids. They eat each other till I get the amount I'm looking for. Then I feed them flightless fruit files utill they can eat small crickets.

 

[Axe]

Well, somebody on the chat told me a sac every 3-4 weeks. So far she's dropped 7 in the past 3 weeks, and the first just hatched out today

 

[druid8783]

That is so neat! You really are going to be up to your ears in babies.

Good luck with it all!