Rehoused the L. Geo

[Clickbait]

I found a Latrodectus Mactans on my girlfriend's bike in her garage. Aside from the fact that I'm worried her dad will kill it if he sees it, I actually do need to move it from its current spot as we tend to use the bikes a lot when we're not working. It's in the stem of the fork that holds the front tire, and there may be an egg sac in there as well. Do y'all have any advice as to how I should proceed?

I found this specimen on my girlfriend's front porch (why does she get all the fun widow spiders?). I really would hate to move it, but her parents pretty much have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to suspicious spiders and it's in a pretty conspicuous spot. As with the case with my last post, I'm not sure how to go about rehousing it, and there are several egg sacs and smaller males present as well. Also, is there any chance someone with better eyes than mine could identify the exact species? I'll try to get more photos in the coming days--the only issue being that it really only comes out of its web at night.

 

[Royalty]

Paintbrush and catch cup? Damn, such a party spot.

 

[Ungoliant]

Also, is there any chance someone with better eyes than mine could identify the exact species? I'll try to get more photos in the coming days--the only issue being that it really only comes out of its web at night.

That's actually a brown widow (L. geometricus); their spiky egg sacs are diagnostic.

 

[Clickbait]

I originally thought it was a traditional Southern Black Widow, but the light caught it at one point and I saw stripes on its legs so I believe it is a L. Geometricus. Still trying to figure out how to rehouse it.

sorry about the mess of posts earlier, and I should thank u/Ungoliant for his correction on my earlier post.

 

[Clickbait]

That's actually a brown widow (L. geometricus); their spiky egg sacs are diagnostic.

Oops—I made a mistake. I meant to make two posts, that’s why there are 2 paragraphs and 2 descriptions of spiders I found. You’d think that after being on here since February I’d be able to handle that haha. But thank you! I thought it might not be a traditional black widow, but couldn’t think of the scientific name. I’ll try to fix this in another post.

Paintbrush and catch cup? Damn, such a party spot.

Thanks hahaha, I'm going to have am interesting time with this.

 

[Smotzer]

Get a water bottle and cut in the bottom 1/4 off, then you’ll have your self a catch cup and get some cardboard. Or you can get a Tupperware and do the same thing. Place the open end in front or behind it and the lid on the opposite side and close it inside it. I’ve done this method for quite a few species in nature. Not sure if it’s is possible for you but that’s my go to for collecting some species spiders outside.

 

[NYAN]

Get a water bottle and cut in the bottom 1/4 off, then you’ll have your self a catch cup and get some cardboard. Or you can get a Tupperware and do the same thing. Place the open end in front or behind it and the lid on the opposite side and close it inside it. I’ve done this method for quite a few species in nature. Not sure if it’s is possible for you but that’s my go to for collecting some species spiders outside.

This will not work for a widow, especially in this situation. Once the web is disturbed, it will flee into its retreat.

It is best to dismantle the web using a stick so that the spider drops to the ground. Once it does this you can catch it using a similarly method.

 

[Smotzer]

This will not work for a widow, especially in this situation. Once the web is disturbed, it will flee into its retreat.

It is best to dismantle the web using a stick so that the spider drops to the ground. Once it does this you can catch it using a similarly method.

Yeah I wasn’t sure if it would be possible for a widow... But it’s at least a starting point I guess. never attempted it with a widow. And in the photo I couldn’t tell where it even was.

I’ve used it for a lot of other stuff works really well for orb weavers. How I always catch Argiope aurantia. Did it with a wild spider too.

your suggestion is probably better.

 

[The Snark]

Sure does look Geo. Speaking from recent experience, they are HARD to dislodge from their webs. Cling to the last shred thing rather than doing the drop and curl. I've tried digging them out from under chairs where they turn into little glops in amongst the dirt and debris.

 

[The Snark]

If you do get her relocated she will most likely be popping out egg sacs assembly line for quite a while. If you want your life filled with Geos just snag a sac and start your little farm. Easier than getting mom relocated.

 

[Clickbait]

If you do get her relocated she will most likely be popping out egg sacs assembly line for quite a while. If you want your life filled with Geos just snag a sac and start your little farm. Easier than getting mom relocated.

Yeah I was thinking about that, and as much as I would like to have a Geo farm (and I really would) I must admit I am in no way prepared for such a feat. And although I have already talked to my future roommate (who is a good friend of mine) about having a tarantula, I don't think I could put him past a colony of geos; I frankly would not blame him.

 

[Clickbait]

This will not work for a widow, especially in this situation. Once the web is disturbed, it will flee into its retreat.

It is best to dismantle the web using a stick so that the spider drops to the ground. Once it does this you can catch it using a similarly method.

Shoot, this sounds like it will lead to some excitement haha. I'm just worried because frankly I have no idea how far up it can get into the stem of the fork and where the web extends to. But this sounds like the most surefire method so I'll definitely use it. Thanks!

 

[The Snark]

I was thinking about that, and as much as I would like to have a Geo farm (and I really would) I must admit I am in no way prepared for such a feat.

With Geos... eyes roll. I rounded one up with 4 egg sacks a while ago and put her in a sealed jar. In just over week I had 6 sacs. 3 weeks, 9 sacs. Those things make the 'born pregnant' grain mites look like celibate nuns.

 

[Clickbait]

Sure does look Geo. Speaking from recent experience, they are HARD to dislodge from their webs. Cling to the last shred thing rather than doing the drop and curl. I've tried digging them out from under chairs where they turn into little glops in amongst the dirt and debris.

Dang it I really hate that. I already said this in another reply but I have no idea how far up it can get into the bike, and it's really hard to see up into it. I guess I might turn the whole bike upside down? It seems to me that doing so could definitely help a lot but it is really going to stink if the thing suddenly falls over. As with my post about the other geo I found, there's also the question of what am I going to do with the egg cases.

 

[Clickbait]

With Geos... eyes roll. I rounded one up with 4 egg sacks a while ago and put her in a sealed jar. In just over week I had 6 sacs. 3 weeks, 9 sacs. Those things make the 'born pregnant' grain mites look like celibate nuns.

Hahaha oh god then it's definitely not for me. I want to be a responsible keeper; I've not even kept my first .75" tarantula sling, and I have no clue what I would give a sling as small as the ones I'm about to deal with. Still... I would hate just leaving them without their mom so I might just keep them for a little while and release them on their own.

 

[Clickbait]

Yeah I wasn’t sure if it would be possible for a widow... But it’s at least a starting point I guess. never attempted it with a widow. And in the photo I couldn’t tell where it even was.

I’ve used it for a lot of other stuff works really well for orb weavers. How I always catch Argiope aurantia. Did it with a wild spider too.

your suggestion is probably better.
[/QUOTE
It's still appreciated haha, I might try it if I ever see an invasive species (although at this point I don't trust myself enough to be confident that I would not mistake a local endemic species for an invasive one).

 

[The Snark]

I would hate just leaving them without their mom so I might just keep them for a little while and release them on their own.

They disburse fast! No maternal love lost there, and kept together your 200 slings quickly become 10 or 15 fat ones.

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Shoot, this sounds like it will lead to some excitement haha. I'm just worried because frankly I have no idea how far up it can get into the stem of the fork and where the web extends to. But this sounds like the most surefire method so I'll definitely use it. Thanks!

The forks may or may not be open at the side welds there (depends on the quality of the bike some are just welded on and some have material cut away inside the weld), but they're definitely open at the top where it extends through the head tube of the bike. The stem (the part that holds the handlebars) is clamped to the top of the fork. So basically, if you take the stem off the bike, you'll be able to flush the spider out from the top of the fork.

If you take a photo of the stem I can advise re: disassembly.

 

[Clickbait]

They disburse fast! No maternal love lost there, and kept together your 200 slings quickly become 10 or 15 fat ones.

Oh shoot hahaha that's good to know, I would hate being responsible for their deaths. How quickly after hatching should I release the slings? Also thanks!

 

[Clickbait]

The forks may or may not be open at the side welds there (depends on the quality of the bike some are just welded on and some have material cut away inside the weld), but they're definitely open at the top where it extends through the head tube of the bike. The stem (the part that holds the handlebars) is clamped to the top of the fork. So basically, if you take the stem off the bike, you'll be able to flush the spider out from the top of the fork.

Okay that's really good to know, and I was worried about the side welds too. I was planning on flipping the bike upside down so that I could look down into the stem but taking the whole thing off seems like a much better idea. Also I'll be sure to update the thread with a better photo, what's good is that I also have parents who are really into biking who could help me (but I don't know how into widow spiders they are hahaha).