Pet Black Widow continued...

With the last post I focused more on the spider itself but with this post I'm hoping to focus on the pet part. Before you start crying because you cant handle bugs, they definitely aren't for everyone but they are the easiest thing to care for next to a weed. And its a great conversation starter for guests and people think you're really cool.
 
  The first thing you need to do is find a spider. I caught my Widow, Sheelah, in my grandpas basement. This time of year they are going to be outside most often but you will start finding them inside in October.Or you can find a breeder online, but that's a little weird and its better to find a wild one. You then need to catch it. This can be tricky and dangerous if you aren't careful. You might want to use gloves. Use a clear container with a lid that has holes. Old pickle jars work great. Place the mouth of the jar over the spider and then put on the lid. If this doesn't work, use your imagination. I don't assume responsibility for any injuries. After your spider had gone to the bottom of the container you can put in sticks and leaves for the spider to make her webs in. I custom make my spiders habitats in woodshop. Keep in mind they like to hide so provide a place for them to do that. Depending on the time of year you catch your Widow, she may lay egg sacks. Its best to remove them quickly. But this is very dangerous. This is when the females are most aggressive and will take every opportunity to bite. Just put the egg sacks somewhere you don't mind black widows living. Keep in mind they kill lots of insects before you light it on fire. She can lay up to 5 to 6 sacks. The only thing you now have to do is feed and water and clean the cage. Ill get more into that in my next post. Black widows are very interesting animals and make good pets.

 This is Sheelah now. She doesn't have a red hourglass.

 This is her new habitat I made in woodshop.

 This is Sheelah the day I caught her.