Eratigena atrica

[Daedal]

To any keepers of house spiders on here, do you have any advice?
I have been thinking about getting a spider for some time now, and recently decided a house spider might be a good introduction. Instead of having to go hunting, one turned up yesterday in my living room. Having habituated him, he ate his first wasp about an hour ago and is still holding onto it. I wasn't sure what to feed him but after some research I thought that crickets from a pet store would be great but apparently I need to set a habitat up for them as well which may take a couple of weeks for me to acquire.

 

[TheShrubbery]

Owned two house spiders haha, "Tegenaria Domestica" I usually fed them "black crickets" or "field crickets". No idea what the scientific name is for them. Your spider needs a suitable hide, a lair so to speak for him to retreat to or hide in. Things like a PVC pipe buried underneath soil is ideal, or one half of a small plant pot. Even cardboard is ideal, keeping in mind you don't spray cardboard with any water as it develops mould rather quickly.

A reasonably sized thick plastic tub is a suitable home, make sure you put holes in for ventilation though. Never, EVER stick anything in that has a sticky property to it. Legs of your spider will disappear, WITHOUT MERCY.

Honestly, its up to you if you want to breed a colony of crickets or not. Do you enjoy the walk to the pet shop when you need to get more food for your spider? Or do you hate it? Me (personally), I bought some field crickets back in august and kept them alive and well with occasional feedings of lettuce and oatmeal. (Like cornflakes, or readybrek will do m8) And usually, crickets are cheap. I can like buy one or two tubs of crickets, locusts or mealworms for about £1-£3 which if you're american that will be $3-$5.

 

[Majo]

I really like Tegenaria species they're my fav. I gotta admit that cardboard isn't a good idea since juste a drop on it and all the sheet gets mold...
You can also feed mealworm to them it's pretty easy to handle and breed too !

 

[TheShrubbery]

Tegenaria species have been the most docile/tame species I have ever owned! Fun to feed aswell. Agree with the guy above me.

 

[Pedemonte Mario]

I gave mine always big flies

 

[TheShrubbery]

Dude, that picture is really good. Do you own Giant House Spiders or normal House spiders? A.k.a Eratigena Atrica or Tegenaria Domestica?
If so, what's the biggest one you have owned from either species? (Inches wise)

 

[ReignofInvertebrates]

Dude, that picture is really good. Do you own Giant House Spiders or normal House spiders? A.k.a Eratigena Atrica or Tegenaria Domestica?
If so, what's the biggest one you have owned from either species? (Inches wise)

Says E. atrica in title fun spiders, wish I could find some around here.

 

[Pedemonte Mario]

Dude, that picture is really good. Do you own Giant House Spiders or normal House spiders? A.k.a Eratigena Atrica or Tegenaria Domestica?
If so, what's the biggest one you have owned from either species? (Inches wise)

Eratigena atrica indeed and yes i did own a lot of them, one had made 14 egg sacs in total once I called her Aragna
I do mostly own Eratigena atrica and Tegenaria parietina since they are so common in Belgium. E. atrica is my favorite true spider so. easy to handle and easy to feed.
My biggest female: I don't really know, never thought about it. but my biggest male which I found once and released again was big, like with legs stretched 11Cm.
This was that male I was talking about.

 

[Misty Day]

I had no idea how prolific they were! My female laid 5 big egg sacs after being mated. Crazy. Awesome spiders to keep. Very fast growing too. Here's mine when she was a juvenile.




Heres some of her brood.

 

[TheShrubbery]

Eratigena atrica indeed and yes i did own a lot of them, one had made 14 egg sacs in total once I called her Aragna
I do mostly own Eratigena atrica and Tegenaria parietina since they are so common in Belgium. E. atrica is my favorite true spider so. easy to handle and easy to feed.
My biggest female: I don't really know, never thought about it. but my biggest male which I found once and released again was big, like with legs stretched 11Cm.
This was that male I was talking about.

The biggest "Tegenaria domestica" I have ever owned was about 2-2.5 inches big, she was a female that had only 6 legs though , she died recently but her egg sac remained and has produced slings!
The er "Eratigena Atrica" can't be found in UK anymore, because its not their season haha. I have to wait again, and go hunting to find one.

 

[Majo]

I love tegenaria they re my favorite ones along with the pholcus. I 've recently found a male, stuck in the sink so I kept it and put it in an enclosure with dirt, a little rock, and a tunnel made with cardboard... but until now he has still not made his web (he has been lodged sunday)...If anyone has a clue...

Also about the season, I don't if it just started or ended where I m at because 1 month ago I found many of theme (male) moving on my house

 

[Pedemonte Mario]

I had no idea how prolific they were! My female laid 5 big egg sacs after being mated. Crazy. Awesome spiders to keep. Very fast growing too. Here's mine when she was a juvenile.

View attachment 222335


Heres some of her brood.

View attachment 222341

Damn and they are also so cute haha This is a Tegenaria parietina baby speaking of babies hehe
Did u keep the babies or did u release them after few moults?

 

[Pedemonte Mario]

The biggest "Tegenaria domestica" I have ever owned was about 2-2.5 inches big, she was a female that had only 6 legs though , she died recently but her egg sac remained and has produced slings!
The er "Eratigena Atrica" can't be found in UK anymore, because its not their season haha. I have to wait again, and go hunting to find one.

Aww poor spidy I don't use inches here in Belgium so i don't know how much Cm it is sorry

 

[Majo]

It's Like 6, or 7 cm but there is much bigger in belgium

 

[Pedemonte Mario]

It's Like 6, or 7 cm but there is much bigger in belgium

Oh ok thx for telling in Cm

 

[Misty Day]

Damn and they are also so cute haha This is a Tegenaria parietina baby speaking of babies hehe
Did u keep the babies or did u release them after few moults?

View attachment 222343

Aw it's so adorable! I'd love to get HD photos of my slings but my camera nowhere near good enough. I kept 3 and let the rest go. When they molted into second instar I gave them a feed, and left the vial I had them inside open in the spare room. Some stayed for a while but most had gone on their merry way after a few weeks. What did you do with yours?

 

[Pedemonte Mario]

Aw it's so adorable! I'd love to get HD photos of my slings but my camera nowhere near good enough. I kept 3 and let the rest go. When they molted into second instar I gave them a feed, and left the vial I had them inside open in the spare room. Some stayed for a while but most had gone on their merry way after a few weeks. What did you do with yours?

I released them when they moulted for the 3th time hehe somewhere safe even though outside is never safe for them don't know what instar is yet so