Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have them in deli cups is that ok and they both spun a web and i think the female ate a crick (small) it is a medium one but mabe not adult i inch the male is smaller and skinnier so i have finally gotten a pair......when can the male go to the female and what type of widows live in utah are they as poisonous?
Thanx in advance
chris

You should reconsider whether you really want to breed widows! The spiderlings are minute, and could VERY easily escape, either through the air holes ( I assume you gave them some ) or when you open the lid to feed. If they escape ( which is likely), you could end up with an INFESTATION of widows - not a pleasant thing, even to an arachnid hobbyist. If you are sure you want to breed these, ( and are experienced enough to know what you're doing with this species ) then you should wait at least a week, to let the female get acclimated to her environment. Then introduce the male. If you don't want to lose your male, you may want to view the mating with an open lid, and have some kind of prod available. That way, if the female is not impressed, and mating does not take place , you can save your male and try again later. But first you should be sure that what you have IS a male. Male black widows look nothing like females. Here is the link to a picture of a MALE black widow :

http://home1.gte.net/cpq1cvvg/bwidowmale.htm

As far as what species you have, it is probably Lactrodectus hesperus, the western widow.

Great advice!

Coming from one who had (still has) an infestation of Browns, an infestation is nothing to take lightly. These animals are elusive, I thought I had them under control but mamma nature made them amazingly resilient. I finally had to remove all objects from the infested (quasi-outdoor room) and spray it all down with insecticide. Hated to do it but I can ill afford these animals living so close.

Anyway, something that had to be done for peace of mind, but dunno if it's over yet.

Regards,
Jeff Nichols

thanx so much
i wont breed them cause i think there both females
ill gewt some pics but what type are they in utah
thanx
chris

heres a pic

N/P

>>N/P

kinda difficult to tell in the photo, but the hourglass seems more top heavy than bottom heavy which tends to be the case with the westerns.
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Wyvern