Do Spiders in the UK Hibernate?
WouterMost species of spiders don’t hibernate in the UK. Some may live through the winter, however. Some will stay active through the winter, whereas others will snooze through the cold season. Some even produce antifreeze compounds.
Many of the smaller spiders are more likely to come out at night to hunt. They are often found in houses in south England. They don’t make webs, but they do spray their sticky fluid on prey to make it easier to approach.
There are 650 different spider species in the UK. Most of them are harmless, but there are some that are capable of biting humans. Some of these are the daddy long-legs, which eat other spiders. There are also mouse-fur spiders, which do not make webs but hunt at night.
There are also a few spiders that form igloo-like structures in the snow. Other spiders burrow into the ground to build a warm home. Some will lay eggs in the winter. These eggs will need to hatch in the spring.
Some species of garden spiders spend the entire winter in diapause. The female garden spider builds a silken cocoon to lay her eggs in. She protects the egg sac until autumn.
During the summer, adult spiders spend their days hunting and eating. They also produce strands of sticky silk from the inside of their abdomen. In addition, they produce polyhydroxy alcohol, which helps prevent ice crystals from forming inside the spider. These chemicals work with the fluids in the bloodstream to maintain a steady internal temperature.
