Rehoused the L. Geo

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

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).

You shouldn't need to actually remove the fork, just the stem cap or the entire stem, depending what type it is. If it's the sort that clamps on to the outside of the fork tube, you'll just take off the stem cap and there will be a pressure-fit weird-looking flanged nut on the inside of the fork tube. If that's the type you have you'll either have to remove the nut (very difficult to do without either damaging it or knocking it clean out through the bottom) or use a pressurized air canister to blow everything out of the fork. If it's the other type of stem, things will be much easier, because when you remove it, the fork will be just a hollow tube all the way down.

 

[Clickbait]

You shouldn't need to actually remove the fork, just the stem cap or the entire stem, depending what type it is. If it's the sort that clamps on to the outside of the fork tube, you'll just take off the stem cap and there will be a pressure-fit weird-looking flanged nut on the inside of the fork tube. If that's the type you have you'll either have to remove the nut (very difficult to do without either damaging it or knocking it clean out through the bottom) or use a pressurized air canister to blow everything out of the fork. If it's the other type of stem, things will be much easier, because when you remove it, the fork will be just a hollow tube all the way down.

That's good to know. I'm not sure what kind the stem cap is, I can't check right now because I'm not at her house. Either way this is good to know, I'm certainly going to have an interesting day tomorrow. Thank you so much!

 

[The Snark]

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!

Need one of you widow pros to chime in here. @chanda @NYAN @Ungoliant @?

 

[chanda]

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!

Honestly, when it comes to black or brown widows, I don't worry too much about a little cannibalism - and you needn't worry at all about depriving the young'uns of maternal care. While the mother will defend the egg sac (at least somewhat) she is not necessary for the babies to hatch and thrive. They are perfectly capable of getting out of the sac and dispersing all on their own, without Mama's help.

If you don't want them dispersing near where you live - because let's face it, they disperse very quickly given the opportunity - you can just relocate the entire sac (or sacs) before they hatch. I've found the old "cotton candy" method is the easiest way to relocate egg sacs - and sometimes the mother as well. Just take a long stick, poke it into the web, and swirl it gently as if you were making cotton candy, wrapping the web and egg sacs around the stick. You can sometimes collect the mother this way as well- but she won't stay on the stick the way the egg sacs will, so it's good to have a bucket below her so when she drops off the stick, she is still contained. You can then take the stick and egg sacs and leave them in some semi-protected spot (like a bush) away from your home. If the slings have already hatched, the cotton candy method still works (sort of) - but some of the slings will drop off the bunched webbing - or run up the stick (and then up your arm). If the sacs have already been collected and have hatched in a container, the easiest way to release them is just to take the whole container out into the yard (or wherever else you are releasing them) and either leave the container sitting open for a day or two - or use a paintbrush or stick to gently sweep out the empty sac, webbing, and spiderlings.

If they are not contained, the spiderlings will disperse pretty quickly - but if they are kept in a container, they will begin eating each other. Honestly, when I do raise them from a sac, I just let 'em do it. A couple hundred baby spiders is way more than I want to deal with, and I don't want them escaping when I open the container to add feeders, so I just let them eat each other until the population is down to more manageable numbers - then I separate them and start feeding them. Yes, it's cannibalism - but they way I look at it, they are obligate predators. They're going to have to kill and eat something - so what difference does it make if they're eating crickets or fruit flies or surplus spiders?

 

[Clickbait]

Honestly, when it comes to black or brown widows, I don't worry too much about a little cannibalism - and you needn't worry at all about depriving the young'uns of maternal care. While the mother will defend the egg sac (at least somewhat) she is not necessary for the babies to hatch and thrive. They are perfectly capable of getting out of the sac and dispersing all on their own, without Mama's help.

If you don't want them dispersing near where you live - because let's face it, they disperse very quickly given the opportunity - you can just relocate the entire sac (or sacs) before they hatch. I've found the old "cotton candy" method is the easiest way to relocate egg sacs - and sometimes the mother as well. Just take a long stick, poke it into the web, and swirl it gently as if you were making cotton candy, wrapping the web and egg sacs around the stick. You can sometimes collect the mother this way as well- but she won't stay on the stick the way the egg sacs will, so it's good to have a bucket below her so when she drops off the stick, she is still contained. You can then take the stick and egg sacs and leave them in some semi-protected spot (like a bush) away from your home. If the slings have already hatched, the cotton candy method still works (sort of) - but some of the slings will drop off the bunched webbing - or run up the stick (and then up your arm). If the sacs have already been collected and have hatched in a container, the easiest way to release them is just to take the whole container out into the yard (or wherever else you are releasing them) and either leave the container sitting open for a day or two - or use a paintbrush or stick to gently sweep out the empty sac, webbing, and spiderlings.

If they are not contained, the spiderlings will disperse pretty quickly - but if they are kept in a container, they will begin eating each other. Honestly, when I do raise them from a sac, I just let 'em do it. A couple hundred baby spiders is way more than I want to deal with, and I don't want them escaping when I open the container to add feeders, so I just let them eat each other until the population is down to more manageable numbers - then I separate them and start feeding them. Yes, it's cannibalism - but they way I look at it, they are obligate predators. They're going to have to kill and eat something - so what difference does it make if they're eating crickets or fruit flies or surplus spiders?

This is excellent! And really interesting too. I would like to relocate them outside, but I believe they're invasive in southeastern North Carolina and would prefer to not damage the local spider population. It's actually quite interesting, my dad is a doctor and while I was at his office checking out, I saw some workers looking at the window and talking about a spider and after some prodding by my girlfriend I checked it out. Sure enough, it was another L. geometricus--and it was feasting on a much larger wolf spider. But what's interesting is that his office is pretty close to her house, so they must be pretty entrenched in the area. At this point would it even matter if I moved them outside?

I'm also considering keeping them, or at least the mother; maybe I'll sell the spiderlings on here if there is interest. The only issue is that I have literally no experience with shipping slings (still have yet to buy my first tarantula), especially ones this small. Plus I know there are already tons of widows that are for sale on here. How do you obtain your feeder insects, and are fruit flies and small crickets adequate for slings? I've also already got an acrylic box ready, but since I'm dealing with slings I have yet to drill holes into it as I would hate for them to easily escape--what size would be appropriate?

2 of the workers at my dad's office also gave me this urine sample cup (clean and empty hahaha) to catch the spider there. We all realized though that since it was on the outside wall of the office, it wasn't likely to harm anyone and truth be told it was pretty fun to watch. Honestly I might use it as a catch cup at some point after I make some ventilation holes, although I probably won't use it to catch the L. geo on the bike just due to the complexity (at least for me, a beginner) of this rehouse.

 

[chanda]

How do you obtain your feeder insects, and are fruit flies and small crickets adequate for slings? I've also already got an acrylic box ready, but since I'm dealing with slings I have yet to drill holes into it as I would hate for them to easily escape--what size would be appropriate?

I buy my crickets at the local pet store, and we raise the fruit flies ourselves. Fruit flies are fine for tiny spiderlings, then they graduate to small crickets once they're big enough that the fruit flies are no longer of interest.

As for holes, when it comes to newly-hatched spiderlings, they don't get drilled holes. They can squeeze out through surprisingly small openings. I use the 32 oz. plastic deli cups with vented insect lids that are sold for fruit fly cultures. There are two types of lids that work well - the ones with big holes, but all the holes are covered with a fabric layer like this: https://smhttp-ssl-52271.nexcesscdn.net/media/catalog/product/v/e/vented_lid_1.jpg or the plastic ones with only teeny-tiny pinholes in the lids like this: https://superiorshippingsupplies.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/fruit-fly-lid.jpg.

 

[Clickbait]

I flipped the bike right side up after taking off the wheel and it fell to the ground. It’s been mostly still since then, although when I picked it up it moved around a LOT. I’m a little worried, but I also think it might just be scared. What do y’all think? Also I’ll put more stuff in its home, it was just bare when I took the photo. And before you tell me to, I moved the box into the closet and have only one door open. That way it’s pretty dark but there’s still some light.




Update: I just got back from my job and checked on the spider fearing the worst; I was thinking about how I might have killed it while working and it honestly made me really upset. However, upon checking the closet I found a healthy spider!!! I'll be sure to go to the pet store tomorrow and get it a cricket, as I'm sure it needs one after such a stressful rehouse.

 

[Clickbait]

I decided I would update the thread.

First of all, I named my L. Geo Boudicca—thought it was fitting, given that they’re both widows.

Okay on to the important stuff.

The first enclosure I used was far too large for her. I knew this at the time, but it was really all I had when I did the rehouse. Perhaps I could have prepared better, at least I’ll know better in the future.

For that reason, I quickly went to PetSmart (don’t worry I’ll never buy tarantulas from them, I just needed to quickly get a more appropriate enclosure before she webbed her enclosure up and got settled in; the last thing I wanted was to cause her any more undue stress) and bought this smaller enclosure:



I’m aware that I could have made the lid the floor, as this makes the process of cleaning the enclosure easier and I would have a much easier time seeing her. But I chose not to because it’s actually kinda hard to take the lid off, and I don’t want to struggle with the enclosure every time I need to feed her. Additionally, given the lifespan of widows I don’t think I’ll be cleaning it out that much if ever. And Boudicca is one hell of an emo girl who likes the dark; any time I got within even 10 feet of the bike she would slink back up into her hide and I wouldn’t see her. So I figured she’d like the dark black lid more than the acrylic plastic.

I fed her a cricket that night (7/13) and again on the fifteenth, because I figured that the two rehouses might have really stressed her out and that she could use the extra food. This was also motivated by the fact that I had not seen her eat in the 3-5 days she’d spent in the other enclosure. This was probably stupid, and she quickly swelled to the size of a blueberry. The little lady’s size was so comically large that when I showed her to my sister not long after, she asked “Is she pregnant?”

I’m probably going to hold off on feeding her for another 2-5 days, although if you all think different I’m all for suggestions and advice.

Knowing how timid and shy she is, I keep her in this locker I have in my room and leave the door to it half open, so that it’s dark but she can still observe the day and night cycle. I also try to disturb her as little as possible; it’s hard because every time I get off of work the first thing I want to do is check on her. But I know it’s scary for her, so I generally try to check on her only every 2-3 days. I just want her to be happy.

Generally I find that I really enjoy keeping her. I’ll drop a cricket in her enclosure in the morning and the next day I can hardly find the corpse—I mean the thing is gone, and I’ll be lucky to find an antennae. It’s creepy and fascinating in a weird way, and to some degree it reminds me of that scene with the cow in Jurassic Park.

One question. Do y’all provide your widows with water? I’ve seen some people suggest using a syringe or a pipette to apply water droplets to the web. But I don’t wanna make her uncomfortable or stressed, so at this point I’ve just let her acquire moisture from her prey.

One other thing. When I did the rehouse, it looked as if the egg sack had already hatched and the slings has dispersed, along with my hopes of having an L. Geo farm


So yeah. I’m really happy with my Latrodectus Geometricus, and I‘m no longer worried about her starving. I’d like to be able to take some high res photos of her a la arachnid addicted but Boudicca doesn’t seem to have the same goal in mind:


It might be unclear, but she lives in the top right corner.

More photos:



Sorry for the super long post, but y’all were very helpful and I figured the thread needed an update.