Spiders fall under the order Araneae, which contains a total of 109 families and about more than 42,000 species known to exist. The common house spider that is found in most homes across America continues to perplex homeowners.
While many households find spiders creepy and dangerous, the truth is that their diet doesn’t involve biting or getting near to humans. The spiders you see in your home are probably more scared than you are, and they’re mostly harmless.
With that being said, if spiders are not known to harm humans, what do they eat inside your home?
What Do Spiders Eat in a House?
Before we go into their diet, it’s important to note that common house spiders also come from different families. These spiders may vary in terms of their appearance and the webbing they create.
The most common spiders that are found in homes across America include the daddy long legs spider, hobo spider, brown recluse spider, black widow spider, wolf spider, and cellar spiders.
Even though these spiders come from different families, their diets are relatively similar. The main difference in their diet is the size of their prey.
If you see a spider crawling around your home, chances are it’s looking for food. This is a good thing, though. Their diet mainly consists of flies, mosquitoes, moths, and other small insects.
Most spiders are opportunistic feeders. This simply means that they will eat whatever they can catch. Smaller spiders will mostly eat insects that are smaller than them.
You can think of them as your own personal pest control! Not only do they help keep your home free of pests, but they also help keep the insect population in check.
How Do Spiders Catch Their Prey?
Now that we know what spiders eat, let’s look at how they catch their prey. All spiders are predators, and they have to be quick and stealthy in order to catch their food.
Spiders use two main methods to capture their prey: webbing and stalking.
Webbing is the most common method used by spiders. They build their webs in strategic places where they know insects will be passing by. Once an insect gets caught in the web, the spider will quickly wrap it up in silk and start to feed. Common house spiders that use this method include cellar spiders and daddy long legs spiders.
The second method is stalking. This is mostly used by ground-dwelling spiders, such as wolf spiders and hobo spiders. They don’t build webs; instead, they lie in and wait for their prey to come close enough so they can pounce on it.
Once the spider has caught its prey, it will inject it with venom. This venom will quickly kill the insect and start to break down its body. The spider will then feed on the insect’s body fluids.
How Often Do House Spiders Eat?
Spiders generally eat whenever they can catch their prey. This means that they might not have set mealtimes, and can survive without food for weeks, sometimes, even months.
The size of the spider will also dictate how often it needs to eat. Smaller spiders will need to eat more often because they have a higher metabolism. Larger spiders, on the other hand, can go long periods of time without food.
Do Spiders Eat Other Spiders?
While spiders aren’t known to harm humans, they’re not afraid to kill and eat other spiders. In fact, this is a common occurrence in the spider world.
Spiders are known to be cannibals, and they will often eat other spiders regardless of their size or species. This is especially true for male spiders. This is most likely done out of competition for food or territory. By nature, these eight-legged creatures are territorial and wouldn’t think twice about killing another spider to protect its territory.
Final Thoughts
Some people may have a natural instinct to step or squish a spider when they see one. But you might want to think twice about doing that next time. These creatures do more than good. Having them inside the house may be beneficial. As long as they don’t nest and invade your personal space, letting them be may not be such a bad idea.
Otherwise, if you’re noticing an infestation and spiders have started to become a nuisance, you can seek out professional help to get rid of them. Pest control companies have the experience and tools needed to remove spiders from your home quickly, safely, and efficiently.
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