What Do Baby Spiders Look Like? (and What Do They Eat?)

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Spiders are one of the most common pest phobias out there, and not because of their looks.

Female spiders can lay between 2 to 1000 eggs, which usually differs based on species.

These eggs are well protected in an egg sac, which are usually hidden until they hatch into a bunch of baby spiders.

Or in the case of wolf spiders, she keeps the sac (and later the baby wolf spiders) on her back.

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Meanwhile, raft spiders put their egg sacs in a little web tend and guard it until the spiderlings disperse.

What Do Baby Spiders Look Like?

Unlike many insects or other small critters, newborn spiders look like tiny versions of their adult form.

Homeowners might have noticed little, tiny black dots crawling in spiral patterns up and down your ceiling or walls.

Since an egg sac usually contains hundreds of eggs, you’ll usually notice a bunch of baby spiders within a small area.

This differs from the mother spiders which tend to be solitary.

Newborn garden spiders often create little web parachutes to disperse on the wind, which isn’t as easy to do indoors.

Pictures of Baby Spiders

what do baby spiders look like

baby spiders

baby spiders on a plant

cellar spider babies

wolf spider with babies
wolf spider with babies on back

What Do Baby Spiders Eat?

Baby spiders are born with a yoke sac, similar to birds, fish, reptiles, and other egg-bound embryo-based animals.

The yoke sac also serves as a food source for the spider babies immediately after they hatch.

They keep feeding on the yoke sac until they can get other means of feeding aside from the sac.

Some spiderlings feed on other small items such as tiny flies and even pollen.

Araneus diadematus baby spiders (and other orb weavers) may begin creating their trademark webs soon after birth to catch food with.

Some species (like wolf spiders) actively care for their babies after hatching.

Cobweb spiders have been known to provide their spiderlings with regurgitated food just like birds.

And yes, spiders do poop.

Benefits of Having Baby Spiders Around Your Home

American house spider

Although they come in great numbers which may seem like they’d be difficult to control, most baby spiders are harmless and have many benefits.

Spiderlings will eventually mature into allies against many insect pests.

As long as they’re not brown recluse spiders or black widow spiders (or you have an allergy), consider letting them stick around.

Of course, if they make an appearance in your bed at night, it’s time to let them know they’re unwelcome.

Here are some great reasons to keep these little guys around:

#1 – Spiders Feed on Pests

Adult spiders feed on all sorts of pests, such as ants, roaches, mosquitoes, flies, and moths.

When you let them live, the spiders will eventually locate and feed on most of the insects hiding inside your home.

In your garden, they’ll help eliminate Asian lady beetles, caterpillars, wood roaches, earwigs, boxelder bugs, lanternflies, and countless other plant pests.

Also, not all spiders build webs, making them more mobile.

Jumping spiders, the misunderstood hobo spider, and wolf spiders will actively hunt for food.

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#2 – Spiders Kill Other Spiders

Two or more different species of spiders often can’t coexist, leading to a gladiator-like competition.

This means those orb weaver baby spiders may help eliminate a species you don’t want in your home or garden.

#3 – Spiders May Help Curtail Disease Spread

Many household pests such as mosquitoes, fruit flies, roaches, fleas, and bed bugs are known disease carriers.

Spiders find these household pests quite tasty, helping to keep you and your family healthy.

How to Get Rid of Baby Spiders

baby spiders after egg hatches

Of course, one lonely spider is one thing, and a bunch of spiderlings is another.

Some of us simply don’t want dozens (or hundreds) of tiny yellow or black baby spiders crawling around inside our house.

Baby spiders usually crawl around your home in groups, and their tiny-sized body makes it incredibly hard to squish them.

Here are 3 tried and true methods for when the rate of baby spiders becomes a little too much to bear.

Related: How to Get Rid of Spider Mites

#1 –Glue Traps

If you are experiencing a spider infestation problem, purchasing some glue traps are a great option

These are available at any hardware store or online stores like Amazon.

Aside from being cheap and effective, they are equally easy to use.

All you have to do is place them anywhere a bunch of baby spiders have been spotted and the traps will do the rest.

TERRO T3206SR Non-Toxic Indoor Spider, Ant, Cockroach, Centipede, and Crawling...
  • Say Goodbye to Bugs – Traps and kills spiders, ants, roaches, centipedes, and...
  • Kills the “Big 3” – These traps also capture dangerous spiders, including...
  • Versatile Design – These easy-to-use traps can be deployed flat or folded. Use...

#2 – Vacuum

Whenever you see one or more common house spiders hanging our, grab the vacuum cleaner.

The suction power of a regular vacuum won’t have any trouble with the tiny size of baby spiders, allowing you to decimate a nest of baby spiders quickly.

Just remember to securely dump the canister or bag or those tiny black spiders can escape.

Note: Handheld cordless models don't work well for baby spiders. Since they are so small, they may pass through the internal filter and be discharged through the rear exhaust. Full-sized models can take care of baby spider infestations without a problem.

#3 – Sprays

Making use of chemical sprays is a simple, effective way of combating these tiny baby spiders.

There are two way to go about this.

With the aid of a sprayer, you can target baby house spiders with selective focus, killing them on contact.

You can then vacuum or sweep the dead spiders up.

An alternate method is to find places spiders may wish to hide and spray those areas with a residual product.

These locations become poisonous, greatly reducing the chances of survival for any species of baby spider that visits.

You can also learn to use bug bombs, which is an extreme and permanent solution to spider issues.

Wet & Forget 803064 Miss Muffet's Revenge Indoor and Outdoor Spider Killer with...
  • Kills spiders and creates a barrier inside and outside the home to keep them...
  • Attached sprayer for quick and easy application with a spray range of up to 10...
  • Treat all areas were spiders are found, spray until wet but not soaking and for...

See Also: How to Repel Spiders With Lavender or Eucalyptus

Preventing an Infestation

A house spider female will lay her eggs somewhere there’s plenty of food.

This is especially true of orb weaver spiders which often die in the winter.

By keeping your house clean and free of leaks, you’ll help prevent bug infestations.

These infestations provide an abundance of food for adult spiders and increase the chances of survival for spiderlings.

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Storing clothes and other belongings properly in large plastic containers (my favorite) is a much safer alternative to mothballs and will mean less places for baby orb weaver spiders to hide.

Regular cleaning will also eliminate a nest of baby spiders before they have a chance to hatch, as well as displacing adult spiders.

It sounds simple, but these little tricks can deter a mother spider with baby spiders in tow from moving in.

Samantha
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