Best place to hunt for Lactrodectus?

Chris11

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Hey guys, ive been wanting to keep a female widow. Ive researched a little bit on here and plan to do more but I am wondering where is the best place to find one? I live about 20 miles south of st. Louis, mo and have seen them and know that theyre here but dont know what kind of terrain, or season they are best found. I plan on releasing it as soon as I notice it might be fertile or if it lays a sac because I DO NOT want any slings. And what species am I most likely to find here?
 

Beary Strange

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Scout around during the day for messy webs low to the ground next to houses, fences, curbs, really any outdoor fixture is likely to have them. I've found them in stoplight crevices. And come night time, go to the webs you've scouted and you should have no problem finding them. Or do what I do and let friends and co-workers know you're looking for them and invariably someone will have them in their garage or backyard that they'll be happy to let you have. It's how I got my current hesperus girl. As far as when to find them, I find them to be the most prolific in the summer, particularly once it gets hot--as spiders do. If you don't want babies, you could shoot for a juvenile or a younger female?
 

Chris11

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Thanks guys!!! I know that juvies have the same markings... anyway to tell male from female at that age?

---------- Post added 07-31-2015 at 10:55 AM ----------

Just popped my meter to no avail... no evidence of any spiders at all.
 

armyangel93

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I've only encountered three in my life that I remember (I've never intentionally looked for them until recently). Two were close to or on wooden doors. My front door at a house when I was a child and inside a hole in a flimsy wooden door recently. The last one I found at the house I was in before my current residence was under a medium-sized brick-like rock. I went to lift it and to my surprise there was a huge, beautiful Widow right next to my finger. She didn't move or anything and now that I think of it, might have been gravid. That house was located next to a river in the country. My other residences have been in suburban areas. Don't know if that helps.

EDIT: Also, I find it note-worthy that I found the most recent two in the winter, which I thought was odd.
 

pannaking22

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I've had the most luck finding L. variolus in parks. They like to build their webs in the corners of the big wooden signs that have all the park info. They also seem to like building webs in the openings the horizontal pieces of wood go into when building a fence, though in a part shade/full shade area seems to be the best. I've also flipped rotting logs and found them there, but that seemed to be more of an anomaly since I had been flipping logs all day and only found one.
 

Chris11

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No luck so far searching my immediate property (which isnt much)... but im gonna go to the local park tomorrow and search. My parents have a concrete block retaining wall next to their pool and theres loads in there. I might wait for my brothers bday party on the 8th and search then....
How do you guys house yours?
 

pannaking22

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Cool, I hope you're able to find both mactans and variolus there. If you need some variolus though I have a ton of slings at the moment and I wouldn't mind parting with a few...In terms of housing simple is usually best. I have my adults in anything from a 16 to 32 oz deli container with a little coco fiber at the bottom and some sticks crisscrossing the open space. Peanut butter jars and spice jars work pretty well too I think. I just prefer the delis because they're clear on all sides.
 

Beary Strange

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Thanks guys!!! I know that juvies have the same markings... anyway to tell male from female at that age?

---------- Post added 07-31-2015 at 10:55 AM ----------

Just popped my meter to no avail... no evidence of any spiders at all.
Well my method is hardly scientific but since mature males tend to be pretty small, I generally judge any widow shaped like a female and larger than the average MM to be female. There's no way that's foolproof but it's worked well so far. Worst case scenario, snag a few just in case.

My two cents on housing: avoid top opening containers. The ones I've had web there regardless of how I set them up to discourage it. Being able to open them to remove food remains (they are super messy) without causing them major disturbance makes things easier on both parties. I also don't like to use sub. The don't use it and it just adds to their mess.
 
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pannaking22

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My two cents on housing: avoid top opening containers. The ones I've had web there regardless of how I set them up to discourage it. Being able to open them to remove food remains (they are super messy) without causing them major disturbance makes things easier on both parties. I also don't like to use sub. The don't use it and it just adds to their mess.
Yeah, avoiding top opening containers makes things a heck of a lot easier. Even if you set it up so that it seems like they can't make it to the top, they still will lol. I have sub in a couple of mine more for aesthetic purposes, though it does get caught up in the web sometimes. I have a couple without any substrate and it looks too plain to be. But that's just personal preference :) If you do decide to use some substrate though, a super thin layer on the bottom is all you'll need.
 

pitbulllady

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I find these mostly around the outside of buildings, underneath any kind of ledge or overhanging board or masonry. Typically they are found fairly close to the ground, though on occasion I'll find one up higher, like above an old door. I've caught three this year inside hollowed-out spaces around the roots of old trees. They are nocturnal, so your best bet for finding Widows is to get yourself a battery-operated headlamp with at least 200 lumens and get out at night. The shiny black and red shows up very noticeably. Scout around during the day for those sloppy-looking webs and chances are you'll find a Widow hanging out in one once it gets really dark.
 

The Snark

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And we are forgetting the most obvious. Become familiar with Latrodectus webs. They are much stronger than any other web including steatoda. Once familiar plucking a single line and a glance at the condition of the web will reveal if it is a latrodectus and if in residence.
 

Chris11

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Thanks everyone! Really good tips and tricks !

---------- Post added 08-02-2015 at 04:32 PM ----------

And what do you suggest using for a container? I had some peanut butter jars setup for some but now thats out of the question lol
 

edgeofthefreak

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And what do you suggest using for a container? I had some peanut butter jars setup for some but now thats out of the question lol
Do you happen to have any upside-down peanut bar jars? They open from the bottom. :biggrin: All seriousness, if you aren't planning on using substrate, this could work.

Side note, I can't help looking around for Latros near me, but in Southwestern Ontario, I've heard my chances are slim. Never seen one in the wild around here, and my parents used to have a shed full of spiders. This thread has me hunting regardless!
 

Chris11

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Do you happen to have any upside-down peanut bar jars? They open from the bottom. :biggrin: All seriousness, if you aren't planning on using substrate, this could work.

Side note, I can't help looking around for Latros near me, but in Southwestern Ontario, I've heard my chances are slim. Never seen one in the wild around here, and my parents used to have a shed full of spiders. This thread has me hunting regardless!
Ive never seen one of those containers but I will look. Thanks for the idea and I hope you find one! Im still trying... actually im gonna go now...
 

Beary Strange

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Ive never seen one of those containers but I will look. Thanks for the idea and I hope you find one! Im still trying... actually im gonna go now...
I believe he's joking. Some people turn peanut butter jars and deli cups upside down, so you open it from the bottom to add and remove food. I lucked out and have this weird square acrylic container that I got at a show a couple years ago that's never really suited a T but is perfect for widows. The door slides so I just turn mine so gravity does a lot of the work for me and slide it up for maintenance/feeding. If you have a bent towards DIYing with acrylic you could recreate this? It might sound like a lot of work for something that will only live a year or so, but if you like keeping them you'd be refilling it the very next summer. They make great captives.
 

Chris11

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Wow I feel so smart right now... in my defense I was pretty tired! I didnt even think of how dumb that sounded just read and went with it lol I already have my 'upside down peanut butter jar' made. Im going to go no substrate in it so what about the moisture issue? Just mist lightly every couple days?
 

The Snark

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Wow I feel so smart right now... in my defense I was pretty tired! I didnt even think of how dumb that sounded just read and went with it lol I already have my 'upside down peanut butter jar' made. Im going to go no substrate in it so what about the moisture issue? Just mist lightly every couple days?
I'd go with the substrate. But put it in the lid. Always seems to stay cleaner there.
 

edgeofthefreak

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Wow I feel so smart right now... in my defense I was pretty tired! I didnt even think of how dumb that sounded just read and went with it lol I already have my 'upside down peanut butter jar' made. Im going to go no substrate in it so what about the moisture issue? Just mist lightly every couple days?
Haha! I was tired when I thought what I posted would be funny! :D

I have a screw top container that I keep upside-down, and found a condiment cup that fits perfectly in the lid. It presses against the sides of the upside-down container and creates a tight seal. I can filled that cup with sub, and none gets past. If I ever needed to trade out that sub, I could do it without disturbing the occupant.

Goodest luck in your search, and your DIY efforts!
 
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