I need some spider advice....

karmasmom

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Here is the story. We have an Orb Weeving Spider that is living on our patio. She has made a beutiful web and has some stunning coloring. The problem is, my DH has fallen in love with her. He is very worried because the weather is starting to get cool and he looked her specie up and they are garden spiders that live untill mid fall. He is freaking out that she will die. He wants to keep her as a pet. I have no problem with this, I like spiders, I have tried to talk him into getting a tarantula. He would not even think about it. This little spider though had gotten to his heart. I told him if he could figure out a way to keep her in a tank we would care for her.

So I was wondering, does anyone know of a forum or place he can go on line that will help him set up an enclosure to keep her alive. He has no idea how to care for her and he is truely worried. He freaked out today because she did not catch one fly. He spent about an hour trying to catch a fly just to put in her web so she could eat.

Please help us, I don't know what he would do if she dies.
 

ashleigh

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I typed in the species on google but there seems more than one type, so I think if you could identify which species you have, then try to find as much info out about their eating habits, behaviour etc, temprature and their natural surroundings ( I have to say spiders while I'd never see them harmed, I do have a huge phobia of so couldn't go down the page more due to the pictures)
However... I did find this on another site, it covers more than one insect/spider but maybe a little help.

What You Need to Consider before Deciding on a Insect or Spider

Check with local, county and state government agencies regarding legality. There may be regulations in some areas.

Find out about the care (housing, environment, diet) needed for the pet you are considering. While many insects and spider pets are inexpensive to obtain, providing the right environment can be tricky for some species, especially for the more exotic tarantulas.

As a general rule, you want to mimic their natural environment as much as possible. Find out what is needed for food and consider if you can provide the proper diet. For example, hissing cockroaches are easy to feed, whereas stick insects need fresh vegetation and tarantulas need prey insects.

Will you be able to provide and and be comfortable feeding the necessary items?

Check into the life span. Most insect pets are pretty short lived, but some tarantulas can live for 20-30 years (and females are much longer lived than males).

Find out how to properly handle the pet. While this obvious for venomous animals, it is very important for all insects and arachnids as they can be injured by improper handling.

Find out, from a reputable source, the exact species of insect or spider and if it is venomous. Keep in mind that even a mildly venomous tarantula can cause a great deal of pain, and tarantulas have special hairs on their abdomen which they shed if threatened and which can be extremely irritating (and dangerous if they get in the eyes).

If you are getting a tarantula, make sure you find out how best to avoid bites, but also how to deal with bites if they should happen, and what to do if exposed to their irritating hairs.
 

catloverin_ks

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That is so awesome that your DH fell in love with this spider.


I dont have any advice though, sorry....

Best of luck to you!!
 

gingersmom

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If the natural lifespan of this type of spider is just under a year, then nothing you or your hubby will do can prolong its life. It isn't the weather that kills it, it's just that it has a short lifespan.

Most smaller spiders live long enough to create their eggsac and lay their eggs, then they die. It's part of the cycle, is all.


Maybe he can watch for and protect her eggsac, and then he'll have several hundred foster spider babies come spring.
 
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karmasmom

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Thank you so much for the advice and the links. Sadly, whenhe went out to check on her this morning he web was destroyed and she is no where to be seen. He is staying positive though and is hoping she either is hiding in the bushes or one of my plants or she moved to a different spot on the patio. He said he is going to keep an eye out for her. He also said he was going to research what her egg sac looks like so if she did lay eggs and has passed on he will try to find it and protect it.

Its so cute, I have never seen him care about a spider or any other insect for that matter the way he cares for her. Before he does anything else in the morning the first thing he does is go and check on her.

Here is a link to a picture of what she looked like.
http://www.pestcontrolcanada.com/Que...y%20Spider.jpg
 

ashleigh

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Hopefully she has just moved on somewhere safer after her web was destroyed. I hope you see her again soon
 

gailc

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This is what I recommend for research. http://ucanr.org/ce.fm.
This the cooperative extension website for the state of california. You need to find your local office and then find out who the University of CA Cooperative Extension Entomologist is. They should be able to give you an email address in which to contact for information.

For example I would contact my cooperative extension entomologist at UW-Madison.
I've talked with him many times and he knows is insects!! In fact he was just on WI Public Radio garden talk last friday and talked about spiders and he did mention that they most likely have laid their eggs for next year-you just need to know what they look like and places they could be!!

I hoped this helped!!
 
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karmasmom

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Originally Posted by GailC

This is what I recommend for research. http://ucanr.org/ce.fm.
This the cooperative extension website for the state of california. You need to find your local office and then find out who the University of CA Cooperative Extension Entomologist is. They should be able to give you an email address in which to contact for information.

For example I would contact my cooperative extension entomologist at UW-Madison.
I've talked with him many times and he knows is insects!! In fact he was just on WI Public Radio garden talk last friday and talked about spiders and he did mention that they most likely have laid their eggs for next year-you just need to know what they look like and places they could be!!

I hoped this helped!!
Thank you for this. He is going to find out who to contact for the SoCal region tomorrow.

I have good news. She is back!
He went outside to see if she was back and came running in like a little kid to tell me she was rebuilding her web. Now every half hour or so he goes out to check the progress. He has found where Orb Spiders lay their eggs and knows what the egg sac looks like so he plans on staying on alert and checking everyday under all the leaves to see if she has layed any yet. Its just so funny how he is acting like a little kid who just got his first pet. I am getting regular updates on her web building progress. Boys
 

liza24

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Originally Posted by GingersMom

If the natural lifespan of this type of spider is just under a year, then nothing you or your hubby will do can prolong its life. It isn't the weather that kills it, it's just that it has a short lifespan.

Most smaller spiders live long enough to create their eggsac and lay their eggs, then they die. It's part of the cycle, is all.


Maybe he can watch for and protect her eggsac, and then he'll have several hundred foster spider babies come spring.
I was JUST about to say that,lol!
 
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