New Widows

TNeal

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
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Dec 11, 2006
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211
I recieved my two new female widows today, Latrodectus heserus. What beautiful critters. I am amazed that something so small and so beautiful could be so deadly. I was so happy to recieve them that I actually was shaking like a leaf when I opened their box. I don't know wether it was fear or excitement. LOL {D

I recieved them from kuJordan.
Tom
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
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Jan 5, 2005
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8,325
cool man.

make sure you don't let any eggsacs they produce hatch in an inappropriate container.

been there, done that, it SUCKS =P
 

8+)

Arachnolord
Old Timer
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Feb 21, 2007
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645
Man, you really do have to be a freak to want to deal with feeding all the F'ing slings!!!:wall:
 

TNeal

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
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Dec 11, 2006
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211
Why would you insult someone who likes widows?

Tom
 

8+)

Arachnolord
Old Timer
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Feb 21, 2007
Messages
645
We meant it as a term of endearment and a badge of honor!:clap: :worship:
 

8+)

Arachnolord
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Feb 21, 2007
Messages
645
There you go, endorsements from two of the suckiest widows freaks in these parts! {D {D

I'm not counting myself. I'm not worthy, or I am?:?
 

TNeal

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
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Dec 11, 2006
Messages
211
I fed my widows for the first time today. The larger female went right after her crickets. I was amazed at how agressive a hunter she is. The cricket was trying to hide on top of a stick on top of her web. But she rushed him, grabbed him, pulled her into her web, wrapped him up and then gave the lethal bite.

The smaller female didn't eat hers. :?

The smaller one has also put a kink in my plans. I put them in jars and put the jars upside down as recommended by members here. Well the little girl built her nest in the lower 3rd of the jar as if to say "Ha Ha I did it my way" LOL {D

I would like to get some opinions on feeding & water my little beauties. I have been told to spray the web or put in wet balled up toilet paper for them to get water from. I tried spraying them but their is still water droplets in their enclosure after 3 days. Is that bad or do they enjoy the humidity? Would the web balled up toilet paper be a better option? Does everyone agree that they should be fed every 7 - 10 days? What size meal would be apropriate? Adult size crickets?

I love these things. Time to get a male. Yoo hoo kuJordon you got any ....?

LOL

Tom
 

buthus

Arachnoprince
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Jun 8, 2006
Messages
1,381
I fed my widows for the first time today. The larger female went right after her crickets. I was amazed at how agressive a hunter she is. The cricket was trying to hide on top of a stick on top of her web. But she rushed him, grabbed him, pulled her into her web, wrapped him up and then gave the lethal bite.

The smaller female didn't eat hers. :?

The smaller one has also put a kink in my plans. I put them in jars and put the jars upside down as recommended by members here. Well the little girl built her nest in the lower 3rd of the jar as if to say "Ha Ha I did it my way" LOL {D

I would like to get some opinions on feeding & water my little beauties. I have been told to spray the web or put in wet balled up toilet paper for them to get water from. I tried spraying them but their is still water droplets in their enclosure after 3 days. Is that bad or do they enjoy the humidity? Would the web balled up toilet paper be a better option? Does everyone agree that they should be fed every 7 - 10 days? What size meal would be apropriate? Adult size crickets?

I love these things. Time to get a male. Yoo hoo kuJordon you got any ....?

LOL

Tom
Hesperus require very little humidity and H2O. She will get all the water she needs from her food. If you desire to observe her drinking once in a great while OR she gets VERY skinny do to feeding neglect then go ahead and mist...but lightly. Otherwise... the answer is NO to the extra humidity trapped in the container.

Feeding once every week or two (depending on size of prey) will keep her plump and healthy.
 

8+)

Arachnolord
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Messages
645
The smaller female didn't eat hers. :?

The smaller one has also put a kink in my plans. I put them in jars and put the jars upside down as recommended by members here. Well the little girl built her nest in the lower 3rd of the jar as if to say "Ha Ha I did it my way" LOL {D

What size meal would be apropriate? Adult size crickets?
Don't worry too much about her not eating yet. Try a smaller cricket with her next time, if she doesn't eat the first one later.

I wonder if the upside down jar has anything to do with it. I haven't tried it, and have to admit I'm a little confused by it. I understand the advantages, but seems like there are worse disadvantages. Seems like you have make such a disturbance every time you access the jar when you rip all of that webbing away. Plus I don't understand how you're supposed to introduce prey with out turning the jar upside down, causing further disruption?

I just make the sticks short enough so that they don't reach up too high, and arrange them so that they cross towards the bottom of the jar. Usually they'll make their retreat where the sticks cross.
 

NBond1986

Arachnosquire
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Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
147
Don't worry too much about her not eating yet. Try a smaller cricket with her next time, if she doesn't eat the first one later.

I wonder if the upside down jar has anything to do with it. I haven't tried it, and have to admit I'm a little confused by it. I understand the advantages, but seems like there are worse disadvantages. Seems like you have make such a disturbance every time you access the jar when you rip all of that webbing away. Plus I don't understand how you're supposed to introduce prey with out turning the jar upside down, causing further disruption?

I just make the sticks short enough so that they don't reach up too high, and arrange them so that they cross towards the bottom of the jar. Usually they'll make their retreat where the sticks cross.
the point of the jar being upside down is so that you DON'T rip a ton of webbing away and disturb her. Hesperus like to web UPwards. So, if the jar is upside down, she will web upwards towards the jar's base. Minimal disturbance when the lid is taken off (less web ripping), and flipping the jar over actually doesn't disturb them at all very much IMO. If they're hungry, they don't care if you flip the jar over or shoot it out of a cannon....they just wanna eat!
 

NBond1986

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
147
I fed my widows for the first time today. The larger female went right after her crickets. I was amazed at how agressive a hunter she is. The cricket was trying to hide on top of a stick on top of her web. But she rushed him, grabbed him, pulled her into her web, wrapped him up and then gave the lethal bite.

The smaller female didn't eat hers. :?

The smaller one has also put a kink in my plans. I put them in jars and put the jars upside down as recommended by members here. Well the little girl built her nest in the lower 3rd of the jar as if to say "Ha Ha I did it my way" LOL {D

I would like to get some opinions on feeding & water my little beauties. I have been told to spray the web or put in wet balled up toilet paper for them to get water from. I tried spraying them but their is still water droplets in their enclosure after 3 days. Is that bad or do they enjoy the humidity? Would the web balled up toilet paper be a better option? Does everyone agree that they should be fed every 7 - 10 days? What size meal would be apropriate? Adult size crickets?

I love these things. Time to get a male. Yoo hoo kuJordon you got any ....?

LOL

Tom
I have had a lot of widows (not anywhere near as many as Steven (buthus) ;)

BUT.....personally, I have raised a good few from sling to adult (recently bred one also). In my years of casually keeping a few hesps around in jars.....I have never misted. They don't need it.

I also feed them whenever I remember.....generally.
That is to say.....unless I am trying to get a lot of eggs out of a particular female, and I powerfeed her to adulthood and get a HUGE abdomen.

They are such hardy and easy spiders to take care of. Feed whenever you feel like it. Don't need to mist, but you can for fun.....or just so that you can give yourself a pat on the back for being a good mommy. :p

Don't take me wrong. I don't starve my animals. They're all in perfect health. I just like to simulate nature with widows.....(My T's, scorps, and pedes are a different story....I spoil them!!! LOL)
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
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Messages
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flipping them over once they have a decent web established doesn't seem to bother them at all. i mean, i wouldn't want to do it when they are molting, but other than that i'v never seen a bad effect.

also, their crap like boluses and what not is easier to collect with the upside down thing going on


i used to put weird stuff in the widow cages and let them web anchor it and then flip it and eventually get really big stuff suspended by widowweb. i'm trying to think what the biggest thign was... matchbox cars, but not the heavy metal ones. all kinds of silly little toys.


buthus was telling me about some species that i forget now that will actually lift little bits of stuff in their cage up into their web. i think that would be fun to be silly/clever with.
 

8+)

Arachnolord
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Messages
645
also, their crap like boluses and what not is easier to collect with the upside down thing going on
I did understand that this was an advantage. I guess I shouldn't knock it till I've tried it.

So do you glue the sticks in place, so they don't move around, or do you just let them web it up real good?

Neshan, I've never kept hesperus. I have mostly mactans in my neck of the woods. I have had some of them make their retreat up at the top. I only have two adults right now: revivensis, and sp. loas. They both made their bases toward the bottom where I crossed the sticks.
 

NBond1986

Arachnosquire
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Apr 24, 2007
Messages
147
I did understand that this was an advantage. I guess I shouldn't knock it till I've tried it.

So do you glue the sticks in place, so they don't move around, or do you just let them web it up real good?

Neshan, I've never kept hesperus. I have mostly mactans in my neck of the woods. I have had some of them make their retreat up at the top. I only have two adults right now: revivensis, and sp. loas. They both made their bases toward the bottom where I crossed the sticks.
Ah, yes. I thought you were talking about Hesps....since that's what the thread was originally about! :p

As for the sticks......I like glueing them. It makes it easier on the concience to flip her over every time you want to do something. But, you don't have to if you don't feel like it. Steven has a bajillion widows....so there isn't time to be glueing the sticks. He just throws them in loose for most of them. But if you select your anchors correctly according to what a widow would want, it should be fine.

I love the upsidedown jar method for all the reasons described above. And in the case of Hesps. Keeping the jar upside down and then flipping it over every once in a while....is WAY less disturbance than keeping it rightside up, letting them web onto the lid, and then ripping their web when you open it.

Even when it's upside down, there will be a few strands going down to the lid....but not nearly as many as compared to the jar being rightside up, IMO.
 

TNeal

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 11, 2006
Messages
211
Hello again - I am the one who originally started this thread. I am amazed at how many replies are posted.

Here is an update on my two girls. They eat very well. I feed them once a week. This week they were fed 2 waxworms each at the same time. Didn't take them long to chow down. I also lightly mist them once a week, just in case and to feel like a good daddy. {D

I have found that keeping the jars upside down is certainly a good idea. Even though the smaller female has built her nest in the lower 1/3 of the jar - none of her webbing touches the cover. The larger girl's web is nowhere near the cover. So when they are tilted upside down the covers come off very easilly, not disturbing their webs at all. The only thing I will do different next time will be to secure the sticks to the jar. This way they won't fall out. It will make cleaning them much easier.

Tom
 

buthus

Arachnoprince
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Steven has a bajillion widows....so there isn't time to be glueing the sticks. He just throws them in loose for most of them.
I do silicone some in...esp when I do have the time (silicone and other glues need to vent off completely!) and i want bigger/bulkier structure. I just lately killed a widow because some sticks that were just wedged in moved and squashed the widow. (I dont remember if they were glued, but probably/most surely not)
My fav structure now is root mass... esp cactus root, but also tree root. It just doesnt mold like most organic structure. Also, I have been using succulent stems and roots for the same reason. (forget the name of the one I have been using) These will bend, grow and then dry out in curvy shapes when trimmed off the main plant and thus they can be wedged into an enclosure or jar.
Stuff that you can curl up and stick into the jar so that it springs back and wedges itself in is a good way to go.

I only have two adults right now: revivensis, and sp. loas. They both made their bases toward the bottom where I crossed the sticks.
About half my Laos prefer to den in low and I have a feeling that they like to hide down lower than most latro species. Revs from what I have been told, tend to take the high ground...often above their sister specie.. treds. Jars and enclosures in general are far from valid observable habitats.
 
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