L. variolus "Northern Black Widow" Rehouse and Care

In this video, we rehouse my adult female L. variolus and talk a bit about the care of this amazing spider.

[@The-Secret-Dragon]

those little kicky feets when you poked her 🥺 too precious for words

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I thought that was absolutely adorable. :)

[@markrusher8377]

The last black widow that I raised lived for 3 years and she was a blast.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

That's awesome, Mark! This one made it over 2 years, and I thought that was good!

[@plawson8577]

@@TomsBigSpidersThat is exactly how long Widows live in Captivity. Cobweavers have stronger vitality than Orb Weavers who live about as long as a Field Mouse.

[@EightDeadlySins]

spend as much time with your family as possible. especially during the holidays. time is something you'll never get back! awesome video man. I personally love widows. don't have any but I love them.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks so much, Dylan! And we have to get you some widows... :)

[@EightDeadlySins]

@@TomsBigSpiders I have wild ones out here lol just never thought to catch them and keep them. my kids like to keep jumping spiders though!

[@WaltRBuck]

I've always loved the look of black widows. I've seen them with hour glasses ranging from deep red to yellow.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Me too, Walt. There is just something about them. :)

[@Noodleandthepoodles]

I keep getting these brought to me from friends who know I keep spiders and tarantulas. Black widows are so misunderstood and I love watching them, they truly are amazing.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hi, Shawna! So sorry for the late reply! I couldn't agree with you more. It's kind of sad, really.

[@jimmysjamin1]

Tom I feel really blessed that you do this for all of us Spideraholchs but your human family needs your care as well so I'll take what I can get bless you and both of your families brother !

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you so much, Jimmy! Happy New Year!

[@jimmysjamin1]

Hi Tom sorry to bother you on New years day I'm not sure if you'll see this or not but I had an unfortunate mishap with my Vietnam blue she got out of her enclosure and jumped about 4 feet to the linoleum floor below, now she's bleeding from her left side leg looks like it's at the joint it looks as though it stopped bleeding but I can't be sure. Is there anything that I can do should it start bleeding again ? She's a teenager and my goodness so fast she was out of the enclosure in a fraction of a second my head is still spinning 😱

[@TomsBigSpiders]

@@jimmysjamin1 Hey, Jimmy...oh no! Poor thing. If she should start bleeding again, put some corn starch on the area with a cotton swab. That will help it to clot more quickly. I hope that she's doing okay!

[@jimmysjamin1]

@@TomsBigSpiders Thanks Tom I appreciate that so much my Goodness Shockingly so fast I never seen anything move that quickly ! I wish I could have shielded her with my body, I would have rather take a bite then to see her hurt. I'll keep the corn starch ready bless you for that much needed advice .

[@jimmysjamin1]

Tom Just a quick update she seems to be climbing the glass enclosure ok and now she went back in her cave looks good so far my hopes is she wouldn't have climbed the glass if she was extremely injured I think she would have opted for the under ground hope I'm reading her correctly and it's just not high hopes even though I have those too thanks again for the good advice Happy New Year.

[@JJDigitalartStudio]

I got you beat, we have 5 living under the patio table. There are no chairs so no one sits there. They are not aggressive to us but they eat termites, ants and mosquitoes. Love what they do. They have never bitten anyone. Unless they are threatened they do not try to bite.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Wow, that is so awesome. And I LOVE that you use them as natural pest control!!!!

[@heleninglis9961]

Such beautiful little beasties. Their behaviours also really fascinate me.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you, Helen!

[@samanthageach3146]

Im getting my first widow on Saturday. Lactrodectus hesperus (Western Black Widow) and this video is very helpful. Thanks! Ive kept many venomous creatures from H. macs to deathstalkers and Im so stoked to finally get a female widow. Thanks again. You are truly a pioneer in our hobby and you have helped so many of us. You are the king.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Congrats, Samantha! Sadly, this girl finally died from old age, but I will pick up some more in the spring. They are such wonderful spiders. Thank you so much!

[@arachnocult]

Thanks for all the time you are putting into this! I'd rather have quality over quantity and wait for something worthwhile than just being entertained for the sake of pushing out videos. Your channel and website have been a great help to me getting back into the tarantula hobby after a long absence. I'm also diving into true spiders lately and with this video you make me want to get a Latrodectus species...beautiful spiders with very bad PR but hey what spider doesn't? Wishing you and your family the best for he New Year and again thanks for all the hard work.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

A Happy New Year to you and yours as well...thank you! Yeah, that intro was more for the folks that freak out if I miss a week. Thank you so much for the very kind words, and welcome back!

[@Bloopie666]

Good for you Tom! Family is more important than anything else in our lives. ♥

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Amen, Phoenix! Thank you!

[@davidrosvall1722]

Happy holidays, Tom! On the beginning of the video, you do not need to explain yourself to us. I'm not sure I can speak for everyone, but we understand that you have a life outside of KZbin.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I know, I probably could have left that out. It just seems that some of the folks who are new to this channel don't get that I do things a little differently. Thank you so much, David!

[@markrusher8377]

She is one large momma and as large as she is will be a momma before very much longer. She is one beautiful and majestic Widow. Love how you bring excitement and you pass your love of this gorgeous lady.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hey, Mark! Thank you so much!

[@carydavenport1869]

Family time is more important then doing new content. Enjoy your family.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I agree completely, Cary! And I think that most understand that. :)

[@hb8ts985]

That vibrant Red on the deep Black is absolutely amazing! Thanks for your great work, i´ve recently started hearing your Podcasts on Spotify. Your calm Voice makes it a great pleasure to hear so much interesting facts

[@TomsBigSpiders]

There's just something about black and red. Thank you so much! I hate the sound of my own voice, but people seem to really like it! haha Happy New Year!

[@hb8ts985]

@@TomsBigSpiders It´s the same to me on my voice 😀

[@jamesprice7470]

Hey Tom,gorgeous spider.hope u had a good Christmas.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I sure did, James...thank you. I hope that you did as well. Happy New Year!

[@ashleydawn764]

We found a widow in my preschool classroom, instead of squishing we scooped her up and built her a home her name is princess and shes eaten a grasshopper almost double her size and some earwigs. The kids love her and want to see her everyday. They know not to play with them if they find any outside. We did a mini blackwidow study to learn about them. Where i live there are so many of them , almost every building has them around the perimeter about 4 inches off the ground.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

That's absolutely FANTASTIC, Ashley! What a great way to educate them about them rather than feed into their bad reputation!

[@kevinstreet5709]

All the best to you and your family, thanks for what you do

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you so much, Kevin! Happy New Year!

[@lillyh3447]

I am so grateful that you do your Toms Big Spiders content at all!! I can't imagine teaching full-time, having a family life, and patiently educating people entering the hobby. Thank you so so much, without you I don't know if I'd have Ts! I hope you always feel like you can take a break, certain things have to come first!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you so much, Lilly! Happy New Year!

[@michaeltaylor2449]

AWESOME video Tom STUNNING Spiders

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you so much, Michael!

[@michaeltaylor2449]

@@TomsBigSpiders Your welcome

[@Gothicgirl1122x]

Happy Christmas Tom and ur family that spider look awesome so calm with you nice enclosure better look nice when it all web up

[@TomsBigSpiders]

And Happy New Year to you and yours! Thank you!

[@meaganmahoney4646]

Absolutely stunning!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you, Meagan!

[@bobbiscrittercave2348]

Absolutely gorgeous - thanks for sharing!💜💚

[@TomsBigSpiders]

And thank YOU for watching and commenting, Bobbi! Happy New Year!

[@bobbiscrittercave2348]

@@TomsBigSpiders you're welcome! And a happy New Year to you and yours as well!

[@ChantalsCritters]

Great rehouse video

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you, Channy!!! Happy New Year!

[@billstokesbary6143]

Happy Holidays Tom, spend time with your family, we will survive and wait patiently :)

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Happy New Year, Bill! And thank you so much!

[@sevenn7pure]

And Tom please present your awesome videos as you please. You always have such great and informative videos, but like you said you do this as a hobby/enjoyment. This is not your full time job and when people get to the point of feeling like it is a job (that they don't want, some welcome it) they quickly lose interest and some may actually dred it. That's NOT where we want to go here Tom, we all greatly appreciate all that you do. Some of us understand the hard work and mainly your time that you sacrifice to put out this content. I don't own any black windows nor do I ever plan on it (I would also be homeless but that's a different story) but I'm watching because it's such friken good content 🤣, not sure how else to put it. A huge Thank You as always Tom, hope you had a great Christmas, and cheers to a Happy New Year!!!!!!!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

That's it exactly...when I start feeling like I'm obligated to do this stuff, it won't be fun anymore. I just think that some folks have a hard time understanding that. Thanks so much for getting it and for the kind words; I truly appreciate it. Happy New Year!

[@palanthis]

Merry Christmas, Tom. I snagged one of these last night. Super excited. Also, my H. Carolenensis dropped a sac last night. "Needless to say, that last twenty four hours have been very exciting."

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Man, what great timing. And congrats on your sac...that's awesome and super exciting!!!

[@MrPeter924]

Awesome pets Tarantula. Merry Christmas

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you! And Happy New Year!

[@Latrodectus_vv_]

Great video! I have kept a lot of Latrodectus. It is interesting how the "hour glass" varies so much with the individual. I had a giant Hesperus that retained some juvinile colors into adulthood. Huge widow too. They are so active and messy!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

They really do have so much variation, which makes them even cooler. Man, that must have been a gorgeous spider.

[@lesleys8leggeddevils824]

Stunning spider ❤❤❤

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you, Lesley!

[@TheThunderer1701]

Greetings, Tom!!! Thanks for this vid. I just recently took in 3 female Western Black Widows (L. hesperus). I love how they really have to work for their meals. Lol. Much different from our tarantulas which seem to just bulldoze over to subdue their prey. One of them was supposed to be a male (according to a friend who gave her to me), but it definitely turned out female. No worries about missing a vid. I count it a privilege for the vids you share and have learned never to "expect" folks to entertain/share/teach. If doing this remains fun for you, you'll probably continue much longer than if/when it becomes a burden. Hope you, Billie and family have a wonderful holiday and a really exciting and Happy New Year!!!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Oh, man...that's awesome! I'll have to keep a lookout for some of them. Yes, the hunting is just so cool. I'm hoping that I can catch this girl on the hunt. And thanks for understanding. That was my point exactly; I don't ever want this to feel like a chore or a burden. Happy New Year to you and yours!!!!

[@JJDigitalartStudio]

Family ALWAYS comes first. Happy New Year to you and Billie and the kids, dogs, cats and all the T's and anything I missed. :D

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I agree completely, Joyce! Happy New Year to you and yours as well! Let's hope that 2022 is a bit more fun. haha

[@JJDigitalartStudio]

@@TomsBigSpiders Sadly, it looks like 2020 is haunting us like the ghost of Covid past. Try to have a great year Tom. At least the T's don't have to wear masks. Hi Billie!

[@zulemazahir666]

I'm happy to get a video, whenever you have the time. Hope you all had a great holiday! I've always been apprehensive about getting widows since I grew up with them all over practically, but maybe I'll take the plunge this upcoming year.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks so much, Zulema! We had a wonderful holiday and week off...thank you! Happy New Year! Let me know if you DO pick some up. :)

[@zulemazahir666]

I ended up picking one up tonight lol! My gf took my dogs out and one of them was going after it, so she came and got me. No way I'm killing it and no way I'm leaving it out there for my silly pups etc. Safely housed now. Funny that she's upset about it being in the house, even though we've had pokies and other old worlds here in our bedroom for years. 😅 Anywho sorry for the long story. I'm glad I have a Latrodectus (Hesperus it seems¿?) to take care of finally. I'm assuming the care would be the same, essentially?

[@socalexoticsandinverts8894]

Awesome as always! Gotta love your widows. I too have been obsessed with them and they are so misunderstood as with the rest of the arachnids in the world.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

They totally are, bud. Thank you!

[@benjamindavis8594]

Awesome video man. Thanks for the education and your time. Peace

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks so much, Benjamin!

[@lukesmithson1347]

Great video...so fun to see a locally native spider in your videos. Glad you got to spend some down time with the family.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks so much, Luke!

[@chesterswingjr9796]

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to you and your family. I’ve got these all over, outside my house. I live in the woods, so there’re all over. I find them in the house one ever in a while, and they get escorted outside in a catch cup!!!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hello, Chester! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours as well...thank you! Ha! That's awesome!

[@djd9622]

Family first man! Love your stuff.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks so much, Josh...Happy New Year!

[@dankauffman8568]

Thanks Tom ! I'll take quality over quantity every time . Hope 22 will be better than 21 . Good new year to you !

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Amen, Dan...we can only hope! Happy New Year!

[@kimperdue]

I am glad you took some time for yourself and your family and hope you had a great Christmas! She is a very beautiful lady, I've never seen a widow up close.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you, Kim! I probably should have left that part out, but folks that are new to the channel don't always recognize the fact that I'm doing this for fun. Thank you so much, and Happy New Year!

[@nutmeggs]

Good for you! It's always good to take time for yourself and your family. I appreciate the time you take away from your personal life to make videos for us all. 😇

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you so much, Meg!

[@bobbibuttons8730]

Way to go Billie for rescuing the sac. Sounds as though you had a lovely Christmas and end of the day Tom, your time is yours and no one should criticise you for not producing a video every week. Your time is yours. I wish you and your family all the best for the new year and May health, wealth and happiness come your way.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Wasn't that awesome? I was so excited to get a text saying, "I have a widow sac." haha And thanks for understanding. I wasn't trying to be a jerk, but some folks can be VERY push. Happy New Year to you and yours!

[@WalkingHeartAtttack]

YES!! excited to see you enjoy Latrodectus as well! I'm currently raising Latrodectus Mactans, Latrodectus bishopi, Latrodectus menavodi and Latrodectus hasselti. 😊

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Man, Derrick...I definitely have to up my Latrodectus game. I'm jealous! haha

[@WalkingHeartAtttack]

@@TomsBigSpiders I should be able to produce some sacs this spring/summer if your interested. I wouldn't mind sending some in the interest of education, as I'm only a couple states over from you in Minnesota.

[@dorabrooks76]

She's beautiful! I love her markings! If you do manage to get some footage of her or one of your other ones hunting, I'd love to see it. I really enjoy seeing video of spiders just exhibiting natural behaviors, whether that be hunting, eating, webbing, digging, cleaning themselves, whatever. Imo, there's not enough good quality footage of these behaviors available to watch- for example, people often put out feeding videos, but only include the initial grab and maybe a happy dance. I of course enjoy that, too, but I'd love to see a video spanning from the initial hunt through to the spider tossing out the leftover bolus, maybe with just the highlights. Asking a lot, obviously- I've mentioned before that I'm greedy! Lol Like many others, I'm stuck in the position of loving spiders (especially tarantulas), but not able to keep any, so I don't get to enjoy observing them at random times doing random things like keepers get the privilege of. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I very much appreciate the fantastic videos you put out, though- I get to enjoy tarantulas vicariously through you! Heh heh. 😆 Happy holidays to you and Billie! Enjoy the rest of your break, and have a happy New Years!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I will definitely work on that, Dora. We might have to do it in time lapse, as they can take hours to eat. :) Thank you, and Happy New Year to you and yours!!!

[@dorabrooks76]

@@TomsBigSpiders Ooh! A time lapse would be even better than a bunch of "highlights"! Great idea! I totally understand it might not even be practicable, though. Frankly, I'm always happy with whatever you choose to put out, whenever you are able. I'd even enjoy a "short" of a T digging and/or filling their water dish with dirt! Hahaha! Ach, I'm just being silly now. Lol 😉 Cheers! 😊

[@lauriefulk3812]

Happy New Year to you and your family. I am glad to see a video whenever you find the time, children grow up fast enjoy while you can. My kids are 36 yrs. Daughter and 38 yrs Son, I don't know where the year went. I have no and will not have any grandchildren, the way the world and everything in it going (maybe that's a good thing). I wouldn't want to raise kids now it wasn't easy then and sure isn't any easier now. Good Luck and God bless the ones that do.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

And a Happy New Year to you and yours, Laurie...thank you!!! Yup, I definitely don't want to miss out on that time while I'm up in my spider room making videos. :)

[@fullonsociopath]

I had a false widow that I ended up letting go. I fed her small crickets, but I would pre crush the heads so they couldn't hurt her. She was that small as a sling. She did very well on them. A nice change of pace from burrowers. Have a great new year, hope you guys are doing well. Thanks for the videos.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Awwww...she sounds amazing. And a Happy New Year to you as well...thanks!

[@klaskristian1]

Howdy cowboy! I saw the live feed with that brittish guy. Cant remember his name. Fun to hear the story with the Queen! Pestcontrol, good lord! Thank god you released them into the woodsI saw a danish documentary of a snall town in Denmark that made an experiment. They did not move their lawns to get all the weed and flowersback for a year to get bees and diffrent insects back. And it succeed, ut was amazing. Many insects that they thought had dissipeard compleatly reestablished! I tried to convince our community to do the same cos i am a spokesman in our neighbourhood, but them where not that intresting. I have to do it with my garden atleast. They cant decide what i am or not doing

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hahahaha That was a lot of fun! And that is an incredibly fascinating experiment. Too bad the folks in your neighborhood aren't up for it...that would be awesome to see. Happy New Year, bud!

[@klaskristian1]

@@TomsBigSpiders Happy new year to you too. Hope that the new year turns out better!

[@ericbeeman8717]

Late merry Christmas Mr Moran hope yall had a wonderful holiday and may we all have a better new year have a blessed day sir and keep up the awesome work

[@TomsBigSpiders]

And a late Merry Christmas to you as well, Eric...and Happy New Year!!! Thanks!

[@shoshannahhenderson7125]

Happy Holidays Tom! I love your videos. They have inspired me to get back into the hobby. I just wanted to thank you. 🥰

[@TomsBigSpiders]

And a Happy Holidays to you, Shoshannah...thank you! And, wow...that means a ton! :)

[@thesilkkradle9558]

This was awesome. I think my grandmother made me afraid of spiders. Not anymore. Massive amount of time lost.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Well, at least now we all know and can appreciate them!

[@thesilkkradle9558]

@@TomsBigSpiders absolutely true.

[@jer6162]

Great video. Have a Happy New Year.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you...and Happy New Year!

[@Novelette22]

I miss Amelie so much, my L. hesperus I used to own. She died from old age but was such a cool pet for so many years. I love seeing this video on my feed, because when I had her I always struggled finding proper care facts and tips. And I hope to own another one day

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Awwww...she sounds amazing.

[@dldarby82]

I got tagged by a Latrodectus geometricus, the Brown Widow, back in 2005. It wasn't a pleasant experience, but I never felt like my life was in danger or anything.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks for chiming in with that, Dan. : )

[@dldarby82]

@@TomsBigSpiders No problem, anytime. When are you going to cover the podcast/video topic I recommended about good (or preferable) vs bad pest control techniques, for those of us that find ourselves with uninvited arthropod houseguests? Billy working in pest control seems like an great source. I've had good luck getting my own invaders under control with Diatomaceous Earth and well positioned bait traps, but it would be great to hear from an expert what methods we should avoid, or which ones just don't work on anything. Thanks again, and Happy New Year.

[@arasartsandjewelry7647]

A western black widow was my gateway 'drug' to tarantulas. And now here I am with 6 Ts and watching for new youtube spider videos every week.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hahaha "Gateway drug." I love it.

[@whitneygagnon8010]

I missed this video but am so happy to see it now! Kudos to Billie for saving these guys, glad they got a happy ending 💕 and thanks for sharing them with all of us!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks so much, Whitney! They definitely got a happy enting. :)

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Ending...dear lord! haha

[@didisaythat4230]

I'm a brick layer and find these all the time. They like living in the cubes of brick

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hey, Randy! Oh, man...now that's an unusual job hazard!

[@didisaythat4230]

@@TomsBigSpiders I always start off the day really slow and cautious but by the end of the day I don't pay it any mind. Spiders have always given me the willies in a major way.. but your videos have had me hooked on learning about this hobby.

[@Foxglove776]

I have a wild caught L. Hersperus (western) that has the hour glass under the abdomen! I appreciate this as she's in a small jar and hanging on the lid! I definitely need to rehouse her.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Awwww...she sounds beautiful!

[@1968tmb]

This was great! I don't think I have ever seen a Black Widow up close. They really are pretty! Tarantulas have gotten bad reps, so I guess these would too! As a kid, I loved feeding the garden spiders but never seen these. So happy you are enjoying some much deserved time off!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks so much, Toni! And they sure do. I've never seen them around here, but Billie has encountered them a couple of times. I'll keep looking!

[@meagandoodlebug]

I have a few species of black widows, and they've always been my absolute favorite spiders! I live in PA, and we have the northerns here too, but I've never been lucky enough to see one in the wild.

[@tguy4257]

I hear you plus they always hungry

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hello, Meagan! I've never seen them here myself, but Billie always seems to find them. haha They are such awesome spiders !

[@GothikSamurai1]

That's a pretty awesome set up for one. My aunt always has Southern Black Widows in her Fire wood stack. I'm now plotting to set up an AMAC box for one next time I'm out at her place. I've wanted to keep one for a while but didn't have small enough prey for them until recently when I got more in to tarantulas and started getting slings.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks, Jack! She seems to have settled in quite nicely. They are such cool spiders.

[@marlenjeangraulau2221]

Happy Christmas to the whole Moran family🙂‼️hope you guys had a great time. Looking forward to get my first widow maybe next week . Take care and stay safe Jean 🙂✌️

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hello, Jean! I hope that you all had a Merry Christmas as well! We definitely did. And congrats on getting one...that's awesome! Happy New Year!

[@Lisa-eu9fy]

Cool video! 🕷❤❤🕷

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you, Lisa!

[@drewsully421]

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! See you in 2022!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well! Thank you!

[@wild2dbone]

Awesome video Tom my L. mactans is almost 3yrs old would love to add a couple of the Northern sp. just beautiful

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Oh man, Nick...she's living a long time! That's fantastic! Happy New Year, bud!

[@sethcothran470]

I love widows!! We got a lot of western widows in California, I like to drop some feeder insects in the wild widows web and watch them web em up. Unlike me, my mom does not like them that much.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Me too, Seth! They are stunning. And hahaha. Yeah, my mom isn't a fan either. :)

[@aphiliarachno]

I hope you had some wonderful Christmas days! Taking time off is totally fine, and spending time with family is important. Puh, I would not want to keep black widows, but cool if you do. I already wish a happy new year!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

We sure did, Aphilia...I hope that you and yours did as well. And to each his/her own! :)

[@OC_Tarantulas]

Merry christmas and a happy new year Tom and family!! I wish you guys all the best for 2022!!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

And a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours! Thank you!

[@andymundie6894]

Thanks for the Christmas holidays UK stream. It was amazing. You are so kind. All the best wishes for 2022. Cheers Tom. You are the best man. Thanks from Andy in Scotland. 😃🙂🌲🍀✌️🎄🌹🌟⭐🕸️🕷️🕸️🕷️🕸️🕷️

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you for participating, Andy! That was a heck of a lot of fun. Happy New Year, bud!!!!

[@f9573]

Hope you and your family had a great holiday!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks so much, bud! I hope that you and yours did as well! Happy New Year! And just to be clear, this intro has NOTHING to do with you. I actually enjoy your ribbing comments, because it's a running joke. This is for the people that act annoyed when I don't post something, or message "Where are you it's been a week???' haha

[@f9573]

@@TomsBigSpiders good thing that you explained that, I was about to cry in a corner lol Happy new year! More spiders to come haha

[@lucnadeau2821]

I have no issue at all about your uploading schedules. Family comes first, hobbies later. It's actually pretty amusing to learn that Billie works for pest control, ironic indeed ;) Good on her for saving that sac. I honestly had no idea that widows could get that large. And awesome to hear that one of your teachers back in the day taught you not to fear them. Doubt I would go for one of these, but I could see myself trying my luck with an Orb Weaver of sorts. I used to keep these in Mason jars as a kid. Of course after a few days, I would release them back around the house. Stay safe and thanks for sharing :)

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hey, bud! Most don't, which is great. There are some that seem to think that they are entitled to weekly videos, and that's just not how it works. haha Yeah, Billie said that the mother was huge, but I wasn't expecting one this size. Orb Weavers are amazing...we have several species around here. Have a great New Year!

[@shirinst.laurent2161]

❤ your videos! I have learned alot! Thanks

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you so much!

[@roXXXXXon]

lovely spiders, unfortunatly very hard to get permission to keep them in specific areas of germany. take care, best wishes for the next year.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Yeah, someone from the UK was saying the same thing. I didn't even consider that.

[@eggsy5767]

Hi Tom, I absolutely agree with you. I always look forward to your videos but still consider you are doing this for fun and not to ear money. So even post informative videos which are based on your experience not based in Google like others. Just keep doing what you are doing your time your control. I started keeping Ts and always have your vid first in the list for care guide. Jan from Philippines here God bless

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks so much, Jan...I truly appreciate that! Happy New Year!

[@miketufaro5915]

Just got a western black widow today! Great video!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

That's awesome, Mike! And thank you!

[@torpedoesntarantulas2691]

Awesome vid bud! Thanks for doing a video on these guys to help break the stigma that they are deadly. Thanks for the name drop too. I somehow lost my other channel after switching phones a couple of months ago. Btw I still have 2 sisters of the widows I sent you. Hope y'all had a good Christmas. Happy New Year brother!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hey, bud! I was hoping that you'd see this. haha And I was on your channel and wasn't sure what was up. I lost my podcast channel earlier this year with something similar...I'm so sorry to hear that. Off to subscribe to your new one! Thanks, and Happy New Year!

[@brianlindsay9097]

Thank you! I had no idea there were widows in North America with a red pattern on the dorsal abdomen. I wish ours did! : )

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Yeah, we luck out in that regard, Brian!

[@pythonparis]

Great video. 🕷 We have a couple of Tokay Geckos we are raising up. Definitely hear you with the fear and misunderstanding some people have toward “scary” species. That’s one of the things we like about Tokays, the reputation scares off the people that probably shouldn’t have them anyway. Props to your wife for supporting you in raising and keeping the Black Widow, and probably most of your collection. It’s one thing to “be allowed” to have a certain species, but having someone help you video, rehouse, etc. takes it to another level of support! Happy holidays to you and your family!!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I had Tokay geckos years ago, and I had no issues with them. It drives me nuts when animals get a bad rep for nothing. Yup, I TOTALLY lucked out with Billie! :) Happy New Year to you and yours!!!

[@garynorton6853]

All best to you and your family for 2022 Tom!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you so much, Gary! Same to you and yours1

[@vanessasmith5227]

Being in the UK I know nothing about the black widows but we do have a more than healthy population of false widows where I live, which the gutter press has demonised. In truth the false widow is a very shy spider and will only bite when it feels in a life threatening situation. I have been bitten twice by one, each time they have been in my bed and I wasn't aware they were there sadly. I have converted my hubby from an arachnophobe to a false widoq whisperer ❤😂🤣 Hope you had a fabulous Christmas with your family and that New Year is equally fantastic 🥳 Enjoy your well earnt break.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Yeah, I've heard that they get a bad rep over there, which is a shame. And that is awesome about your hubby! hahahaha I hope that you guys had an awesome Christmas as well...thanks. Happy New Year, Vanessa!

[@lindabriggs5118]

Black Widows are so cool. When I was in Australia I saw a number of spiders there and many, many Red Backs, as they are know down under. The Southern Widow is very similar in their markings to the Red Back. Now when I lived in California, we had huge Widows, including the brown Widow that has gorgeous markings, and the false Widows. They are indeed fascinating creatures. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, Billie, and the rest of your family. May this next year be less stressful too! Btw, I start my seasonal job on the 3rd, working with taxes again. This will be my 12th year with this company. At least I'll be able to purchase a sturdier shelving units and some way nicer enclosures. (And a few more T's too!)

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hello, Linda! Man, I would love to see some of the Red Backs...and all the other aussie spiders. Haha I hope that you had a great Christmas, and Happy New Year! Yes, one can only hope that 2022 is better on many levels. haha And that's awesome about your seasonal job!!!

[@valhallainverts2551]

I've always wanted to keep widows but was always absolutely terrified of them. I had a book as a kid that drastically overplayed how "deadly" they were and that misinformation was seared into my brain until fairly recently. I eventually will probably get some as they are gorgeous spiders and I know better now that they're not the demons they're made out to be and I have experience dealing with fast and feisty old worlds and have a healthy respect for them. Great video as always Tom and I'm loving the true spider info. I adore T's and currently only keep T's but I'd love to branch out into other areas of the hobby

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hey, bud! I was the same way in part due to TV and what I had heard about them. It's sad that they are so villainized in media. And it took me YEARS to branch out into keeping true spiders, so I totally get it. Thanks again, bud !

[@georgecardiff1946]

Ah brilliant as usual Tom, and what a stunning spider 🕷, truly awesome, i picked up a C Darlingi just before Christmas and im delighted because i hadn't got one and looking forward to raising him or her up. Anyway Tom i hope you and the family had a wonderful Christmas 🎄 and i wish you and Billie and family a very healthy and happy New Year.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Congrats on your C. darlingi...I love that species. I hope that you had a great Christmas. Happy New Year!!!

[@RealMelodyBlue]

I've always had a weird fascination with widows. She's pretty 😍 and kicking was adorable! But, why was she kicking? She doesn't have urticating hairs. Nice footage.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Me too, Melody! She was kicking at the brush and trying to get it away from her. haha

[@RealMelodyBlue]

@@TomsBigSpiders it was so adorable

[@joulesacton4857]

Take care fella ;-) love ya stuff 👍

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you, Joules!

[@killjoycrota1059]

One thing, the red back markings are not the hourglass @3:40. If you look at her ventral side of her abdomen you will see an hourglass that is cut in half and separated. That is how you distinguish them from one another with their hourglass markings. The only difference that does occur with the dorsal markings you pointed out is that generally L. variolus display longer horizontal orange-red markings while L. mactans more so display longer vertical orange-red markings. The same idea behind the general difference in anatomy of paws in canines and felines. This is mostly seen in the second spot going down the backs of these Latrodectus species. This can help distinguish juveniles (like your female) or adult males.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

It's funny, as when I was reviewing the video to post it, I realized my error. Thanks so much for chiming in on this one and for pointing that out!

[@nowheatiez]

I have a bunch of these all over my house finally decided to keep one instead of squishing it

[@jasonweber4866]

I have southern widows all over my property, they are very pretty but randomly walking through webs at night jacks me up something fierce.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hey, Jason! Yeah, I don't think that I would want to walk though the webs either. haha

[@AdsArachnids]

I would love to keep one of these but I think they require a specific licence in the UK. Awesome to see, thanks mate.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hey, bud! Yeah, someone else was saying something similar. That didn't even occur to me.

[@AdsArachnids]

@@TomsBigSpiders suppose it's different for you with it being technically a native species. Hope you and the family had a great Christmas and thanks again for showing this girl off!

[@drdoolittlefishhobbyist6055]

Happy holidays tom and same to your nearest and dearest. Good on you. I'm sure we all understand how spending time with the family is very important. Great video and well worth the wait. Have a super new year brother and stay safe.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks so much, bud! I hope that you and yours have an amazing New Year!

[@CoyoteCanyon72]

Awesome!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you!

[@scorpionspets9832]

Western widows (hesperus) also have a complete hourglass They're just smaller, usually.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I'll definitely keep a lookout for them!

[@jameswyatt2739]

If anyone can’t understand you wanting a break they are not worth anyones time. If you took a month off I would still be here waiting. Your information is presented with knowledge and respect. All levels of 8 leg parents can take something from every video. That is the important part not a weekly presentation. Enjoy your down time thank you. Happy New Year.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Hey, James! There are always a few that freak out if I miss a week, and I drives me nuts that I feel obligated to respond. I seriously think that some folks see this like a TV show, and they get upset when there isn't a new episode. haha Thanks, and have a wonderful New Year!

[@willlawson4091]

Love your videos. I'm fairly new to Ts and your videos/podcast/articles have taught me a lot. I'm considering picking up a P. cancerides as I've got a lot of experience with snakes and think I could handle it. I'd also LOVE a video on Acanthoscurria as my geniculata has become my favorite sling I have.

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thank you so much, William...I'm so glad that you find this stuff useful. I think that you'll do just fine with a P. cancerides. :) And I'm working on one for the A. geniculata. I bought another one earlier this year. :)

[@travisclinton2937]

Hey Tom great video. I live in Nevada and we have southern widows everywhere and I always have one around as a pet. In my experience the best way to keep them is in a large mason jar or a 2 gallon aquarium. I will put sticks and foliage for them to web to but I will keep the anchor points a few inches from the top of the container so that the webbing doesn’t make it to the top and I don’t ruin it when I open the container. They will usually have many strands of web on the bottom of the container to catch prey walking on the ground. I only say this cuz I notice the container you put her in opens from the bottom so if you open it you will have web everywhere and it can disturb them. Not a criticism at all, just sharing my experiences and what works for me. Awesome spiders and definitely not deserving of the reputation they have!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

First off, I did NOT take this as a criticism at all! THANK YOU for taking the time to explain this and for the great information, Travis. That is great to know and will be incredibly helpful in the future!

[@joshuasikora4308]

Love my black widow she's a sweet heart handle her regularly have yet to been bit knock on wood

[@TomsBigSpiders]

They are awesome spiders.

[@davidgibbings6085]

I just lost my brown widow to old age but she did give me 3 egg sacks so I hope to have some baby,s on the way ; I think I’m the only one to have them in England : love the black widow Tom 👍🙂

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Awwwww...well, fingers crossed that you get lots of babies, David!

[@davidgibbings6085]

Thanks Tom I hope so theres somthing special about these spiders and there quirky ways 👍🙂

[@SCREEVER333]

Thank you for this. I can sleep now. I have a female coming tomorrow, a day early! I did my research and I built this really cool (I think it is! all day project for this little enclosure. lol) but at 11pm I found out she was coming early! Are my air holes too big? Too small? Maybe I should have used a bigger enclosure? Smaller?!?! What if, and then, ahhhh! Alright. Your video saved me. Thank you!!!

[@TomsBigSpiders]

That's awesome! I'm so glad that this was helpful, and congrats on getting one!

[@cplmcnut]

I never have luck finding these in CT

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I never have either, but Billie seems to come across them quite a bit.

[@TheQuickAsAFlash]

Ugh, I'm sorry you were bothered about taking the holiday off. :( I actually have this super old book that has a chapter on black widow spider bites! What you mentioned about them reminds me of a quote from the book that makes me giggle every time I read it: (Unfortunatly I can't find the name of the book, I only have the quote because I took a picture and sent it to my friend.) "Draft, old-fashioned outhouses are among her most favored hunting grounds; in them she weaves her coarse and somewhat unworkmanlike web where it will most likely intercept the flights of winged insects as they come and go. That is why a large proportion of her human victims are bitten in strictly personal localities." 🤣 (If I can find the book, I'll link, but I want to say it was a Berton Roueché book, or at least him-adjacent.)

[@TomsBigSpiders]

Thanks so much, Loracarol. The vast majority get it...the few that don't just get on my nerves. haha BAHAHAHAHAHA Oh no! That sound pretty freaking horrible! hahaha "strictly personal localities!"

[@TheQuickAsAFlash]

​@@TomsBigSpiders Right? Admittedly one of the first things that the essay talks about is how actually fatalities are super rare, and most reported spider bite fatalities turned out to be something else (infected hornet sting, infected zit, tetanus from sitting on a rusty nail... And how anyone mistook that for a spider bite is beyond me!), but the bite still sounds painful enough, if you're not careful! + All the bites mention that the person was blundering into the spider's habitat and cornered the spider. :( The book btw - not so that you have to read it, but so that if anyone else sees this comment and is curious - it's actually an essay called "Notes on an Unpleasant Female" by Samuel Hopkins Adams, and I have it in a book of collected essays called "Curiosities of Medicine" by Berton Roueché. The essay was originally published in 1942. (Admittedly it's about L. mactans and not L. variolus.)

[@joeyroo1895]

i never new we had black widows here in the wild. just got a southern widow

[@TomsBigSpiders]

I was surprised, too!