# Viability of keeping house spiders?



## josh9961 (Feb 10, 2011)

Hi guys, there's a huge-ass house spider in my porch, I'm guessing female from the size, although I've named it spiderbro, would it possible to catch it and keep it? :whistling2: and if so, what would the requirements be?


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## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

josh9961 said:


> Hi guys, there's a huge-ass house spider in my porch, I'm guessing female from the size, although I've named it spiderbro, would it possible to catch it and keep it? :whistling2: and if so, what would the requirements be?


probably won't be too hard
room temperature, big enough enclosure.. places to hide and things to climb on
i think the wild has this already 
leave it as a porch spider is your best bet, there's obviously a stable source of food.


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## josh9961 (Feb 10, 2011)

I was going to remove it, then I realised I had a friend coming over, and what better way to welcome a girl into my house than to close the front door behind her and say "look up" :whistling2:


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## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

josh9961 said:


> I was going to remove it, then I realised I had a friend coming over, and what better way to welcome a girl into my house than to close the front door behind her and say "look up" :whistling2:


well there's a good idea


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## Mooncatt (Sep 5, 2006)

yer, i dont think that capturing a wild creature is a great idea, its obviously happy where it is, be nice to see a pic of how big it is though!


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## samurai (Sep 9, 2009)

josh9961 said:


> I was going to remove it, then I realised I had a friend coming over, and what better way to welcome a girl into my house than to close the front door behind her and say "look up" :whistling2:


:gasp:


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## spicewwfc (Aug 26, 2009)

Nothing wrong with keeping a house spider, after all she is living in your house, so you are not really taking her from the wild, not that there is anything wrong with that anyway. 
They behave like little green bottle blues, webbing everywhere, and eating anything that moves.
She would appreciate the food on tap, the security, and the safe place to raise her babies.


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## Mooncatt (Sep 5, 2006)

spicewwfc said:


> Nothing wrong with keeping a house spider, after all she is living in your house, so you are not really taking her from the wild, not that there is anything wrong with that anyway.
> They behave like little green bottle blues, webbing everywhere, and eating anything that moves.
> She would appreciate the food on tap, the security, and the safe place to raise her babies.



i like your points but having said that i still feel a certain way about taking wild "not captive bred" species from outside.
but then again you could go into the whole "well, how do you think Ts and snakes were first captive bred" i.e 2 must have been taken from the wild in the first place, so i give up on this arguament lol


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## The_Real_Moreliaman (Jan 24, 2009)

Mooncatt said:


> i like your points but having said that i still feel a certain way about taking wild "not captive bred" species from outside.
> but then again you could go into the whole "well, how do you think Ts and snakes were first captive bred" i.e 2 must have been taken from the wild in the first place, so i give up on this arguament lol


true....1000's (if not more) of different species are still taken from the wild every year now :-(


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## spicewwfc (Aug 26, 2009)

Mooncatt said:


> i like your points but having said that i still feel a certain way about taking wild "not captive bred" species from outside.
> but then again you could go into the whole "well, how do you think Ts and snakes were first captive bred" i.e 2 must have been taken from the wild in the first place, so i give up on this arguament lol


Yeah I agree with you mate, I always used to think twice about buying WC tarantulas, but after I first took the plunge I realised that they behave exactly the same as CB ones, and I'm sure they appreciate the warmth, food, and lack of predators, its much better than fighting for your life every day in the jungle.
The only problem I have now is if the collecting has a serious detrimental effect on the wild population.
If it was a rare species I would understand, but there has to be at least 50 house spiders in every property.
House spiders rely on living in our buildings to be so prolific, and there isn't really much difference between hanging out under a vivarium eating spare crickets, and hanging out in a tub on top of a vivarium eating spare crickets.
.


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## rum&coke (Apr 19, 2009)

Mooncatt said:


> i like your points but having said that i still feel a certain way about taking wild "not captive bred" species from outside.
> but then again you could go into the whole "well, how do you think Ts and snakes were first captive bred" i.e 2 must have been taken from the wild in the first place, so i give up on this arguament lol


Well when you think the house spider could have been hit with a shoe on sight as alot are when spotted ,to get put in a comfy tub with never ending food is kind of like winning the spider lottery.


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## jaykickboxer (Feb 11, 2008)

rum&coke said:


> Well when you think the house spider could have been hit with a shoe on sight as alot are when spotted ,to get put in a comfy tub with never ending food is kind of like winning the spider lottery.


I cnt stand em thats y i love daddy long legs there welcome hn mine anytime house spiders get swiftly evicted


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## josh9961 (Feb 10, 2011)

On first contact I approached with the shoe... but then I thought this spider is no different from my T's, just bigger and a little scarier looking. She's pretty big, even for a house spider, about 3 to 4 inch legspan.


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## Mooncatt (Sep 5, 2006)

rum&coke said:


> Well when you think the house spider could have been hit with a shoe on sight as alot are when spotted ,to get put in a comfy tub with never ending food is kind of like winning the spider lottery.


yer i guess your right, but would you do the same thing with a wild snake? or a wild "insert animal/reptile/mammal here"


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## rum&coke (Apr 19, 2009)

Mooncatt said:


> yer i guess your right, but would you do the same thing with a wild snake? or a wild "insert animal/reptile/mammal here"


But we are not talking about a wild snake or any other animal, we are talking about a house spider, I would not want to make a blanket statement about wild caught animals because there are too many different variables to take into consideration, only the loony animal rights groups see the world in such black and white extremes.


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## 123dragon (Jan 15, 2011)

i agree with the above, its a lot different to taking a wild reptile/mammal 
reptiles ad mammals would be stressed for a long time if not forever by being kept in a cage, spiders dont act like this, she would settle down once she had a good web made, 
i have 2 adult male house spiders, sadly they have both stopped feeding so i think they are coming to the end of their life spans 
i would personally take her and give her a decent life with plenty of food and were she doesn't have to over winter outside.


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## Smigsy (Jul 30, 2009)

It should settle fairly quickly, was woken two nights ago by the oh spooked by a ma-hoo-sive shadow climbing the curtain, caught the spider in a pint glass covered with book to deal with in the morning. In the morning the pint glass was webbed up a treat with spider in a little webby tunnel. 

As other have said requirements will need to mimic natural environment so room temps etc and bugs as and when. wouldn't put too many crickets in at one time though as those things can bite nasty.


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## josh9961 (Feb 10, 2011)

Would it be alright to feed her locusts? 
And what about moisture? Upturned bottle cap or do I mist her? 
Pics in the morning! :2thumb:


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## 123dragon (Jan 15, 2011)

josh9961 said:


> Would it be alright to feed her locusts?
> And what about moisture? Upturned bottle cap or do I mist her?
> Pics in the morning! :2thumb:


depending on the size yes, and i just drip a couple drips of water on each web once a week


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## josh9961 (Feb 10, 2011)

eurgh, I didnt put the lid on properly :censor: 

Spiderbro is still wandering the house somewhere, but I'll get it next time

No escape! :flrt:


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

I kept some house spiders as a kid. Had them in a faunarium (think they were called "bug boxes" back then) with a house brick. Dropped various bugs in for them to eat. I was rewarded one day with hundreds of baby spiders escaping out of the air holes in the faunarium. 

Also kept woodlice as a kid


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## luke0227 (May 18, 2010)

Wen i was a kid i kept a big female for ages!! Was more than happy in her goldfish bowl with a hide i made from lego all webbed up!!!lol Unknowing droped a male in not so long after loads and i mean loads ov slings runnin about!!! I was band from keeping any creatures in side for a while after!!lol


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## Mr_Goodbytes (Sep 7, 2008)

I kept a pair of these together for a few months with no ill effects until the male passed away from what i can only assume old age and the female was released. Amazingly active and incredible eaters!


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