# Spider problem,any ideas?



## gregadc (Mar 16, 2011)

Hi Everyone,
I need to pick your brains a bit as I'm running out of ideas...
I will try to make a long story short.
So I found that little spider web in a couple of vivs but to be honest I just ignored it...until after watching National Geographic channel I started together with my Miss staring at our new amazing Chazutas

Ranitomeya imitator Chazuta by gregadc, on Flickr
All of the sudden one of this little beauties got stucked in the "innocent"spider web...and than THAT thing run for my little frog

Untitled by gregadc, on Flickr
almost catching it.
We stood there just shocked...
I always thought that even if little spider is living there it would never attack the frog and It would simply feed on fruit flies...I was wrong.
It took us all day to catch 4 Chazutas out of quite complex viv and we decided to gas the spider.
I sealed the viv off and left co2 open for all night and day.
Next day i cleaned the glass,put plants back and put frogs back in their viv.
Do I have to tell you how happy was I when I noticed new web being formed in the viv very next evening?
So once again I caught frogs out (over few days to don't stress them too much)set a temporary viv for them and started to plan the war on spider.
This time I submersed the viv in the water for all 3 days.
I found 5!!! dead spiders floating on the surface and I started
to believe the problem is over.This time I waited with reintroducing the frogs...
Web reappeared!!!!!!
In my 3rd attempt I put adult pair of hungry Day Geckos in the viv in hope they will hunt little bastard.
After 3 weeks of geckos living in the viv web is still reappearing...
So if they can't catch him I have no chance...
The question is
Do any of you used some kind of organic pesticide to wipe spiders off from the viv, strong enough to kill the spiders but easy enough to clean to be able to reintroduce the frogs?
Or maybe somebody has better idea or experience.
Please help
Regards
Greg


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## Bcs TX (Sep 13, 2008)

Greg I leave them alone it's a war I cannot win.
I did send pics of the spiders in my frogroom to A&M to identify and asked specifically if they would harm dart frogs. They identified it gave me the scientific name and said it would not. 
Probably not the answer you wanted to hear maybe others will chime in.


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## RichardA (Jul 15, 2009)

You are in UK correct?

Typically no they do not mess with the frogs, however they can. I would just kill them as I see them and go from there if I were you.


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## pdfCrazy (Feb 28, 2012)

Heres your plan of attack. I gaurentee success. Spiders will not come back.

1.) Go to nearest liquor store and buy a six pack of your favorite beer.

2.) You will also need marshmallows and hot dogs.

3.) Catch up all those precious little "Zuta's" and put them into safekeeping in a generous temp container.

4.) You will need to go to the gas station and get a gallon of low octane gassoline. The cheap stuff.

5.) Dont need to disassemble the tank or remove the plants. The plants need the same treatment as the tank since the little beasties are likely hidign in the plants and egg sacks laid in them.

6.) Take your Viv outside to the backyard. Pour the 1 gallon can of gasoline all over the insid eof the tank. Now....be careful, you must light a match before the gas has a chance to vaporize to much. Light on fire and LET HER BURN. Time for roasted marshamllows and weenies!!

7.) Oh yeah, make sure you go out and buy a new tank ahead of time so your ready to start rebuilding ASAP.


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## Cfrog (Oct 28, 2011)

pdfCrazy said:


> Heres your plan of attack. I gaurentee success. Spiders will not come back.
> 
> 1.) Go to nearest liquor store and buy a six pack of your favorite beer.
> 
> ...


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

The best thing, IMO: to sanitize the viv with water and bleach and to rebuild it all over again, including the background. But you need first of all to look for the causes, otherwise the spiders could return.


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## IEatBugs (May 15, 2012)

I've got to agree with pdfCrazy...kill it with fire.


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## pdfCrazy (Feb 28, 2012)

In all truth, with infestations of one sort or another, scorched earth policy is best. You will need to break your tank down entirely and dispose of everything inside. If you do a search on my threads, you will find where I had to deal with cockroaches in one of my vivs. I had to rely on literally cooking the vivarium with a heater untill all the roaches were dead. Spiders and their egg sacks are very hardy. CO2 will do very little unless at 100% for hours. That is nearly impossible to achieve.


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

Make sure you take your geckos to the vet because they now may have some parasite the frogs had.
As far as the spiders, and for the health of the frogs as well, tear the viv down, sanitize it with bleach, and rebuild from scratch.


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## JCK (Jul 8, 2013)

I would either try again with a nightactive gecko or a mantis, or quite simple, put in some Phlocidae spiders, you just have to take them out again before they breed, but they should not be to hard to recapture. Phlocidae spiders prey on those closet spiders you have in your viv. They might look fragile but one of their main prey in the states and australia are widows...


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## Bcs TX (Sep 13, 2008)

If they are in your house they will return to your vivs...
I refuse to use pesticides in my house except a every other year or so outside will use amdro perimeter defense granules that I sprinkle around the the outside on the foundation of my house. My frogroom is upstairs.
IMO you need to find out if the spiders are harmful to your frogs. Some have recommended flypaper/boards on the floor but my concerns with it is if you have an escapee frog and it gets stuck it is toast.
My frogroom is covered in spiders, they are harmless just need to be vacuumed or sprayed with my steamer to keep them under control.


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## Cfrog (Oct 28, 2011)

yep yep


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## pdfCrazy (Feb 28, 2012)

By the way.....and I am untrained in entemology, but that spider has the appearance of beign in the widow family


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Enlightened Rogue is an expert in the art of spider removal. Maybe check with him. I believe his preferred method is burning down the house. 

Seriously, I would not leave a known spider in a frog tank, especially one with tiny frogs. Currently, I have two tanks empty of frogs, because I took the frogs out and gave the tanks to the spiders. Ok, not really. I did take the frogs out and then, once I had my courage up, I dispatched the spiders. They know where to put their webs so that they are impossible to reach without tearing up the tank. 

That spider does have the shape of a widow. A false widow perhaps?


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

JCK said:


> I would either try again with a nightactive gecko or a mantis, or quite simple, put in some Phlocidae spiders, you just have to take them out again before they breed, but they should not be to hard to recapture. Phlocidae spiders prey on those closet spiders you have in your viv. They might look fragile but one of their main prey in the states and australia are widows...


Now this is an interesting solution.


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## Steverd (Sep 4, 2011)

How about the cardboard sticky traps? They work great for the Hobo spiders we have here in the NW. (after removing the frogs of course)

I read Ladybugs might kill spiders or eat their eggs.

And finally, how about the plug-in high pitch devices that are suppose to chase bugs away? DO they work? 

Good luck
Steve


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## pdfCrazy (Feb 28, 2012)

Ugghhh, hobo spiders are related to the brown recluse in the Loxosceles family


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## JCK (Jul 8, 2013)

Sticky traps won't work, because the spider you are dealing with is a web spider, probably of the genus Steatoda. Their hunting method is unlike other webspiders, they have a small carpet web in an elevated spot and from that web, they hang a nearly invisible curtain of sticky web filaments. Any prey passing below is capzured and hauled in. Being interested in critters of all kind, I am actually keeping two Steatoda species at the moment ( caught them in a closet in our summer house on the balears) and I can confirm that they capture crickets that are much, much bigger that themselves. 

My strategy would be to search them individually, because they are always near their webs, or use Phlocidae spiders ("daddy-long-legs" found in virtually evry house around the globe), because they are specialized spider killers.

You can see them in action here:


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## mindcrash (Mar 3, 2004)

I've recently found a spider in one of my vivs, killed it, only to see little web strands return, so this thread is very timely for me.

If a Daddy Long-Legs is introduced, when and how to remove it?


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## JCK (Jul 8, 2013)

I would remove it when no more webs appear, except the Long-Legs... I would also search the vicinity of the former web for any cocoons. Just check on the Long-Leg regulary to make sure it has not build a cocoon itself, but this is rather easy, because they always carry their cocoons in their fangs


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## gregadc (Mar 16, 2011)

Thank you all for your input.I knew I can count on Dendroboard!
I will definitely look around for Phlocidae spiders.
I will let you know if it done the trick.
Burning the vivs down or bleaching it it's no an option for me for 3 reasons:
1.I want to win with him and keep the viv(moses,zooplancton)
2.I got the spider in few of my vivs.One pretty big one.I'm not so worried about the vivs with bigger frogs only Ranitomeys creeping me up.
3.If I find less invasive solution I will know for myself I can win with him if he ever returns.Anywhere,anytime


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## JCK (Jul 8, 2013)

Any luck yet?


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## Cfrog (Oct 28, 2011)

Yep, here you go....your welcome


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Deroplatys dessicata.....hungry, lethal, and too heavy to be caught in a silly little web. It will eat that spider in a hurry, no worries. 


https://www.google.com/search?q=der...otos%2F26650972%40N08%2F2540727643%2F;640;480


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## Qaudro (Aug 13, 2013)

First of all remember that most all spiders are practically blind so they can't really see anything. This is why them running to something is just a normal reaction to vibrations because they have no idea (yet) what's on the other end.

What I would do is a controlled experiment. Find the biggest spider in your viv and put a frog next to its web. What's likely going to happen is spider, upon discovering what's on the other end of the web, is going to run back off. Where you would get concerned, however, is if spider tries to wrap the frog in silk -- now that would actually be attacking the prey. That's where you save the frog and get serious.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

I think if *I* were Greg, I'd tell you that it sounds like a _*great *_experiment...
but use your own frogs!


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## Qaudro (Aug 13, 2013)

I'm not sure I understand? There is no danger for the frog.

You can either do it while watching it and be ready to step in or let it happen all by itself in the middle of one night. I guess it's pretty clear which one is better?


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

I think its pretty safe to say that the frogs are potential prey for these spiders. Comb footed spiders in general can overcome massive prey items.


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## Qaudro (Aug 13, 2013)

I agree, these spiders can overcome much larger prey.

However, they do first wrap the prey in silk and this is why experiment is safe. You are not experimenting with a tarantula where the frog would be dead in an instant after all.


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

But just because the spider does not take the frog one day doesn't mean it would the next. Even if the spider wraps up the frog and then discards it that is still a dead frog.

Better safe than sorry IMO.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

Qaudro said:


> I'm not sure I understand? There is no danger for the frog.
> 
> You can either do it while watching it and be ready to step in or let it happen all by itself in the middle of one night. I guess it's pretty clear which one is better?


Honestly...I think I would be horrified either way. Why would you want to take any chances like this with the safety and health of the frog as a potential stake?

Actually...just the other day I opened one of my froglet tubs to feed the little fatties and discovered that a spider found his way into one of the crevices of the tub. There was absolutely not one thought of science in my head when I frantically glanced around, found a pen and a napkin and _smashed _the life right outta that bugger!


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Qaudro said:


> I agree, these spiders can overcome much larger prey.
> 
> However, they do first wrap the prey in silk and this is why experiment is safe. You are not experimenting with a tarantula where the frog would be dead in an instant after all.


I think this thread says it all.... http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/general-discussion/2128-danger-spiders-terrarium.html 

Also I've seen comb foot spiders attempt to catch pumilio when left to establish in the same enclosure... 

Some comments 

Ed


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## Qaudro (Aug 13, 2013)

WendySHall said:


> Honestly...I think I would be horrified either way. Why would you want to take any chances like this with the safety and health of the frog as a potential stake?
> 
> Actually...just the other day I opened one of my froglet tubs to feed the little fatties and discovered that a spider found his way into one of the crevices of the tub. There was absolutely not one thought of science in my head when I frantically glanced around, found a pen and a napkin and _smashed _the life right outta that bugger!


Ah so you're arachnophobic  Just remember there are people with the same reaction towards the frogs somewhere!


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

Lol! No...although I don't like them, I wouldn't consider myself arachnophobic. I just know they bite and can possibly kill my tiny babies! So I would say that I was just expressing my motherly instincts.


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

This is a very interesting and entertaining thread to read. Being a bit paranoid of spiders myself I have had the problem before of finding them in my terrariums (especially in the winter time) and having to deal with them. I don't have any solutions such as a chemical to kill them or traps to catch them. I just kill them by a physical force when spotted since I don't like the fact they are stealing food from my frogs. Don't get me wrong though I have taken a barbecue lighter after a heavy misting and burnt down their webs - if I'm lucky their sometimes in them.


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## p.terribilis (Jan 19, 2009)

+1 on the BBQ lighter. Used it myself to clear the spiders, webs, and egg sacks I found in my viv.


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## Wusserton (Feb 21, 2014)

Wow big daddy L legs is a beast! lol


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