The bold Jumping Spider is a solitary spider that is immensely small, yet bold. It gets its name because of its daring characteristics of taking a great jump during hunting or movement. It is known to jump to a height of almost 25 cm.
Unlike other spiders, bold jumpers do not use the web to catch their prey but rely on their strong legs to jump. This article will provide information on the identification of bold jumping spiders, their habits as well as their control methods if they become pests.
The head and thorax of bold jumping spiders are fused together forming a round-shaped cephalothorax. This cephalothorax consists of compound eyes and fangs.
They have four pairs of eyes in three or four rows around the head. The frontal eyes are huge in comparison to their body size, and these provide them with excellent 360° vision, which helps in hunting as well as avoiding their predators.
Abdomen:
The abdomen of the bold jumping spider is comparatively large and is ovular in shape. This contains all the vital reproductive and digestive organs, including spinnerets, which produce and manipulate silk.
Legs:
They have 4 pairs of enlarged, muscular, and powerful segmented legs, which are relatively longer than their body. This provides them with the ability to take a jump of greater height during hunting or movement. This spider has very stalky legs with two claws at its tips, and the legs are covered with fine hairs.
Outer body:
The outer body or exoskeleton of bold jumping spiders consists of cuticles, which are made up of protein and chitin. These provide a protective cover to their body and prevent dehydration. Spiderlings have to get rid of their exoskeleton after each molt to accommodate their body when they outgrow it.
Color
Generally, bold jumping spiders are black, grey, or brown with some patches of orange, copper, blue, gold, green, silver, and bright red colors. Female bold jumping spiders usually have more bright spots than males. Meanwhile, the orange pattern is more found in younger spiders.
Size
Bold jumping spiders are relatively smaller in size. Females tend to be comparatively larger in size than their male counterparts. The size of male bold jumping spiders ranges from 6 to 13mm, while the size of that of the females is between 8 and 19mm.
Where Are Bold Jumper Spiders Found
Although bold jumping spiders are native to North America and very common in southern Canada, the USA, and Northern Mexico, it has been found in the Nicobar Island of south Asia, Hawaii, the Azores, and some European countries like the Netherlands.
These spiders are terrestrial and are commonly found in the grassland, forests, and agricultural fields of temperate regions, and also live in close proximity to humans.
They are often found in the garden, barn, chimneys, attics, garages, boxes, wood piles, and other hiding places in and around our houses because of suitable temperatures and availability of food.
How Bold Jumping Spiders Enter Into Our Houses?
Bold jumping spiders are often found outdoors. However, they might enter our house by wind, by accidental introduction from packaging or human clothing, or can enter our house in search of prey.
They are more active in summer and remain hidden in the crevices, and other dark places during the winter season. They prefer a temperature of 60-70° F and less windy weather with no precipitation. They thus, might enter our houses seeking favourable weather conditions to avoid precipitation and wind.
Life Cycle of a Bold Jumping Spider
When the male bold jumping spider is ready for mating, it displays a courtship dance to attract the female spiders nearby.
During the courtship dance the male bold-jumping spider shows side-to-side movement, raises its front legs, as well as produces a rhythmic vibration through their webs. In some cases, changes in the color pattern of their body are also observed.
Mating
After mating, female Bold jumping spiders lay eggs in summer and the young spiderlings mature in spring; it is when they are ready for mating. Females use ovipositors (an egg-laying organ in anthropods) to deposit eggs.
The young spiders hatch from their egg sacs in about 10 days and undergo molting (a process of shredding the exoskeleton to accommodate the growing body) for a couple of weeks.
After each molt, their size increases, and these spiderlings continue to shred until they reach adulthood. It takes around nine months for bold-jumping spiders to reach adulthood from oviposition. Once they reach adulthood, they are sexually active and ready to mate, and the cycle continues.
What Do Bold Jumping Spiders Eat
Bold jumping spiders are excellent predators and prefer to hunt alone. They are usually active during the daytime; this is when they hunt their prey.
Unlike most spiders, they do not use their web for hunting. Instead, bold jumping spiders rely on the strength of their legs to take a jump while hunting. In addition, they have excellent eyesight, which aided by their jumping capability, makes them an amazing predator.
How Bold Jumping Spider Hunts
Before attacking their prey, bold jumping spiders stalk their prey with their incredible eyesight. When they are ready to attack their prey, they stick their silk on the ground surface or other substrate, which prevents them from falling on the ground. Only then, do they pursue their prey by taking a jump.
They capture their prey by taking a crouched position; raising their front legs in order to expose their mouthparts, preventing their prey from escaping. They then inject venom which will immobilize and liquify them.
Bold Jumping Spider Foods
Bold jumping spiders are carnivores and feed on several species of insects, worms, and other spiders. They regularly feed on meal worms, wax worms, flies, bugs, caterpillars, mosquitoes, flies, etc., and eradicate them. So, it's a good thing to have these spiders around our house.
In the cotton field, they devour cotton ball worm larvae, which is a kind of pest on cotton. This is to say that they are beneficial to cotton farmers.
Predators of Bold Jumping Spider
Various insects, reptiles, as well as other spiders, prey on bold jumping spiders. Lizards, dragonflies, birds, wasps, as well as other spiders, feed on bold jumping spiders.
During the day time, they hide in crevices and cracks in the walls, boxes, and other dark places, while at night make a silk retreat to hide from the predators. They take help from their extraordinary eyes to locate and avoid their predators.
Do Bold Jumping Spiders Bite
Bold jumping spiders try to keep a distance from humans and help to manage pests in our homes sometimes. When they feel threatened, vulnerable, or mishandled, they tend to bite the species that come in contact with them, including humans.
Although bold jumping spiders have fangs that produce venom, they have insignificant effects on humans when they bite, unless you are allergic to them. Those with allergic reactions to bold jumping spiders' bites suffer from dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.
How to Treat the Bite of Bold Jumping Spiders?
If a bold jumping spider bites you, you can feel this sensation for up to two days sometimes. If you are bitten by bold jumping spiders, wash those areas with mild soap and water.
This will prevent the risk of infection as well. Applying a cool compress also provides relief from such bites as well. You can also apply ointment as per the doctor's prescription.
How to Get Rid of Bold Jumping Spiders
There are several natural as well as chemical ways of managing bold jumping spiders if they start infesting our houses. Some of the methods below include the ways of preventing, eliminating, and managing them.
Natural Methods of Getting Rid of Bold Jumping Spider
There are a few dozen natural procedures to get rid of bold jumping spiders, from manually removing to using juices of citrus fruits mixed with water. Some of the commonly used methods are described below.
1. Sealing Entry Points
Bold jumping spiders are agile and can sneak into our houses; and build their nest in no time. So, we need to check if there are any cracks, services, and holes in the exterior walls and such openings should be sealed properly if found.
The use of screens on doors and windows is very effective in preventing them from entering our houses.
If the web is visible on the wall or on a possible hiding place of bold jumping spiders, we can vacuum and destroy all the webs along with their eggs. We can use hose pipes to destroy their webs and egg sacs if found outside like in the patio or in the garden.
3. Proper Cleaning
Proper cleaning removes not just the bold spiders, but also other insects and bugs that might infest our houses. we need to ensure that the wood piles, boxes, bushes, and all the crawling spaces around your house are clutter-free in order to prevent them from building their webs and settling in our house.
4. Landscaping
If you want to use nature to keep bold jumping spiders away, landscaping is by far the best option. Planting rosemary. green alder, sage, etc. in the garden keep most kinds of spiders away.
Essential oils are another natural way of preventing bold jumping spiders around our house, doors, and windows. The use of essential oils like peppermint or lavender can be used as a spray by mixing them with water.
These essential oils repel several bugs and insects including bold jumping spiders.
Bold jumping spiders are not harmful. So, they can be removed manually by hand or using sticks, dust pans, containers, etc. if they are infesting your house. Wearing a pair of gloves prevents us from getting bitten by the bold jumping spider.
Soap water can be another natural repellent of bold jumping spiders as soap water disturbs their egg cycle and prevents them from multiplying. Soap water also blocks the breathing pores which basically drowns and kills them.
8. Citrus Spray
Insects like bold jumping spiders are not a fan of the citrus scent, so a spray made by mixing citrus fruit juice from lemon, lime, or orange with water can also repel bold jumping spiders and keep them away.
9. Applying Vinegar
Vinegar is deadly to most spiders including bold jumping spiders, however, spiders tend to avoid such foul smell and do not come near it.
Vinegar mixed with water can be used in cleaning the floor, underneath, or backside of our furniture, to remove all kinds of spiders. Wiping our bookshelves, closets, pantry, etc. with a mixture of vinegar and water keeps those spiders away.
10. Exposure of Sunlight
Most spiders, including bold jumping spiders, love to hide in dark and damp spaces as direct sunlight and UV are known to dehydrate spiders. Warm rooms also have comparatively less prey, so rooms with a sufficient amount of sunlight help to deter away such spiders from sheltering inside our rooms.
Synthetic Chemicals to Get Rid of Bold Jumping Spider
Using synthetic chemicals helps to completely eradicate bold jumping spiders. However, natural ways of managing them are best as they do not affect our health and our environment.
Chemicals like chlorpyrifos or diazinon, liquid pesticides, can be applied directly into the cracks and crevices of the walls. It is reported that pesticides alter the behavior of helpful spiders like bold jumping spiders, influencing their feeding habits.
If you are unable to control the infestation of bold Jumping Spiders, it's better to call the professionals of pest control. Professional pest control services are capable of dealing these spiders to keep you safe in home.
