Housing idea for rearing black widow spiderlings...

[Code Monkey]

... without getting my building fumigated after someone finds one in their apartment three months down the road?

I've got an L. variolus that dropped an eggsac shortly after I caught her (she's such a good mom taking care of it ) and in a fit of no common sense I'm planning on letting them hatch and try to rear the slings. She's currently in a pickle jar with some holes in the lid which I pretty much figure means 200 baby widows all over my home if I can't come up with a better idea for housing.

 

[johns]

Hi, Code-

Gordon Grice suggests using a large, portable wooden box with mesh screening on four sides so the L. variolus can't climb through.
Misting is to be done once a day, and let the strong cull the weak out, til they're large enough to accept the smallest prey item possible, which should be within the second molt or so...
Hope this helps.

John

 

[Alex S.]

Latrodectus Raising

I simply use plastic cups with moist paper-towel with wire-mesh rubberbanded to the top to raise my Latrodectus spiderlings. One of my three Latrodectus bishopi (red widow) females just dropped me an eggsac.

Alex S.

 

[Wade]

I use a cup-within-a-cup method to rear mantids, and I think it might work for widows. I also have an L. variolus sac right now and may try this.

I glue a very fine mesh (finer than window screen) accross the opening of a 32 oz deli cup. The bottom of said cup is cut off. The screen topped bottomless cup is dropped into a second, unaltered 32 oz deli. Twigs could be glued inside the upper cup for web attachment points, and the sac suspended in there. Whe the li'l boogers emerge, they can be fed by lifting the top cup (where all the spiders will be) and dropping fruit flies (or whatever tiny prey you offer) into the bottom cup. Of course, initially they'll probably eat one annother. Sooner or later, however, you're gonna have to open it and split 'em up. Escape risk high! It might be best to do this oudoors for obvious reasons. I talked to a guy once who deliberately put eggsacs behind his couch and returned to harvest them later!

Wade

 

[Alex S.]

Latrodectus

Hey Wade, yeah, I also use that method for adult specimens, works great.

Alex S.

 

[LonelyZoner]

I also have a black widow--since it was keep her or kill her--with an eggsac, and I have everything all set up for when they hatch. I just have one question: Should I take the mother out before they hatch or is it better to leave her with them?

 

[catfishrod69]

use a 32oz deli cup..take the lid and cut a huge hole in it, about 3/4 the size of the lid, then hot glue pantyhose over it...trim the excess...and there ya go

 

[Oreo]

Take her out! Or good luck trying to separate them all when they hatch

 

[John Apple]

easiest to raise slings in the whole wide world....lol....if this is variolus...the slings will be red and there will only be about 100-150 tops....you have southerns and northerns where you are and possibly geometricus [they are as far north as Columbus now]...if it is a southern widow they will be small lil specs and there will be hundreds....
I use standard 4 oz delis and score the inside with a sharp object so the babies can attach a web to...pinhole the top and turn the whole container upside down....easy to remove dead stuff with minimul disturbance of the slings 'core' web...as they get bigger get bigger delis
Adults are kept the same way but I might also add a slim stick....the top is the bottom again to remove dead stuff....
Widows make really interesting captives

 

[catfishrod69]

good post....and yeah widows are sooo easy to take care of....and are not fast enough to have to worry too much

easiest to raise slings in the whole wide world....lol....if this is variolus...the slings will be red and there will only be about 100-150 tops....you have southerns and northerns where you are and possibly geometricus [they are as far north as Columbus now]...if it is a southern widow they will be small lil specs and there will be hundreds....
I use standard 4 oz delis and score the inside with a sharp object so the babies can attach a web to...pinhole the top and turn the whole container upside down....easy to remove dead stuff with minimul disturbance of the slings 'core' web...as they get bigger get bigger delis
Adults are kept the same way but I might also add a slim stick....the top is the bottom again to remove dead stuff....
Widows make really interesting captives

 

[ArachnidJackson]

easiest to raise slings in the whole wide world....lol....if this is variolus...the slings will be red and there will only be about 100-150 tops....you have southerns and northerns where you are and possibly geometricus [they are as far north as Columbus now]...if it is a southern widow they will be small lil specs and there will be hundreds....
I use standard 4 oz delis and score the inside with a sharp object so the babies can attach a web to...pinhole the top and turn the whole container upside down....easy to remove dead stuff with minimul disturbance of the slings 'core' web...as they get bigger get bigger delis
Adults are kept the same way but I might also add a slim stick....the top is the bottom again to remove dead stuff....
Widows make really interesting captives

I hope this tests true. I have a sac that should be busting soon.
I have always been a bit jealous of those that go purchase a random T from their LPS and bring it home to get a free sac. Well, this little chica I did not even have to purchase.
Natures freebie
Latrodectus mactans Fabricius is the specimen to be specific.
One day when I get a random free moment I will snap some photographs and share.

 

[pavel]

Once the slings are a bit larger, a small 2"x3" cube can be used to house an individual or several larger slings til one kills the other off.

But in the mean time, if you glue a section of pantyhose or other fine meshed cloth on the inside of you lid, it should still allow air to enter but prevent the wee bairns from leaving.

Definitely agree with John, having the lid on the bottom makes removing carcasses MUCH easier.