Widows: Finding and Keeping

[ThomasH]

Where is the best place to find widows? I have never found one in a forest they seem to always be in heavily trafficed areas. But where is the best place in the heavily trafficed ones?
I know caution must be used but how quick and aggressive are they?
Can I keep one in a large vertical takeout container with twigs for climbing? Do these animals prefer high humidity?

 

[apidaeman]

I live in 0klahoma we have widows everywhere mostly mactans, but a reasonable number of hesperus here and there. Their webs are easy to spot and they are the toughest webs. If I so desired I could easily collect hundreds of them.

They are very shy not aggessive at all. They are also very east to keep in captivity, I have done so on a few occassions in the past.

 

[What]

Where is the best place to find widows?

That depends on the area you live in and the species present.

I have never found one in a forest they seem to always be in heavily trafficed areas. But where is the best place in the heavily trafficed ones?

Look along cinderblock walls, and anywhere with a vertical face and a hole or two.

I know caution must be used but how quick and aggressive are they?

In their webs they are very fast, out of them not soo much. Aggressive isnt the correct term for their behavior, but if you trigger a feeding response they may rush out to bite.

Can I keep one in a large vertical takeout container with twigs for climbing? Do these animals prefer high humidity?

Yes a takeout container with twigs would work, I recommend keeping it upside down most of the time so that the widow will stay at the far end of the container. As for the humidity that depends on the species and the habitat.

 

[fishwithoutabik]

I would just like to toss this rant in: I have been searching EVERYWHERE and I can't find any. To make matters worse everybody keeps telling me how they "see them all the time" around here. So I have been harassing everybody to save me one if they find it, in the meantime I shall continue searching:wall: :wall: :wall:

 

[Canth]

I would just like to toss this rant in: I have been searching EVERYWHERE and I can't find any. To make matters worse everybody keeps telling me how they "see them all the time" around here. So I have been harassing everybody to save me one if they find it, in the meantime I shall continue searching:wall: :wall: :wall:

You could check under trashcans, under logs and under a lot of other stuff. By trashcans I mean the ones seen in parks and stuff that are on a stand or something. I find widows with their webs attached to something above them and then connected to the ground.

 

[What]

I would just like to toss this rant in: I have been searching EVERYWHERE and I can't find any. To make matters worse everybody keeps telling me how they "see them all the time" around here. So I have been harassing everybody to save me one if they find it, in the meantime I shall continue searching:wall: :wall: :wall:

If you are in Texas and cant find black widows you should find a new hobby. ;P

 

[Widowman10]

here's a hint fish: stop looking!

murphy's law states that as soon as you stop looking for something, you will soon find that something in excess!!!

 

[apidaeman]

I would just like to toss this rant in: I have been searching EVERYWHERE and I can't find any. To make matters worse everybody keeps telling me how they "see them all the time" around here. So I have been harassing everybody to save me one if they find it, in the meantime I shall continue searching:wall: :wall: :wall:

Once you find one and feel it's web you will never forget it. It is the toughest web you'll likely ever feel.
I often find them under the edge of logs, rocks, water meters, etc. If i happen to ever be down that way I could just catch one and give it to you.

 

[CHDB]

try looking in gate holes, logs, water meters, and etc. how about this, try looking where you see old outdoor materials such old tables,benches,lamps,boxes, woodpiles,faucets,etc. they can almost be everywhere. but search in for old junk stuuf.

 

[Kevmaster06]

I went to this place form the 1800's and it had a shsck that had a hole in the middle for you to "go" in. Well, i looked into this one(it has not been used for 50 years) and the entire thing was webbed up and in different parts of it were widows. I counted 4. But i could not see through the web. It looked to me that they were living peacefully communally

 

[ThomasH]

Thanks everyone, I live in VA so I have mactans right?

 

[What]

I am pretty sure that L. variolus ranges into Virginia also.

 

[Centruroides vi]

hello i justed started an acount on here after getting a couple of new pets from my friend kurt after he got in wreck i said i would take care of them "them" are 3 bark scorpions a one black widow well im pretty sure there deadly right and what about scorps i was woundering dous any one know how & what to feed and general takeing care of them info

 

[apidaeman]

hello i justed started an acount on here after getting a couple of new pets from my friend kurt after he got in wreck i said i would take care of them "them" are 3 bark scorpions a one black widow well im pretty sure there deadly right and what about scorps i was woundering dous any one know how & what to feed and general takeing care of them info

Techinically they are deadly but deaths as result of a bite or sting from either of those is quite rare. Most widow bites just result in severe pain.
As for care there are plenty of threads on here with loads of that kind of information.