Love for garden spider/orb weavers. Not appropriate to keep though?

[Sharno]

Recently I got some help on an ID here on this forum for a grass spider. Of course I put the little guy in a container and he's eating like a champ and so aggressive. I don't plan to keep him, I'll release him again soon but it made me recall my absolute fascination for garden spiders/orb weavers here in So Cal that would make elaborate webs at dusk. As a kid I would go out with a flashlight and check on them and even put prey into their webs (I was 8 - 11 years old I think). I knew where they all were and would check on their size, etc.

Because they make very elaborate webs, I imagine they are not functional as a captive species and would not thrive in these conditions. Does anyone attempt keeping them, and if so, what kind of a set up allows them to create the size of web they need?

 

[awiec]

you can most certainly keep them, they require a tall tank and moisture so they can make a web. A good cage is made out of screen and some wood planks which allow you to spray the enclosure (they actually do enjoy a light mist on their web) and you can cover a cage with a moist towel to help they make a web. Most will enjoy something wrapped in their webs and are pretty good eaters until they lay an egg sac or are close to expiring. They also are fine with house temperatures. Depending on the spider a 2 ftx1.5 ft cage would work just fine for your common furrowed orb weaver, something a little bigger for a Nephila.

 

[pannaking22]

Exactly as awiec said. It really depends on the species you want to keep. For instance, if you wanted to keep an orchard spider (Leucage venusta), you would have to change things up a bit since they usually build their orb webs horizontally. A downside (to some people at least) is that the enclosures are usually pretty sparse. I'm hoping to keep a few orb weavers in the future

 

[Smokehound714]

I would always just let them build their web in my room- free-range in the corner.

 

[Micrathena]

I know the National Zoo in DC does that with Nephila clavipes, with a little open-air habitat in the corner. Pretty cool, especially at feeding time.

 

[pannaking22]

I know the National Zoo in DC does that with Nephila clavipes, with a little open-air habitat in the corner. Pretty cool, especially at feeding time.

The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago had something like that last summer, except it was just 1 lonely Nephila madagascariensis. That female was massive though. It would have been better if she got more lighting, since she seemed to be tucked in a corner that was out of the way.

 

[Smokehound714]

Did you know virtually all orb-weavers are incidental omnivores? They ingest pollen grains and other plant material stuck to their webs, and are actually able to digest it.

 

[Micrathena]

Interesting... Does it have any nutritional value to them?

 

[Beary Strange]

Though I can't say how well it would work, I've heard of people suggesting to put them in an empty (glassless, backless) picture frame and hang that from a window-the idea being they'll set up shop in the frame and with the window, get much needed airflow. Has anyone actually done this? I've been tempted to try it myself but with the area around my apartment widow central I'm afraid it would get eaten.

 

[Smokehound714]

airflow isnt too important, but it would enable pollen grains to stick to the web and round out their diet, resulting in a much happier spider.

I had success by simply taking two flower pots, filling them with sand, then jamming dead dry ailanthus saplings, stripped of leaves and smaller branches, and placing them about 5 feet apart.

You can actually give them a helping hand in making their web by coaxing them to hang from a drag line, wrap around one stick, then slowly and carefully pull the spider to the other stick. Too fast, and you'll hurt the spider, so be careful and slow. then place the spider on the other stick. I pinch-grab them gently to do this. I personally do this in the open, no enclosure. these spiders suck at climbing, or even walking.

 

[awiec]

The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago had something like that last summer, except it was just 1 lonely Nephila madagascariensis. That female was massive though. It would have been better if she got more lighting, since she seemed to be tucked in a corner that was out of the way.

My professor studies Nephila species from Taiwan and this is how she keeps them. When I walked into her lab there was just this giant screen cube and it had an apartment for each spider. It allowed her access to feed them and give them water and they are very gentle so you can move them to a place you'd like for them to set up shop at. For pollen I usually just fed them small bees (yes they do take these guys out) as the spider is well aware of what its dealing with and I have never seen one stung, or you can rub tiger lily pollen on their webs as well. Just like Avics airflow is very important but orb-weavers need a little more moisture so they can make a large web.