Collecting Your Spiders on the Sly

If you want to help with the museum’s spider survey, collect spiders from your house or yard. Do not capture animals from state or public lands, where collecting may not be permitted.

Carefully coax the spider into a jar, pill bottle or clear film canister using a piece of paper or other object. Although spider bites are rare, museum experts say spiders should not be touched. The museum says it cannot be responsible for any bites or medical treatment.

You can bring the museum as many spiders as you would like.

The spiders can be preserved in rubbing alcohol, which can be purchased in drugstores. Or, if you bring the spiders to the museum alive, place only one in each container, because multiple spiders in one container might try to eat each other.

Include a data sheet, which can be found at the survey Web site below, or list your name, address, telephone number or e-mail, date and time of day the spider was collected, as well as details on the location and habitat where the spider was found.

The museum will be accepting spiders for up to one year but would especially like people to bring in spiders during the 16th Annual Insect Fair this Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, go to: www.nhm.org/spiders