False Widow Spiders In Hutch :(

[Pinktink]

A few months ago I lost my three female pigs over the course of three days. Lily died first, Luna died the day after and Poppy died the day after that. their deaths were unexplained; none of them had shown any signs of illness, it was before the weather got cold and none of them had any signs that they had been fighting. There wasn't any blood or anything in the hutch so I was at a complete loss as to what was killing them.

Around the same time I noticed spiders had started living in and on the hutch, which obviously wasn't anything out of the norm as spiders in hutches can't be helped, but I soon learnt that they are the poisonous false widows (also known as rabbit hutch spiders as thats where they like to live!) that the press were reporting so avidly a few months ago.

I moved the ones I could see but was a bit wary as I'm pregnant and didn't want to get bitten.

To cut a long story short, the spiders kept returning to the hutch and that's when the three girls died. Do you think there's a possibility that they were bitten by the spiders and that's what killed them?

Nimbus and Nargle live inside now so there's less risk of the spiders getting to them but my rabbit, Daphne, is outside in her hutch and ive noticed the spider's have started living in and on it again.

They don't seem as harmful as the press made them out to be and seem more scared of me than I am of them. I just shine a torch on them and they retreat to a crack or corner and make themselves scarce but do you think they could be dangerous to Daphne and do you think they could be the answer behind Lily, Luna and Poppy's deaths?

 

[Wiebke]

I only have the press reports to go on, so I am not an authority. Personally, I would rather be safe than sorry and move Daisy out, even though she has more body mass than the piggies and should survive a bite.

I am very sorry about your girls. It must have been a major shock for you!

 

[Rodentopia]

I agree I would move Daphne as a precaution. Better to be safe then sorry. Sorry to hear you lost your girls

 

[Hermes]

It's the noble false widow that the media made a big thing about, rabbit hutch spiders are a different (pretty harmless) type of false widow. Are you certain of the species of spider living in your hutch?

Even the bite of the noble false widow is relatively minor and the spiders are not aggressive so unless all your pigs had a severe reaction to spider bites then I think it's unlikely to be the cause.

If you're worried have a thorough clean out of your hutch and keep an eye out for any eight-legged interlopers.

 

[Pinktink]

Its definitley the false widow spiders. My neighbour has them too and has had it confirmed that they are the poisonous species.

I'm going to move Daphne inside as a precaution. Don't want to take any risks

 

[Bekki]

Good idea :-)