Have you ever wondered what do jumping spiders eat in the winter? Majority of people believe they’ll die during this period. But do they actually die? You might wish to know that jumping spiders are cold-blooded.
This means that their body temperature gets to fluctuate to suit any environment they found themselves in. Hence, in this write-up, we’ll consider some items you can feed your jumping spider, especially during the winter season, which will enable them to survive and not freeze to death.
Diet of Jumping Spiders
Before you decide what to feed your jumping spiders during the winter, it’s essential to take a good look at some of the jumping spiders’ diets. Some of their diets are as follows; any insert that moves (bugs etc., even their kind). Apart from these, some species also consume pollen and nectar despite their carnivorous nature. Well, now you must have known that jumping spiders are semi-vegetarian as well.
Suitable food source for your pet spiders during winter.
Crickets
Crickets remain a common choice to feed your jumping spiders during the winter because they do not go out of season. This is because you can quickly source them from a nearby pet store. Other exotic pets also feed on them; hence they can easily be found.
When you decide to feed your spider with cricket, place it at the enclosure entrance in the morning. Any uneaten one should be removed at night. Remember, the size of your spider will determine the size of cricket given to them. It’s always safer to feed your jumping spiders with tiny hatched crickets. Some spiders will also accept crickets that are freshly killed, while others will refuse to eat them.
Mealworms
This is another typical food for your spider that can be gotten from pet stores during winter. These are great supplemental food for jumping spiders. This helps them work around their diet. But an uneaten one should be quickly removed from the tank because they usually turn into beetles, which can be dangerous to the spiders.
The good thing about mealworms is that they’re not expensive to purchase, it is easier to keep them alive, and they pose no threat to your spiders because they’re unable to climb any smooth surfaces; this makes them just a sitting duck for your jumping spiders to feed on.
Roaches
Roaches can be used to diversify your jumping spider’s diet during winter, but this must be done carefully. There are numerous types of roaches out there, and some are more suitable for your jumping spiders than others.
They’re also good because you can easily keep them alive even throughout the winter season, which serves as an unending supply of food to your jumping spider. Another thing about roaches is that they’re nutritious, poses no threat to the spiders, and they can be seen in any pet store or even from private breeders. Alternatively, you can decide to start a small colony yourself using a plastic tube, and it will last from season to season if you feed them well.
Flies
Jumping spiders also enjoy feeding on flies. They’re easily seen around pet stores, and they do not harm the spiders even when they’re molting. The significant drawdown about flies is that keeping them is difficult, but a single order can last for thirty days with proper care
. It’s actually best to order them in the form of pupae and spike because, at this stage, they’re a great starter food for jumping spiders. When they hatch out, you can keep them in a refrigerator to prevent them from flying away when the enclosure is opened.
Waxworms
This can be offered to your jumping spider either as moths or larvae when it gets hatched. You can easily get them during winter in different pet stores, and they do not require much care. You’ll see them in round tubs with the substrate being sold in stores. For it to hatch faster, it requires a higher temperature. It’s important to note that because waxworms are high in fat, they should not be feed to your jumping spiders all the time.
Also, it’s advisable to offer them to sub-adult and adult jumping spiders because of their size. Jumping spiders are ever ready to feed on moths or waxworms that hatched and sometimes even pupa.
In Conclusion
Jumping spiders are agile hunters any day and will readily feed on either flies, crickets, roaches, wax worms, mealworms, moths, etc., during winter. The good thing is that majority of these sources of food for jumping spider can be easily purchased from your nearby pet stores. Finally, it’s essential to understand that as your jumping spiders age, it might be difficult for them to catch their prey. At this point, you can offer them the prey by hand in other to prolong their life.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to jumping spiders during winter?
In most cases, the spider will choose to sit stationary inside the web, or at times, they move off the web. Moving off the web does not mean abandoning it. Instead, they’ll remain nearly maybe in a cover.
Where exactly do jumping spiders go in winter?
For jumping spiders in the wide, you’ll discover they ‘ll start living close to the ground, in the weeds and grasses. For the young, they begin to construct a silk retreat that resembles an adult nest. They’ll hibernate there until springtime. Most of these springs can be seen under stones or plants.
What do house jumping spiders feed on during winter?
They prefer to prey on other insects that are already hibernating themselves.
What duration can a jumping spider stay without food?
For some adults that are already matured, they can stay for seven days without food. However, most owners of jumping spiders do feed them within 2-3 days interval. On the other hand, if you’ve a young jumping spider, you need to feed it more, preferably once every two days.
