House spiders are safe for humans and animals. They are useful because they catch other insects: mosquitoes, flies and midges. But at the same time, spiders weave webs, and in some cases they can be poisonous and cause an allergic reaction. You can fight them with the help of special chemicals or use proven folk remedies. The best prevention against the appearance of spiders is regular cleaning of the premises.
House spiders are not dangerous to humans. They do not bite unless attacked first, and feed on harmful flying insects.
Spiders prefer to eat:
- cockroaches;
- mosquitoes;
- moths and their larvae;
- midges;
- woodlice
Most often in apartments you can find the following types of arthropods:
- tramp;
- black or gray spider;
- haymaker
Individuals differ in appearance. The haymaker (also known as the mower) has 6 legs. It has a round or oval abdomen. The length of the paws of this species is 5 cm. It lives on windows or in dark corners of the house. There the spider weaves huge webs that trap small insects.
The haymaker kills his prey when it can no longer move and injects poison into it. The insect hangs upside down. When large insects approach, it protects its web and begins to swing it strongly. Thus, the spider prevents damage to the web.
Another type of spider that is quite common is the gray or black one. They are much smaller than window arthropods. Their body length does not exceed 14 mm. The woven web resembles the shape of a pipe. A small insect falls into it and dies. Spiders do not weave new webs, but repair old ones. As a rule, females hunt for victims, and males guard the den.
The tramp has an elongated body and elongated legs. A characteristic feature of this species is the absence of a web. It does not require a web to attack its victim. The tramp attacks her with a jump. It instantly injects poison and eats the victim. The spider is not dangerous to humans. However, in countries with hot climates, a person may experience an allergic reaction from the poison, which manifests itself as slight redness of the skin.
House spiders in winter
There is a myth that house spiders become more active in winter, but in fact the opposite is true.
The myth is that spiders move into houses to escape the cold or to find food. However, since spiders do not need to maintain body temperature like warm- and cold-blooded animals, they do not need to hide in warm places or hunt insects for food much because spiders can hibernate, which reduces their energy expenditure. Thus, spiders can live without food for months. Winter does not affect the number of fruit flies, midges, carpet beetles, moths and silverfish in our homes, so even a starved spider waking up from hibernation has the opportunity to survive. House spiders can also feed on their relatives. That is why there are usually no more than three eight-legged neighbors in one house. They can also migrate in a critical situation. If there is absolutely no food, and the spider needs it, it can move either to another part of the house, or outside, to another house.
The only problem for house spiders is the danger of their offspring freezing. Nests often die due to excessive cold. However, spiders often find a solution to this problem using a unique form of web. They can turn it from a trap into a protective cover that will insulate the spiders that have not yet hatched.
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Cockroach
Domestic cockroaches are the most unpleasant insects that can be found in the house. Scientists claim that they are carriers of infectious diseases that affect the functioning of the intestinal tract. Pests can appear in every housewife, even the cleanest ones; they can sneak into the apartment from neighbors who are undertaking renovations.
Cockroaches feed on everything: food, waste, paper, fabric and much more. They can fast for about two weeks. Not finding food in the house, which is unlikely, they run to the next apartment.
The harm that cockroaches bring to humans:
- They are carriers of infectious diseases.
- They spoil things, get into equipment, feed on wallpaper and paper bindings.
- They can get tangled in the wires and a short circuit may occur, resulting in a fire.
- May cause allergies.
Pests multiply quickly, so experts recommend taking immediate action to destroy them. Pests can be controlled using folk, mechanical and chemical means. The most effective means are chemicals.
- Treat the apartment with a solution of water and vinegar.
- Cockroach crayons. This drug is ineffective in fighting insects, but is not very toxic and is safe for humans.
- Sprays and aerosols. A product with high toxicity, which is not very good for humans. When using an aerosol, do not forget about your own safety; handle the room with gloves and gauze masks.
- Traps. Small and poisonous inside.
- Alcohol. Wipe or spray with ammonia all places in the house where pests live.
- Smoke bombs. The most effective means of pest control and the most dangerous for humans. Smoke is highly toxic. When treating the premises yourself, do not forget about your health and precautions.
What to feed a spider at home: tips for beginners / Press release
There has always been a lot of mysticism and mysteries around these beautiful animals. Even in ancient times, people used spiders in their rituals, attributing magical properties to them. Many people are afraid of them; even just the sight of them gives them goosebumps.
But there are also those who admire the beauty and grace of these animals. Some even keep spiders in their homes. And they even give it as a gift for the holidays! Even many people buy these exotic animals in the form of toys.
But if you decide to get such an unusual pet for yourself, then the first thing you should know about is its proper feeding.
There are basic rules that apply to any type of spider, from the most common tarantulas to the more rare ones. It is necessary to study the topic of feeding so that your pet lives a long and carefree life, does not get sick and pleases its owner.
Notes
- ↑ 123
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ 12345
- ↑ 12
- ↑
- ↑ 123
- ↑
- ↑ Cooke, J. A. L., Roth, V. D., Miller, F. H. (1972). The urticating hairs of theraphosid spiders. American Museum novitates 2498. —
- ↑ Blaikie, Andrew J; John Ellis, Roshini Sanders, Caroline J. MacEwen (24 May 1997). "". BMJ314(7093):1524–5. DOI:. . Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ↑. Tarantupedia.
- ↑ R. Bertani, C.S. Fukushima, PIS Júnior (2008). Mating behavior of Sickius longibulbi (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Ischnocolinae), a spider that lacks spermathecae. The Journal of Arachnology 36:331–335.
- ↑ RC Gallon (2003). A new African arboreal genus and species of theraphosid spider (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Stromatopelminae) which lacks spermathecae. The Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 12 (9), 405–411.
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ Stanley A. Schultz and Marguerite J. Schultz, The Tarantula Keeper's Guide, p. 75
- ↑
What to feed your house spider
If we talk about their natural habitat, then spiders are not particularly picky in it. Since spiders are naturally predators, they can feed on absolutely anything they can catch. But when an animal falls into the hands of a person, the choice of “dish” depends only on the owner. Therefore, you will have to carefully plan your pet’s diet and stock up on special food for it. Perfect for spiders:
- various types of cockroaches (but in no case domestic ones);
- mealworms;
- zoophobes.
Feeding food insects is not a troublesome task, you just need to get used to it. You also need to know where you can replenish your pet’s treats.
If you don't want a real exotic animal, consider buying a toy in the shape of this creature. The HANSA toy store offers exotic toy animals. But not only exotic ones, but also others, cute and fluffy.
Dream Interpretation – Leather
Seeing leather as a material in a dream portends strengthening friendship and prosperity in love. Pieces and scraps of skin piled up in a heap portend good luck and happiness. Processing leather in a dream means no changes in the course of your business, tanning it is a residue from an unpleasant meeting, sewing something from it means accumulating wealth through frugality.
Leather clothing on someone is good luck in the game and in everything related to money. Being dressed in leather means you will be lucky in love. Seeing suede products in a dream means your charms will conquer any man. Safyan portends help from unexpected sources. Black or dirty skin is a sign of adultery. Cleaning or washing the skin means illness of loved ones.
If in a dream you focus your attention on human skin without any flaws, clean and beautiful, this means that in real life you will be the object of adoration of a prominent man. Smooth and silky skin to the touch - to the fulfillment of desires regarding the creative side of life. Old, loose and wrinkled skin indicates that you will safely reach old age
Sick skin - to wealth; skin with scratches, bruises and scars - to ill-gotten money. Torn and bleeding skin - to a rich groom and an imminent wedding. Being treated for skin diseases in a dream promises health and profit.
Old, loose and wrinkled skin indicates that you will safely reach old age. Sick skin - to wealth; skin with scratches, bruises and scars - to ill-gotten money. Torn and bleeding skin - to a rich groom and an imminent wedding. Being treated for skin diseases in a dream promises health and profit.
Seeing a blister from a burn on the skin is a sign of unexpected events in your personal life. An abscess on the skin means drinking in a fun company; boils mean trouble in the near future, insincerity of friends who are hiding something from you. Sores on the skin mean that the disease will undermine your strength and bring mental exhaustion.
Seeing skin worn away by leprosy means doing something that will bring concern not only to you personally, but to your entire family. Skin covered with a rash from scabies is a sign of fear of failure in a business that you have never done before. Scratching your skin to the point of ulcers, experiencing unbearable itching, means that in reality you will find yourself in bad company and get into a lot of trouble.
Seeing skin completely covered with moles means an addition to the family. A large birthmark on the skin portends twins. The skin of your face or hands dotted with freckles means you will experience a funny adventure in reality. Tanned skin means you will have a successful vacation; white and pale skin means frustration from an insult caused by a loved one. Seeing your skin as black as a black woman’s means that in real life you will be mistaken for someone else.
It personifies the parasitic influence on someone’s part or one’s own vampiric aspirations to capture the victim. Fighting a spider means conflicts with superiors or opposition to the mother’s care. Holding a spider in your hands means receiving a gift. The web is an invisible trap. The symbolic meaning of this creature is associated with the web with which he weaves the world.
Since the web of life and fate is woven by the divine spider, it is perceived as a kind of universal given, the grip of existence. In mythology, the universal mother is depicted in the form of a spider, as a weaver of fate. In dreams, a spider can indicate its own domineering mother or someone’s vampiric presence , forcing you to act according to a plan alien to you.
Forbidden Treats for Spiders
It’s not enough to know what to feed spiders. You also need to be aware of what you absolutely cannot give to them.
For example, many inexperienced owners believe that if a spider is called a tarantula, then it can also be fed with small vertebrates. But, unfortunately, there are many known cases where pets died after such a “feast.” They suffered from simple indigestion. In captivity, a spider can easily overestimate its strength. Therefore, frogs and rodents, like other similar animals, are prohibited.
In addition, such “food” may be stronger than the spider, and it will simply die in an unequal battle. And if he wins, then a whole mouse or frog is a lot even for a large tarantula. He will eat it for more than one day. At this time, the animal will begin to decompose and release toxic venom.
Why is it not recommended to treat spiders to domestic cockroaches? The answer is simple: they can be unhealthy and infect your pet. For the same reason, you should not give insects that you caught on the street yourself. They may be sick or poisoned by poisons or pesticides used on the grass or trees.
What to do if it happens that the food has run out and your pet is very hungry? Then take all precautions and choose areas for catching insects as far as possible from the roadway. It’s better to go outside the city altogether. How can you make sure that the insects you catch are healthy? Ideally, they should be quarantined for a couple of days. But there is often no such opportunity, so you have to take risks. And to avoid having to do this, always check whether you have enough food for your pet.
Varieties
There are three main species of Loxosceles reclusa, as this species of arthropod sounds in Latin.
Brown
The most common variety. They originally lived in Latin America, from where they spread throughout the world since the 70s of the last century. They adapted to the conditions of existence next to humans.
Brown
Chilean subspecies. Less poisonous, common in Chile and Hawaii.
Mediterranean hermit spiders, distinguished by their red-brown or yellowish color, live in the southern latitudes of Europe and Russia. The degree of danger of the poison of this species of arthropod needs additional study.
When to feed the spider
We found out what to feed the spiders. Now you need to figure out how often this needs to be done.
If we are talking about an adult, then the frequency of feeding is about 1-2 times a week. In general, you need to look at your pet’s appetite. If the spider often does not finish what you offer it, then feeding can be done less frequently and the portions can be smaller.
You can watch the animal. As soon as its abdomen increases several times during feeding, this will mean that the pet is full. Leftover food can be removed to prevent overeating. There are cases where spiders ate to such an extent that their abdomen ruptured. Therefore, it is better not to feed your pet.
Young spiderlings, like all children, need to be fed more often, but in smaller portions. Fasting, like overeating, in this case threatens irreparable consequences and major health problems in the future.
To eat or not to eat: that is the question
There are times when it is useful for a pack to be on a diet. We are talking about the molting process. This is where your pet will benefit from fasting.
To correctly calculate the days and times of fasting, you can use a simple formula. To do this, keep a notebook and note in it every molt of your pet. Add three to four days to their total number, and you will get the amount of time during which it is better not to feed your spider. Then he will be healthy and will be able to gain strength as soon as possible.
And by the way, if your pet suddenly refuses to eat, you should not immediately sound the alarm. Some individuals can fast for about a month, or even two. There is nothing critical about this.
And don't forget to clean up leftover food after each feeding. Otherwise, they will not only emit an unpleasant odor, but they can also poison your spider if it suddenly decides to taste the remains of its feast.
Industrial chemicals
On the shelves of specialized stores you can see a wide range of insect and spider repellents. For apartments and any other living space, it is better to choose gentle sprays or gels, while for the surrounding area of private houses it is much more practical to use aggressive chemicals.
You need to understand that spiders settle exclusively in places where there is food: mosquitoes, flies, wasps and other insects. First of all, it is necessary to get rid of the cause and only then take on the effect.
Let's consider the most popular and well-proven industrial products that have received many flattering reviews from consumers.
Raid
The most effective aerosols are produced under this brand. Experts recommend using the “From Ants and Cockroaches” series. The product acts instantly and allows you to destroy the spider in just a few seconds.
In addition, Raid has a long residual effect. Having sprayed the problem area once, the next treatment can be carried out a month later. This way you can get rid of the annoying neighborhood forever. After spraying, the aerosol does not smell and does not contain harmful petroleum products, which is the problem with inexpensive analogues.
The manufacturer recommends using Raid indoors, after moving children and pets to another place. After treatment, you must wait until the product dries and only then allow household members and pets into the room. Due to its high efficiency, the cost of the aerosol is at an appropriate level.
Joker Bun
This is a Turkish household product in aerosol format without a pronounced odor. Joker Bun does an excellent job of eliminating all crawling and flying insects, including representatives of the arthropod order. The aerosol does not cause pronounced allergic reactions upon contact with skin, so it can be recommended for allergy sufferers.
The product cannot be used in kitchens near unprotected food, as well as in catering establishments. The manufacturer also recommends removing children and pets from the premises before using the aerosol. The spray works very quickly. A few seconds after application, the spider loses the ability to navigate and dies a couple of minutes later.
When applied to spiders, Joker Bun should be sprayed along baseboards, over large furnishings, corners, window sills and openings, as well as service and ventilation openings in bathrooms, kitchens and other rooms, if there are any.
Raptor
"Raptor" in aerosol format received a lot of positive reviews. Besides the fact that it is inexpensive, it is also in no way inferior in efficiency to foreign analogues. One cylinder is more than enough to treat rooms with a total area of 60 square meters. m.
The product acts quickly enough and maintains the effect for at least a month.
Raptor contains aggressive chemicals, so it should be used with extreme caution in apartments where children and exotic pets live. After treatment, the room must be thoroughly ventilated for at least one hour.
Judging by consumer reviews, the substances included in Raptor can provoke allergic reactions. So allergy sufferers should take a closer look at the above-mentioned remedies. They are noticeably more expensive, but more balanced in this regard.
Portion volumes and feed preparation
How much food to give at one time? The size of the "food" should not exceed a third of the size of your spider. An insect that is too large can frighten your pet and really get on his nerves.
So that you don’t have to constantly go to the store for a new portion of food, you can prepare it at home. It will be easier and cheaper this way. To do this, you will have to breed mealworms or cockroaches yourself.
Everything is very simple. Take a large jar, pour sawdust and pieces of tree bark into it, and add “residents”. You can feed them scraps from your table. This way you will have fresh and nutritious food for your pet at any time.
Material provided by the online toy store HANSA. If you are interested in spiders, but not real ones, then exotic animal toys will be to your liking!
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What to feed your house spider
You can watch a spider's meal for a long time. Feeding spiders is a truly fascinating spectacle. Seeing the victim, the spider rushes at it and instantly injects poison into the body. The poison immobilizes the prey, and the spider, slowly weaving it with a web, releases gastric juice into the prey and begins to eat. The feeding of spiders turns into a whole performance. But what should you feed a regular spider to ensure its long existence? How is feeding a tarantula spider different? To understand what to feed a spider at home, you need to understand what constitutes the diet of arthropods in their natural habitat.
Requirements for setting up a terrarium for a tarantula
— the terrarium should provide space for the spiders. The surface of the walls for arboreal species and the surface of the bottom for terrestrial ones should be no shorter than 2 times the span of the spider's legs in maximum amplitude. At the same time, the excessive space of the terrarium creates difficulties in constantly maintaining optimal temperature and humidity; in such a terrarium it is difficult for spiders to find food. - the terrarium must be safe - for the owners and for the spider itself. The possibility of escape must be completely eliminated, and the possibility of a spider bite and attack must also be minimized. You may find it helpful to read about the Poecilotheria fasciata bite. — containers with a high height cannot be used for ground spiders, because the tarantula can fall from a height and get a ruptured abdomen. For arboreal spider species, the height of the terrarium is an important component of success in keeping them. Large stones should not be placed near such spiders to prevent spider strikes and subsequent damage. — a good ventilation system is necessary for all types of terrariums. — as a shelter for terrestrial tarantulas, you need to install in the terrarium either a piece of bark, or half of a flower pot, or some kind of artificial shelter. For tree spiders, a shelter in a terrarium can be built from a piece of pine or oak bark. By and large, tarantula spiders do not necessarily need to be kept in terrariums; any food containers or standard insect boxes are suitable for them. The main thing is that these containers must meet the above conditions. And newborn baby spiders feel great in small plastic boxes, such as those made for photographic film, with small-diameter holes on the lid and sides. As the spider grows, it is transplanted into larger jars.
Preparing feed yourself
You can prepare food for your beloved pet yourself. This saves money and time for frequent trips to the pet store. It is not difficult to breed marbled cockroaches, which are a delicacy for spiders in their regular diet. You can grow a colony of cockroaches in a glass jar. You need to throw bark and cardboard at the bottom of the container and put 10-20 individuals there. Marbled cockroaches reproduce quickly and are not picky about food. You can feed them vegetable scraps, bread crumbs and small pieces of meat.
To prevent cockroaches from escaping, you should coat the edges of the jar with Vaseline. When selecting food for a spider’s diet, it is better to collect young cockroaches that have not yet acquired wings. Such victims are suitable for both an adult spider and a small growing pet.
Important tips for feeding spiders:
- You cannot leave the corpse of an insect in the terrarium if decomposition has occurred. Corpse poisons are extremely harmful to your pet.
- Feeding the spider immediately after molting is not advisable. Insects can harm a spider that has just survived its molt.
- It is necessary to immediately remove the remains of the spider's meal.
- It is not advisable to freeze food for further use. Many spiders will simply refuse stale food.
- If the insect turns out to be larger than the spider, you should cut it into pieces.
- If the spider refuses to eat, you need to crush the insect's head with a stone and leave it in the terrarium for a couple of hours. If more than 8 hours have passed and the spider has not touched the food, be sure to remove the corpse.
The key to a long and happy life for your pet is taking care of its diet. Myths that tarantulas should eat only vertebrates cannot be believed. Listening, or rather looking closely at the state of the spider, you need to feed it according to need, and under no circumstances overfeed it. Moderate nutrition, care for the cleanliness of the terrarium and frequent replacement of drinking water are to the taste of all domestic spiders on the planet.
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Enclosed spaces
Removing insects in enclosed spaces (greenhouses, apartments, country houses) has its own nuances. There are 7 effective ways to get rid of spiders:
- Aerosol. Since spiders love to settle in corners, you should treat them with an aerosol, and at the same time spray the upper and lower baseboards.
- Chalk or gel. These are cheaper insecticides. They should be used to treat corners and baseboards.
- Wet cleaning with bleach. The smell of bleach will scare away spiders and they will leave the apartment or basement. A rag soaked in a chlorine solution should be walked in the spiders' habitats.
- Vacuum cleaner. Using a vacuum cleaner, you can remove the cobwebs, and the insect will have to look for a new habitat. And the more often you do this, the less chance the insect has of staying in its favorite corner.
- Chlorpyrifos or boric acid. In a room with closed windows and doors, literally everything is sprayed and left closed for 3 hours. After this, ventilate for a long time. This method will not leave any arthropod a chance to survive.
- Repeller. Ultrasonic devices are often used in areas where dangerous animals live. But it can also be used to get rid of spiders. Manufacturers believe that it is harmless to people, so you can buy it in any specialized store.
- Repair materials. Any building material contains chemical components that repel insects. Spiders will not return to the premises until the odors have completely disappeared.
- Mosquito net. To prevent the appearance of insects, it is actively used in the summer.
Where do spiders go in winter?
Arthropods adapt to the onset of cold weather in different ways. Spiders are unable to tolerate temperatures below 0 degrees due to tissue crystallization. Depending on this, spiders can sleep or die in winter.
Young cross spiders and “newborn” wasp spiders migrate on wind-blown spider webs in search of habitat on warm September days. Huddled in a crack in the bark of a tree, spiders sleep in winter.
Sexually mature parents of baby wasps end their life in the summer: the male - in the form of a “wife” dinner after mating, the female - after laying eggs. A similar situation occurs in adult crosses. Autumn is the mating season, when males go in search of females sitting in their web. After fertilization of the female, the male dies. The spider weaves a cocoon in which it lays eggs. Having hidden it in a secluded place (in the bark of trees, cracks in masonry), it also dies. In the spring, spiderlings emerge from the eggs, ready to weave webs.
Predator's net
When hearing the word “spider,” a person immediately imagines an openwork web or dense snares. The spider weaves a web using a solidifying liquid substance found in the arachnoid glands located inside the abdomen. A sticky mass is released from arachnoid warts. The threads of the web woven by a spider are thin webs glued together from several different glands.
Spiders use webs:
- for catching prey;
- for creating a cocoon around the masonry;
- burrowing spiders line their dug-out dwellings with soft webs;
- In the autumn, young spiders use long threads from the web for migration.
What do they eat in winter?
Most spiders cannot eat their food right away. The venomous bite is necessary to paralyze the victim and turn its insides into a nutritional cocktail. The peculiarity of spider physiology does not require maintaining a constant temperature. For this reason, they can go without food for a long time and fall asleep, falling into torpor. During the winter months, the food supply is maintained by water and house spiders.
What do house spiders eat in an apartment in winter? Flies and mosquitoes stop penetrating into human housing with the onset of cold weather, going into hibernation. But apartments can be inhabited by cockroaches, moths, and fruit flies. Predators eat each other, thus redistributing habitat areas. The life cycle of house spiders is short: from 2 to 6 months. Reproduction depends on the food supply: if it is insufficient, new offspring appear after the end of the life cycle of the parents.
Nutrition method
Many people are interested in how spiders eat insects, small vertebrates and other creatures, or rather, how they catch the prey and what they then do with it. Arachnids are known to weave webs from spider webs, which they use for fishing.
The predator itself sits on the central area of the net and waits until it catches an insect. But he determines its presence by the vibration or vibration of the web.
Some species of predators do not spin webs; they explore the surrounding area, wait, and then attack. Others may weave not nets, but funnels near a hole or shelter.
The behavior of predators may differ - some can envelop the prey in a web and wait until it stops moving, others attack it immediately. But initially, a toxic substance is injected into the trapped insect.
Spider nutrition has some features:
- they lack complete digestive organs. The food is digested from the outside, after which the insect absorbs the liquid mass through the mouth.
- Carnivores have no teeth in the oral cavity. They grind food using chelicerae, pedipalps similar to tentacles.
- Some spiders can only suck up liquid food, others crush the shell and bite through the skin.
- Digestion of amphibians and rodents takes longer. The predator eats a mouse, frog, or snake gradually, it turns the victim over, constantly injecting a new portion of saliva.
Preparations for the winter
House spiders, which do not hibernate in winter, surprise with their activity. What can spiders eat in an apartment in winter? If you look closely at the nets they spread, you can see the remains of insects wrapped in webs. The predator prudently creates “storerooms” in cool, damp places, where they can be stored longer without drying out. If there is a “raw material base”, spider stocks are renewed throughout the cold period. The spider withstands long breaks in feeding, supporting itself with water and ceasing active movements.
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