If spiders make you nervous, then the daring jumping spider may send you into a tizzy. Just as you get close enough to cover it with a cup or grab it with a napkin, it jumps at you! Thankfully they are not dangerous but this doesn’t mean you want them crawling around your house. This spider is not afraid to jump right at its prey, making them very difficult to catch. Effective Pest Services delves more into this alarming spider below.
Physical Appearance & Behavior of a Jumping Spider
The daring jumping spider is common in North America and is sometimes called the bold jumping spider. The average size of an adult ranges from 0.51-0.79 inches and they are usually black with a pattern of spots and are striped on their abdomen and legs. They can be a shade of orange in younger spiders and turn white as they mature. They are stout and hairy with legs that are short compared to their bodies. The daring jumping spider has an excellent ability to jump backwards or sideways and is very agile. This spider has been known to jump from 10 to 50 times its own body length. This happens by increasing the blood pressure in their third or fourth pair of legs. During mating, the male may jump away from the female if she approaches him too quickly. They have good vision because of the forward-facing position of their eyes. This comes in handy when they are hunting for a meal as well as visual communication with other spiders.
What is the Hunting Behavior of Jumping Spiders?
When hunting, the daring jumping spider prefers open areas because they like to be active in stalking their prey. They don’t build webs to catch food. It is typical to find them in grasslands or fields in tree trunks, fallen leaves and in ground debris. To make it easier for jumping spiders to capture insects, they prefer flat vertical surfaces and they are usually found on the ground rather than higher areas. You will find them outdoors during the day as they really enjoy the sun. They will come inside your home when they are looking for prey.
Can Jumping Spiders Bite Through Skin?
This spider is non-poisonous and is not harmful to humans but they will bite in self-defense. If you do happen to get bitten, the usual symptoms are slight pain and redness of the skin around the location of the bite, itching or a local reaction of red bumps that may last for a day or two. But the bite can penetrate tough human skin.
What Keeps Jumping Spiders Away
To prevent this spider from coming into your home, make sure the population of insects that they feed on is kept low. Holes, cracks and crevices around windows, doors and the foundation need to be sealed. All screen doors need to be inspected for holes or rips and repaired if needed. Remove any items that serve as hiding places and clean up lawn debris. You may find them hiding in your home under furniture or in cracks in the floor. You can use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of them and throw the bag away outside the house.
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Having a phobia of spiders and dealing with the daring jumping spider are not a good mix! If you need help controlling them, then you need to call in Effective Pest Services to help you out.
