Are Spiders Always Hungry?
WouterIt is no secret that spiders are voracious predators. Their voracity means that you will have fewer flies and mosquitoes in your yard. In addition to that, their voracity also means that they will eat a large amount of creatures each year.
In fact, spiders eat more than the total biomass of humans. The biomass of adult humans is estimated to be around 287 million tons. In comparison, the biomass of spiders is about 400 million tons.
The scientists estimate that spiders consume about 400 million tons of prey each year. They estimate that they eat about the same amount of food as all whale species.
Researchers have also calculated that spiders eat about as much meat as the combined number of 7 billion humans. These estimates are based on the amount of prey eaten by different sizes of spiders.
Nevertheless, there are several species of spiders that can harm humans. The largest species are known to have leg spans of about one foot.
Some spiders hunt prey with their venom. Others use webs to capture their prey. Some eat worms, pollen, lizards, insects, seeds, and even live animals.
Some spiders don’t eat at all. Depending on their species, they can go up to 30 days without eating. They might just be looking for a mate. However, this is not always a cause for concern.
It is possible for spiders to survive weeks without food. For example, spiders can spin sheets of silk and hang them off the ground for a week. They are then able to spring their prey in mid-air. They can also slurp up liquefied flesh.
