False widow spiders

thewolfboy

How many flies does that one have to eat each day Stig?

Stig

I don't know, I guess it depends on the size of the fly. I do sometimes experiment with giving my ones alternative food sources. Today I found out that they don't like pepperoni - they find it so disgusting that they pick it up and throw it off their webs. They don't like the jelly that comes in cat food either, but they tend to leave that on their webs (perhaps it's too awkward for them to pick up). They love the meaty bits of cat food though.

charltonkeston

Stig said:

I don't know, I guess it depends on the size of the fly. I do sometimes experiment with giving my ones alternative food sources. Today I found out that they don't like pepperoni - they find it so disgusting that they pick it up and throw it off their webs. They don't like the jelly that comes in cat food either, but they tend to leave that on their webs (perhaps it's too awkward for them to pick up). They love the meaty bits of cat food though.

I thought they liked liquid food as they can't digest solids. Isn't their venom what breaks down the insides of their prey?

Darty Valiant

Anyone used RAID fly/wasp spray or the RAID cockroach killer in the red can? If so, dId it kill the spider. Ive not seen a spray specifically for spiders so i tend to use the Dyson which does a good job of removing all limbs.

Stig

They do inject liquifying enzymes into their prey. Perhaps that's also how they eat the cat food. Though I don't think they need to - from what I've seen they seem to break off very small chunks (though these are discoloured so that may be the enzymes at work). I think that they may need to inject insects because biting through the tough skin on a fly would be incredibly hard word whereas cat food is largely mush anyway.


1. Jettisoning a rather large chunk of pepperoni


2. Sucking from a little shrink wrapped fly


3. Give the death bite to a chunk of cat food


4. Eating a small chunk of discoloured cat food.

Alwaysneil

New camera?

Stig

No, same old one.

Alwaysneil

Tidy. Nice photos.

Oh_Yoni_Boy

Liking these photos, Stig. Feeding them maggots is quite good to watch too (had them for fishing).

nth_london_addick

Wtf are you up to stig, over feeding big spiders to make giant ones

Are you planning on saddling the bstd and riding it to eat meire

Stig

Now is a great time to get out in the garden and see the European Garden Spiders as the females are getting very fat and are really prominent on their webs:

DaveMehmet

Stig said:

Now is a great time to get out in the garden and see the European Garden Spiders as the females are getting very fat and are really prominent on their webs:

You can go to The Millers to see fat females who are prominent on the web.

Alwaysneil

Didn't know Sue* went to the Brewers.

*apologies I've never seen or met sue and she is probably lively in person and may be very svelte as far as I know.

Dazzler21

Swisdom said:

smiffyboy said:

It was in my daughters room and she hates them, had to try and catch the bloody thing that would give bolt a run for his money and calm her down before the neighbours thought I was murdering her

Lynx + lighter

It's the only way to be sure and leaves a nice aroma.?scorch marks on the walls are repairable

Bit harsh for him to torch his daughter!

Dazzler21

Stig said:

Now is a great time to get out in the garden and see the European Garden Spiders as the females are getting very fat and are really prominent on their webs:

Is that a wasp it's wrapped up for tea?

blackpool72

Dazzler21 said:

Stig said:

Now is a great time to get out in the garden and see the European Garden Spiders as the females are getting very fat and are really prominent on their webs:

Is that a wasp it's wrapped up for tea?

No it's a leopard these spiders are truly massive

Addickted2TheReds

@Stig - you are very strange.

Spiders are bad.

Lesson over.

:-)

CAFCsayer

Bit worried... Just found this in my bathroom, it isn't a false widow is it?

SuedeAdidas

CAFCsayer said:

Bit worried... Just found this in my bathroom, it isn't a false widow is it?

Not sure about the spider - but that's definitely a false cock.

cabbles

At this time of year in Britain I'd be surprised to see any spiders knocking about. Down under though https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/australia-zoo-urges-people-to-catch-deadly-spiders-as-antidote-runs-low/?WT.mc_id=SA_TW_HLTH_NEWS

killerandflash

SuedeAdidas said:

CAFCsayer said:

Bit worried... Just found this in my bathroom, it isn't a false widow is it?

Not sure about the spider - but that's definitely a false cock.

One bite could cause a massive swelling...

Stig

If I've identified this one correctly it's a type of false widow called Steatoda Bipuncata AKA The Rabbit Hutch Spider. On account of it's size (not that you can tell from the photo), I'd think this one is probably a female.

Anna_Kissed

A similar spider was in my living room yesterday. Same shape, same markings. I put it in the porch so it didn't get wet and left the porch door open so it could go for a walk.

Stig

Never mind the false widows. What abut this little beaut?

Six-a-bag-of-nuts

Stig said:

Never mind the false widows. What abut this little beaut?

Ah, the Lisa Simpson spider.

creepyaddick

The Jacobs cream cracker spider

cabbles

''Tis that time of the year again

Leuth

Darty Valiant said:

Anyone used RAID fly/wasp spray or the RAID cockroach killer in the red can? If so, dId it kill the spider. Ive not seen a spray specifically for spiders so i tend to use the Dyson which does a good job of removing all limbs.

This kind of attitude is why our planet is fucked, btw. You know that spiders are the pest control, rather than the pest?

creepyaddick

There was a cobweb hanging down the outside of my kitchen window the other day with a big fat female sitting at the centre. Along comes a randy male and starts plucking her web strings. After about 10 minutes of dancing he manages to climb on board, before legging it for a breather. Another 10 mins pass and the same again, he clambers aboard and wraps his legs around her. When he goes back for a third go, she goes for him, teeth and all so he runs for his life, so fast that he's hanging by a single thread, blowing in the wind. She casually strolls over and snips the thread and the poor sod drops into oblivion. (Well on top of my hosepipe) never to be seen again.
Those females are harsh.

blackpool72

creepyaddick said:

There was a cobweb hanging down the outside of my kitchen window the other day with a big fat female sitting at the centre. Along comes a randy male and starts plucking her web strings. After about 10 minutes of dancing he manages to climb on board, before legging it for a breather. Another 10 mins pass and the same again, he clambers aboard and wraps his legs around her. When he goes back for a third go, she goes for him, teeth and all so he runs for his life, so fast that he's hanging by a single thread, blowing in the wind. She casually strolls over and snips the thread and the poor sod drops into oblivion. (Well on top of my hosepipe) never to be seen again.
Those females are harsh.

Going back for a third time I admire his stamina: )