How long do spiders live?

In 2018, the world’s oldest known spider died at 43 years old. A female trapdoor spider had burrowed in the Australian outback in a parasitic wasp attack. But, 43 years is a very long time. Can you even imagine? 

How long do spiders in the house live? 

Some spiders can live up to twenty years, some less than a year. For example, a common house spider will live for about a year. However, spiders face dangers that lower the chance of “growing old” every day. 

Many animals feast on spiders and their eggs, including birds, reptiles, and other anthropods. Humans consider spiders a delicacy in some countries, like South America and Asia. Additionally, like humans, spiders can come in contact with an illness that reduces their chance of survival. 

Let’s get down to business. In this blog, we’ll discuss what species make it hard for spiders to live and what survival skills help them from escaping death. 

What eats a spider? 

Thanks to wasps, mantispid lacewings, and flies for helping us keep a spider pest problem down as they enjoy eating spider larvae, a highly nutritious food. 

Wasps

Hunting wasps LOVE to munch on spiders. Usually, they’re known to lay eggs onto the spider’s abdomen on the prowl to feed their babies. When the wasp’s larva hatch, it will gradually eat the spider from the outside, often beginning at the spider’s waist, which is out of reach from the spider’s legs. 

Using their long ovipositors to penetrate the egg sac, wasps and flies will lay their eggs amongst those of spiders. 

Mantispid

Mantispids, an abstract member of the Neurotrean family, are known to prey on spider’s egg sacs. Typically, they’ll drain the content through a piercing, then suck through a tube formed by modified mandibles and maxillae.  

As an abstract member of the Neurotrean family, mantispids tend to lay their eggs on the bark of a tree; and when the larvae hatch out, they’ll disperse into the crevices seeking a delicious spider egg snack. 

Flies

Vampire flies or Mantidflies drink spider blood and chow down on spider eggs! These creepy-looking pests look like wasps, but their legs are raptorial. Though they have six legs, the front pair is modified for hunting; designed for catching and holding insects. These flies also feed on nectar and tree sap. 

Health problems 

If you want to know how long spiders live, you may want to consider what could wreak havoc on their health. 

Like humans, spiders can suffer from illnesses, fungal infections, diseases, mite infestations, and worms. For example, Mermethid nematode worms are a prime example. These internal parasites of spiders will attack a spider, eat the non-vital tissue and weaken (but not kill) it. 

Interestingly enough, the worm must find soil or water to complete the job. Then, when it’s ready to retire from its dying host, the worm must induce the spider to seek a water form, which completes the lifecycle. 

Sometimes, spiders will chow down on another animal with a disease, like an ill grasshopper. In this case, they’ll get infected right away, which is a good thing for us. 

Survival skills

Like spiderman, spiders must be very cautious and practice innate skills when enemies are near, one being autonomy. 

What is autonomy? 

Say a bird grabs a spider’s leg, then what? Autonomy is the spider’s ability to self-amputate, so the spider will break its leg off close to the body to escape its predator. Wild, right? Even more astonishing, younger spiders can regenerate their legs. 

Spiders use several other survival strategies to protect themselves from the enemy, like direct threat displays. Some spiders can change the color of its body, like red, to warn off predators.

Some play dead, and others drop away on their silk dragline. These examples help increase the survival rate of how long a spider can live. 

Conclusion

Being a spider sounds stressful. They must fight for their lives in every situation, from avoiding predators to munching on the wrong food. But, for this New Jersey Pest Control Company, we appreciate the help of predators, like wasps, in controlling the population. 

If you notice a spider infestation, contact us for an affordable pest control technician! You can do so by calling 201-730-9498. We’ll discuss our affordable pricing, customized plans, and double your money-back guarantee.

We look forward to taking care of your pest problems today!