Feeding an Orb Weaver Spider

[english kanigit]

Normally I like spiders, the exception to that is the brown recluse. I hate those little *******s.

He had the misfortune of being caught in my new and at the time empty bacon grease jar. Apparently spiders don't like hot bacon grease.

Ek

 

[shootermcgavin]

I used to feed them growing up. they would hang in the rose bushes at my neighbors house. It was amazing to see how quick those bugs would get wrapped up and the spider would be sitting center of the web again. Best was when we caught a giant praying mantis and threw it in there. They fought for about 5 minutes until finally the mantis fell out of the nearly destroyed web.

Then when I lived in my apartment we fed Frank. He was a tiny little spider, not sure what kind. He got plump and fat off me though until one day he disappeared (I think grounds crew took him out).

I say it's dumb to buy crickets for the spider, but nothing wrong with watching a good show if you find a bug.

 

[rhodesbe]

I hear orb weavers eat small children. Those *******s get way too big to be keeping as pets!

 

[LightningCrash]

I always fed them moths. Keeps the moth population down.

 

[Sunset_Z28]

My wife hates spiders and begs me to kill them but occasionally I'll try to toss bugs (and small children) into the webs and watch them eat. As long as they're outside I don't mind them. I've never went out of my way to buy them food though.

 

[UnSafe]

I only kill spiders inside our house. We've fed outside Orb Weavers and Garden Spiders for years. Small grasshoppers, moths and whatever I can swat/ stun with a swatter becomes food.

 

[nofearfactor]

Ive got one nice sized orb weaver in the front of the house and another smaller one right outside my back door that have both come back for the last few years. And yes I feed them and enjoy them.

I've been heavily into arachnids myself ever since I was a little kid growing up in Oceanside California. My dad gave me my first tarantula that he scooped up from the desert out in 29 Palms. I do not kill any of the spiders who inhabit my man cave/garage, but I do let my wife kill the ones in the house because it would be insensitive to not understand her and the kids fear of them. My personally owned critters I have my own room for the their tanks- tarantulas,scorpion,lizards,snakes,etc.

2 of my babies. A curlyhair and a rosehair:

And the newest addition to my little 'family' that I brought home Friday- an Emporer scorpion:

I love spiders so much that I had my exwife/co-owner of our tattoo shop tattoo on me some web design that I drew up last weekend. Its on the top of my right arm and shoulder and goes all around the arm/shoulder and then down into some of the rest of my sleeve on the under side. Doing some more of it around the tattoos on my legs next.
[Broken External Image]

 

[nich018]

Nothing wrong w/ it if you enjoy that. I don't like Black Widows or the Recluse. Those deserve fire.

 

[Keelty]

We don't buy crickets but we do feed our resident orb named Charlotte moths and grasshoppers that we catch in the yard.

I did think about buying the crickets though.

Hey All,

I'm throwing out a curve ball on this one.....just go with it.

Are we(my wife and myself) the only ones who like to feed the native species of spiders.....the Orb Weaver? What I'm saying is, we have a cool little spider that is taking up residence under the corner underside eve of my house.

Every evening it spins or repairs it's web, waiting for a meal. Soooo, the wife and myself oblige by feeding it small crickets from Pet Smart.

Are we "enablers".....not letting nature take its course, if the spider didn't obtain food on its own....it would die. Nature taking place.

Is it the Scientist in my wife and myself(it is our profession) coming out and enjoying the beauty of science, and Fauna?? We will miss it when it lays an egg sac and the frost kills it........ Yes, we let nature follow through.

To a certain extent, don't we do this when we feed birds and other wild species?

Bottom line: does anyone else do this or are my wife and myself crazy??

A picture of the type of OrbWeaver....not the actual one.

Cohiba

 

[Cedar Creek]

Diazanon