SHE STILL GOT IT! An Awesome Naturalistic Setup for BLACK WIDOW

[@DUCKWALK_74]

you might want to close up the air wholes because once that sac hatches those babies will get out through them.

[@weebro55]

In the wild some species of Latrodectus have webs made to catch things walking along the ground. Not sure if it's true for this species as well, but it's web looks similar to the ones that do. There are lines attached to the ground that stick to the prey. When the prey struggles, the web breaks away from the ground and pulls the prey up into the air. The lines at the top aren't meant to be sticky. Instead the top webs are strong and have a lot of tension to help pull the prey up off the ground. You might have an easier time feeding them just by letting the roach wander around the bottom of the enclosure instead of placing it directly into her web.

[@Rydillon16]

This is true for my Latrodectus hasselti (AUS). Cool sticky traps they make between two horizontal surfaces within their three dimensional web.

[@jankoset7766]

Tredecimguttatus is similar, yes

[@PaulSteenOriginal]

PLEASE do more nature treks!! That video is the best thing I've seen in so long!

[@rickb7229]

It was having trouble webbing and catching prey because of the two missing back legs. They use the back legs to guide the web from the spineret to anchor points on prey and rocks.

[@effy_kujo]

Awe, she was probably really weak, hungry & dehydrated before you found her after making 3 eggs sacs & protecting them. Now that she ate a bit, I hope she gets stronger, eats more & gets to raise her babies until they are strong enough to venture off. Spider-mama stretch marks is the cutest way to look at her abdomen ❤ you should try putting a couple droplets of water on the enclosure or rocks, too 💦 just in case. Obviously, not too much Also, I love the plant/moss & Legos. Very cool. I wish someone would send me some candy & rockstars (no monsters, lol) 😅 cute ornaments. You have so many longtime fans, I remember fan mail from Kenya going years back. How awesome 👍🏻

[@misaelherrera2845]

Yeah when a widow apider looks like that, its because it is starving, when its healthy, it is rounder and not looking like it is shriveled up. Sometimes it can also mean that it is reaching at the end of its life stage.

[@71janas]

Been waiting for this. Excellent with a follow up vid👌

[@lawrenceriffe3809]

Glad I got ur video missed u got 2 full grown pirates spidsrs blk silver glow eyes11/2-2" in. Legs included

[@bridgethoskins9809]

Thanks so much for the informative and interesting video. It will be exciting to see if the egg sac hatches.

[@binkyboo4793]

I love how Kenya and her family spoil you and your family. It's such a sweet friendship.

[@SC-fb5jg]

Beautiful spider you have there o.o I was starting to miss the Nature Adventure videos. a follower since DD1 :)

[@Venom-kf6jp]

I love black widows. I used to find them all the time under the cushions of the chairs in my backyard as a kid. Like all the time. haha. Egg sacs and adult widows. I dont think they ever bothered me. They look awesome, and I know their venom will be good for something when used the right way. More research to be done.

[@evilmushroom6050]

I’m so early!!! I love widow spiders, i live in Australia and have always wanted to keep a red back.

[@GrowlingAraknid]

This was so entertaining! It's always a pleasure to see your videos!! Much love from the u.s! You have come such a long way over the years, congratulations on your beautiful hobby and beautiful family! As always thank you for sharing! 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

[@wootejoimage]

In the US black widows create trap lines. They have a glob of glue at the bottom and it's under tension. when the prey gets stuck they end up yanking the line loose and it contracts pulling the prey up into the air. Black widows can't grab prey like a wolf spider they run around and wrap up the prey from above and then bites when it's safe. They really aren't strong.

[@vahlak6554]

I have no idea how small the widow babies will be, so I hope you take care not to lose any through the vents in the enclosure.

[@humanbeing8283]

I live in Canada, and find that in the fall, the widows and false widows tend to come in when I bring my plants in for the winter. They survive till Spring and then go back outside. Misting their webs will help them stay hydrated. They seem to appreciate it. I've had an orb weaver come in for the winter before too, and she lived for a year over my TV. Lol She didn't want to hang out in my garden for whatever reason.

[@yung-capalot1452]

Oh bleep no. They all would of seen spiderjesus

[@Mandy7D7]

Just move them outside, there's no reason to kill them. @@yung-capalot1452

[@Adnancorner]

9:34 what ? the roach is just lying there and looking at the camera... 😂

[@BondyVelez]

them being seasonal cause of the cold is 100% true petko i been keeping black widows for years i had a 3 year old female that passed away last year as long as you keep them warm the go pass there lifespan

[@MrJordanSilver]

Here in Los Angeles the invasive Brown Widow has largely displaced our native Western Black Widow population and we have them all over the side of my house. During the pandemic I caught a mature female (but left her egg sac) and kept her in an acrylic enclosure on my desk. I don't know if it's the same for the Mediterranean Black Widow (both are Latrodectus) but this spider would take a meal every night if I provided it. It was an eating machine (tho would discard meals half eaten as well). And because I overfed her she just kept making egg sacs for the entire 9 months I kept her and seemed in good health when I released her back on the side of my house.

[@RubyMVmistress]

So, do they need to be left by their eggsacs for the babies to survive?

[@Mandy7D7]

The poor girl, she's missing some of the legs needed to wrap her pray. They don't grab their pray, they wrap them very quickly until it's safe for them to go in for the bite. They are not a strong spider even with all of their legs. She's doing really well for missing most of the tools she needs to safely capture her meals. I'm hoping she will survive and enjoy a nice retirement safely eating and basking in the lights in the Dark Den. She deserves it. 🙂

[@nikolpezoa3925]

awesome video, as always, she's really beautiful

[@caughtafaygo]

Lol love watching your videos! Ty for everything and awesome to see the fan mail opening again! Heart warning

[@MOONOVERMIAMI]

Hello great video information Petcko

[@stubby8663]

Thank you for the video, enjoyed watching. I hope she will continue to do Well and that she will live a while longer. Can't wait to see the babies hatch, are you going to put some screening over the Air holes so the little ones Can't get out ???

[@deewhitcha6014]

can't wait to see updates on this girl

[@DR-gt2vh]

Great Video! I start loving these widows more and more. You should check, if the holes in the enclosure are small enough to keep the babies inside. 🕷

[@lozhogan5084]

Thank you for another great video, Petko 👍

[@mirranda7052]

Dark den! Wooo!!!! Love your videos!

[@SargentROSE]

The reason why she could not catch the second crushed roach was her missing back leg, the long leg she has opposite it. If you go back and watch your other spiders you will see they will wrap the prey with web first before delivering the finishing venomous bite. Going to be rough feeding your favorite black widow my friend since maybe it’s experiencing “Phantom Limb” like most things after body parts are removed.

[@BobyChanMan]

Those legos for your family were such a sweet gift

[@Soundimal]

"Maybe I can play with this crack some more" I chuckled like a school boy at that 😂 Loving the enclosure for this awesome spider!

[@soupmagnet]

You're gonna have issues when those slings start to hatch, as they can easily get out of the air holes of that enclosure. You might want to find a different enclosure for them. I've had black widows hatch in a completely sealed enclosure, a glass jar with a press fit lid, but some of those slings still managed to squeeze out of the tiny crack where the lid was. IDK how, but it was a mess trying to get that all sorted out.

[@melissameowjitjhodgson897]

Love the up close fang action sweet video ✌️💖😃🕷

[@DiggerPrints0814]

When I moved across the country (Australia) at the beginning of last year, our removalists nearly had to stop for the day as the shipping container was full of Red-Backs haha I guess in Australia everything wants to kill or eat you.......

[@GlitzyWitch]

She is stunning. I do hope her eggs hatch ❤

[@Valentino-w8e]

Im an australian and at my olds house there was 2 red backs linving in my window in the lounge and they were incredible cool

[@tammybarrett13]

Thank you

[@MultiBunny10]

New dark den! Let's gooo!

[@heleninglis9961]

She's stunning!

[@michellemorningstar880]

do you ship to london Ontario Pekro ..love it i am so scared of black widows for sure ..make sure you never get a bite from one of those ..epic video thanks so very much P.s this was epic watch her wrap it up

[@Mrguccireckless]

Nice video bro 😎

[@spiderrico250]

Felix staring at us the whole time 😊 I noticed him about candy time 😅

[@GG_xalva]

hi Petko, can we get an update on balfouri babies?

[@jdssurf]

Awesome bro

[@brittanyw.5274]

That hust reminded me. Last year I was at a pumpkin farm place with a couple activities and I was checking out the mountain of corn kernels in a huge tire. On the side was a spider and I saw her shooting her web out at nothing.... till I came up. Then she kept trying to shoot it at me. I moved away so that way she wouldn't see me as a spot to make a home but she kept pointing herself at me and still trying to attach webs to me.... I miss that spider. Wish I could of taken her home with me

[@jarrodmcc123]

This is why i prefer tarantulas over true spiders. Its like perennials vs annuals.

[@JoshuaKatz-u8k]

My 1st comment here I love your vids they are great and after watching my 1st I was a fan and hooked love your work keep it up!!! And I like you even more knowing you like legos as well!

[@deadb0yy]

Would like to see you go back for a wolf spider, but better prepared for a successful capture.

[@Raziel1984]

just glad you did not fall of that rock on the adventure ... you would have tumbled right down to the ocean :D

[@kylegawron5358]

im wanting to get a jumping spider but not sure how to get make sure how long their food will last. I'll need to read up some more on their care and what food they like to eat.

[@bbtube2857]

Go for it! They eat small insects like roaches, flyes, crickets. Nothing special about the care.

[@ChantalsCritters]

Great video

[@dreampainter2011]

Do you have any of your enclosures available in the US??? I really like them!

[@kory5179]

Wonder if adding a sticker that shows you have to peel the film off would help with the misunderstanding

[@elsmoldragon]

Incredible

[@thecatsmeow9972]

So cool

[@survivinglife2048]

they use their back two long legs to wrap the webbing around prey. seems she struggles to throw her web, and you might have to pre kill her prey for a bit.

[@kevintyler9681]

I have two L. bishopi. I don't think they would ever catch anything in their webs if I didn't hand the roach to them. All widows seem to have flinsy webs.

[@giuseppemartino9783]

The death couch beetle would destroy the back red back window spider 😅😅. Sorry I seen it myself

[@Spiderdan-59]

Just a question, how long do the black widow live for?? Female or male 🕸❤️🇬🇧

[@crowofjudgement8810]

This species is actually thought to be as venomous as the famous north American black widow if not potentially more venomous

[@jdssurf]

Our western black widow slings can get out of those holes so just keep an eye on it, they won't wander too far.............happened to me twice lol.

[@leobajs5457]

Petko, you should remove the eggsac (if you don’t want black widow babies escaping).

[@finutzhi4006]

Look for Duplo blocks. Lego made for toddlers. :D

[@James-sh4zf]

The beetle may be responsible for taking her legs. She may not have even survived long in the wild

[@capatainnemo]

do a video building the lego please

[@kevinnix6155]

Do all Mediterranean Black widows have the odd shaped abdomen? Or was it just since she laid eggs? In America the southern black widows usually have a pretty perfect round badunkadunk

[@NDMWOLF3003]

@thedarkden would love to see you catch a wolf spider

[@effy_kujo]

I'm pretty sure he had one in the Harry Potter enclosure, but I agree, would love to see him catch one in the next Adventure Time!

[@effy_kujo]

Nature Adventure* video, lol

[@Dead-Levi]

❤

[@mstalcup]

I guess the species name L. tredecimguttatus means that it has thirteen spots on its abdomen.

[@andraskecskemeti8905]

meditarrian black widows are live like 3 years

[@yung-capalot1452]

Your house will be my personal hell i just know it

[@elizabethdurocher8308]

What will you do when the egg sack hatched?

[@joandudley4847]

Man Petko, I can’t even imagine the insurance on your house with all those critters incase an enclosure smashes and they get out into the wild 😝 Love the spiders, love watching you, I wish I was as brave as you!!

[@mortherasmort4623]

I didn’t even know there was a European black widow I just keep thinking that’s not a black widow.

[@giuseppemartino9783]

Without the web the back window will get killed 😮😮

[@ВиталийГолованов-р5ц]

Be careful with this sack, slings are really tiny and its around 100 in that thing, they can easy escape in tiny ventilation holes.Iwas bred steatoda paykulliana and slings was really tiny

[@astrogumbie2399]

YOU NEED TO GET YOU TAIL BACK OUT THERE AND GET SOME OF THOSE PRETTY AND BIG WOLF SPIDERS~~

[@jdssurf]

yeah those were dope

[@headrockbeats]

LOL Kenya knows you disturbingly well.

[@poochiew.9302]

I imagine she had a hard time with those roaches because they use their back legs to wrap the prey up in the web, but she is missing those legs.

[@BillCoz]

bleck weedo

[@ODST_SSGT]

I don’t think that’s a true black widow, it looks more like a red back spider.

[@thebloodyenglish6620]

Side note how brain dead has society become when people don't realise or at least can't figure out theres protective film to remove 😅😂😢

[@johnholmes6897]

Say that name 10xs very fast

[@lawrenceriffe3809]

I think shez 1/2 her size she seemz young

[@brxndon_spacejumper]

first!

[@DrFib-g6s]

.

[@luisemoralesfalcon4716]

Awww, she is so toxic.

[@yada2033]

The spiders back looks like it has a finger print on it, in the wrinkles

[@tobi_aksel]

personally, I find mealworms work better for feeding widows but that's just my opinion