# spiders?



## BaysExotics (Dec 28, 2014)

so i recently peeked into the setup frog tanks to check on plant growth and found a large amount of tiny spider webs all over the tanks, they are only in the tank that i seeded with springtails making me think that they are eating them as i havent seen any since the spider problem. are the spider and issue? if i add more spring tails and introduce frogs would the frogs eat any spiders remaining? if not how do i get rid of them?im in canada there little spiders and are not poisonous or harmful to anything in any way (other then springtails)


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## BaysExotics (Dec 28, 2014)

** not worry about spiders hurting frogs just wondered if i should do anything to remove them as their webs arnt very appealing


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## Nick_ (Mar 24, 2008)

BaysExotics said:


> so i recently peeked into the setup frog tanks to check on plant growth and found a large amount of tiny spider webs all over the tanks, they are only in the tank that i seeded with springtails making me think that they are eating them as i havent seen any since the spider problem. are the spider and issue? if i add more spring tails and introduce frogs would the frogs eat any spiders remaining? if not how do i get rid of them?im in canada there little spiders and are not poisonous or harmful to anything in any way (other then springtails)


It may be a spider mite infestation.

spider mite webs - Google Search


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## BaysExotics (Dec 28, 2014)

Nick_ said:


> It may be a spider mite infestation.
> 
> spider mite webs - Google Search


i pulled out all the webs but if they return and i post a picture would you be able to identify


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## MELLOWROO421 (Feb 21, 2007)

Keep in mind that spiders lay egg sacs that produce tons of baby spiders which will cause an infestation if not kept in check. Most of my tanks have spiders unfortunately, and I pop them and their egg sacs any time I get the chance. The webs can irritate a thumbnail sized frog. IME, the frogs usually get themselves loose from the web but if you can get the spiders now, do it! If there are no frogs in the tank, a shop vac around the top edges of the lid of the vivarium often does a good job. That is where the majority of my spiders live.


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## BaysExotics (Dec 28, 2014)

MELLOWROO421 said:


> Keep in mind that spiders lay egg sacs that produce tons of baby spiders which will cause an infestation if not kept in check. Most of my tanks have spiders unfortunately, and I pop them and their egg sacs any time I get the chance. The webs can irritate a thumbnail sized frog. IME, the frogs usually get themselves loose from the web but if you can get the spiders now, do it! If there are no frogs in the tank, a shop vac around the top edges of the lid of the vivarium often does a good job. That is where the majority of my spiders live.



perfect thank you! i cleared all webs and they havent been back yet so if i do throw a pair of frogs in there (tincs not thumbnails) i have no worry of them getting caught in webs.. will they eat any mites remaining?


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## Nick_ (Mar 24, 2008)

MELLOWROO421 said:


> Keep in mind that spiders lay egg sacs that produce tons of baby spiders which will cause an infestation if not kept in check. Most of my tanks have spiders unfortunately, and I pop them and their egg sacs any time I get the chance. The webs can irritate a thumbnail sized frog. IME, the frogs usually get themselves loose from the web but if you can get the spiders now, do it! If there are no frogs in the tank, a shop vac around the top edges of the lid of the vivarium often does a good job. That is where the majority of my spiders live.


Do you have pics of these? I'm very interested to see what genus this may be.


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## xIslanderx (Dec 8, 2012)

MELLOWROO421 said:


> Keep in mind that spiders lay egg sacs that produce tons of baby spiders which will cause an infestation if not kept in check. Most of my tanks have spiders unfortunately, and I pop them and their egg sacs any time I get the chance. The webs can irritate a thumbnail sized frog. IME, the frogs usually get themselves loose from the web but if you can get the spiders now, do it! If there are no frogs in the tank, a shop vac around the top edges of the lid of the vivarium often does a good job. That is where the majority of my spiders live.


Couldn't agree more Brian! I think every few weeks I can spend almost a good hour with a shop vac with the hose attachment. End up getting most (never all) of the spiders, sacs, webs, etc. Also the collections of dead fruit flies that build up in random corners. Spiders will always find a way in to your frog room/area. They are simply attracted to the food that is put out (albeit for the frogs only). If kept on top of things, you can always try and have the upper hand on the spider battle, but IMO will never fully eliminate them. I even knowingly leave some of the daddy long legs in the upper corners of my room. Those ones never (so far) have seemed to get into any of my Viv's. It's the smaller ones I worry about. (not certain on what kind, sorry)
Anyway, GL!


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## MELLOWROO421 (Feb 21, 2007)

I'll try and get some pics of the most common spiders I have in my frog room tonight and post them here.


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## Nick_ (Mar 24, 2008)

MELLOWROO421 said:


> I'll try and get some pics of the most common spiders I have in my frog room tonight and post them here.


Nice, the webbing of the ops plants needs to be seen. If it is spider mites which have webs highly similar to a small spiders they are difficult to eradicate and will spread to surrounding vivs as there are no spiders with a weekly sac to reproducing adult rate. Spider mites are terrible &#55357;&#56862;


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## BaysExotics (Dec 28, 2014)

Nick_ said:


> Nice, the webbing of the ops plants needs to be seen. If it is spider mites which have webs highly similar to a small spiders they are difficult to eradicate and will spread to surrounding vivs as there are no spiders with a weekly sac to reproducing adult rate. Spider mites are terrible ��


theres goes the plans to pickin up frogs this weekend.. might try a co2 bomb!  this hobby always seems to keep us on our toes!


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## MELLOWROO421 (Feb 21, 2007)

Spider mites suck! I had them once in a crop of plants I was growing in my closet years ago and they were a pain to keep under control. The webs of spider mites is pretty easily distingushed between typical spider webs so a pic would help us to know for sure. Worst case scenario, there are non chemical products out there for spider mites that would probably be safe to use in a viv with no frogs. The spiders I have are typical orb web spiders. Large butt, almost shaped like a black widow but smaller, less menacing looking and brown with spots (color varies). Their webs are stringy, tight and sticky. They seem to like the upper drier regions of the viv but will drop into the leaf litter if they get away from my pincher fingers. 
To the OP... I wouldn't be overly worried about them, but I would try and kill them if you have the chance.


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## BaysExotics (Dec 28, 2014)

MELLOWROO421 said:


> Spider mites suck! I had them once in a crop of plants I was growing in my closet years ago and they were a pain to keep under control. The webs of spider mites is pretty easily distingushed between typical spider webs so a pic would help us to know for sure. Worst case scenario, there are non chemical products out there for spider mites that would probably be safe to use in a viv with no frogs. The spiders I have are typical orb web spiders. Large butt, almost shaped like a black widow but smaller, less menacing looking and brown with spots (color varies). Their webs are stringy, tight and sticky. They seem to like the upper drier regions of the viv but will drop into the leaf litter if they get away from my pincher fingers.
> To the OP... I wouldn't be overly worried about them, but I would try and kill them if you have the chance.


the webs in my tank are similar almost exactly what you described but they all over the floor of the viv, none up high


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## MELLOWROO421 (Feb 21, 2007)

These are the spiders most common in my frog room and vivs other than the daddy long legs that are in all the corners and ceiling. Harmless but annoying as hell.


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## Friggy_frogger (Aug 24, 2014)

I have a fungus or mold that looks exactly like a webing in my newly setup vivs, if you aren't seeing actual spiders or the mites that could be it.


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## Boondoggle (Dec 9, 2007)

MELLOWROO421 said:


> These are the spiders most common in my frog room and vivs...Harmless but annoying as hell.


I have these too. Once they get in the vivs I imagine they will always be there. I destroy webbing everyday and completely de-spider the room to best of my ability once a month. That keeps the population down, but I've never come anywhere near eradicating them. Kill them when they are small because they get bigger and you will start finding (harmless) spider bites on yourself. I've never had any drastic issues with the frogs/spiders except for when I was on vacation for two weeks and came back with the lamasi having a bit of trouble not getting caught in the webbing.

The spiders have a hard time getting a foothold in the bicolor tank, but everywhere else the frogs don't seem to eat them. 

One tip for OP, if you can feed less food, but more frequently that will cut down on spider food. Basically, just try not to over-feed.


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## BaysExotics (Dec 28, 2014)

Friggy_frogger said:


> I have a fungus or mold that looks exactly like a webing in my newly setup vivs, if you aren't seeing actual spiders or the mites that could be it.


i didnt see anything on any of the webs but they appeared out of no where and were very sticky like a web??


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Funny topic, considering that I have a small spider species that is rampant in my frogroom that I've actually contemplated trying to culture as a feeder. They max out around the size of a hydei, build small, weak webs, and can't seem to establish in a viv very well. My tincs sure like them though!


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## Nick_ (Mar 24, 2008)

Boondoggle said:


> I have these too. Once they get in the vivs I imagine they will always be there. I destroy webbing everyday and completely de-spider the room to best of my ability once a month. That keeps the population down, but I've never come anywhere near eradicating them. Kill them when they are small because they get bigger and you will start finding (harmless) spider bites on yourself. I've never had any drastic issues with the frogs/spiders except for when I was on vacation for two weeks and came back with the lamasi having a bit of trouble not getting caught in the webbing.
> 
> There is nothing that has a gestation period faster than can be kept up with...in South America even with actual spiders. Vacaville is literally ground zero for spidermites being surrounded by Napa (huge high end aggy creating super mites/pests with decades of conditioning for our vineyards and high end food) and a huge farming area running into Sacramento bordering our opposite flank. I have two quetions....Where are the pics....and when are we having a Solano county frog meet....


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## BaysExotics (Dec 28, 2014)

heres some pictures of what it looks like. i can only see it after misting the tank.?


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## MELLOWROO421 (Feb 21, 2007)

Those are spider webs, not spider mites. Just be vigilant when you see them. I wouldn't worry too much. Many of my viv's look exactly like that. i destroy the webs when I see them and come back an hour later or so in hopes to catch the little bastards rebuilding so I can smash them with my fingers or suck them up in the vacuum.


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## BaysExotics (Dec 28, 2014)

MELLOWROO421 said:


> Those are spider webs, not spider mites. Just be vigilant when you see them. I wouldn't worry too much. Many of my viv's look exactly like that. i destroy the webs when I see them and come back an hour later or so in hopes to catch the little bastards rebuilding so I can smash them with my fingers or suck them up in the vacuum.


i just found one rebuilding the web it is very small black with a big back like the ones in one of the picture they look to be about fruitfly size and have tiny yellow dots around their butts


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## pdfCrazy (Feb 28, 2012)

We just acquired someones entire frogroom that was getting out of the hobby. Spiders in the frogroom are nothing new, but definetly an annoyance. The 2x4 racks that came with our 20+ exo terra tanks had cob webs and egg sacs (hopefully depleted) all over them. The tanks had been unoccupied and no FF's for maybe a year. We were hopeful of all dead spiders. No such luck, they've been creeping out of cracks. Dont know the species, but they bear a resemblance to the widow family. Any ideas on species? harmless house spider? 

Edit: Looks like with a little google image searching we answered our own question; Looks like a steatoda triangulosa, triangulate comb footed cob weaver (or house spider).


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## oldlady25715 (Nov 17, 2007)

There have been some other threads on this issue, but without as many pics that are in this one. 

I had some in my Popa tank but I don't see any at all anymore and have to think the frogs ate them. People frown on spiders and mites but they may also provide a more varied diet.

Of course, no one wants widows. I leave a population of daddy longlegs in my frog room/garage because they eat baby widows and other types that try to settle in. Their webs also slow the occasional lightning fast ranitomeya escape and so I can grab em'


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## Nick_ (Mar 24, 2008)

BaysExotics said:


> i just found one rebuilding the web it is very small black with a big back like the ones in one of the picture they look to be about fruitfly size and have tiny yellow dots around their butts


That's good to hear. I'ld take an army of those over spider mites any day lol.


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## Wusserton (Feb 21, 2014)

pdfCrazy said:


> We just acquired someones entire frogroom that was getting out of the hobby. Spiders in the frogroom are nothing new, but definetly an annoyance. The 2x4 racks that came with our 20+ exo terra tanks had cob webs and egg sacs (hopefully depleted) all over them. The tanks had been unoccupied and no FF's for maybe a year. We were hopeful of all dead spiders. No such luck, they've been creeping out of cracks. Dont know the species, but they bear a resemblance to the widow family. Any ideas on species? harmless house spider?
> 
> Edit: Looks like with a little google image searching we answered our own question; Looks like a steatoda triangulosa, triangulate comb footed cob weaver (or house spider).


 
That looks like a common orb spider to me, they look nasty and can get quite large but are harmless other than mental trauma lol 



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## Wusserton (Feb 21, 2014)

I have seen spiders in my tanks before ...the common house spider variety, they seem to build webs, I spray the hell out of their webs until they melt, spiders fall to the ground level and next thing you know my plants look like that scene from jurrasic park when they feed the velociraptors that cow as my frogs go nuts eating them lol, I wouldn't worry too much, the frogs seem to like the variety as long as they are small enough for them to eat 


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