How Do Spiders Survive the Winter? A Detailed Explanation of Spider Overwintering Methods

Spiders are the most abundant predatory natural enemies in terrestrial ecosystems, capable of preying on some pests harmful to agriculture, and play a role that cannot be ignored in maintaining the stability of agricultural and forestry ecosystems. There are many kinds of spiders; according to records, there are 3821 genera and 42055 species of spiders known worldwide. So how do spiders survive the winter?

1. How Spiders Survive the Winter

Spiders are generally divided into two types. One is the most common web-building spider, which spins webs among tree branches to hunt. The other is the wandering spider, which roams around searching for prey. Wandering spiders generally live in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions. Wandering spiders in temperate regions hibernate in winter; they find a corner or a hole and seal the opening with silk. Web-building spiders, however, generally die after laying eggs in autumn and do not hibernate.

Spiders mostly feed on insects, other spiders and myriapods, and some spiders also feed on small animals. Web-building spiders usually trap insects that do not see the fine threads and are not strong fliers. Although the webs built by web-building spiders are very intricate and complex, they can generally be woven within 1 hour. Although wandering spiders do not build webs, they can also spit out spider silk; in storms they can rely on the silk to keep their balance and drift with the wind to very distant places.

2. How to Deal with a Spider Bite

There are many kinds of spiders, and some of them are extremely venomous. The venomous spiders in our country include the following: the bird-eating spider found in Guangxi, Yunnan, Hainan and other places; the red-clawed spider distributed in Shanghai, Nanjing, Beijing, Northeast China and other places; and the burrowing wolf spider distributed in Xinjiang, northern Shaanxi, Hebei, Changchun and other places. So what should be done if you are bitten by a venomous plant?

If you are bitten by a spider, the most convenient and effective method is to cauterize the wound with a match or a cigarette butt, using high temperature to destroy the toxin. But this method must be done before the toxin spreads, within 1 to 2 minutes after being bitten. In addition, you can also mash ginger and apply it to the wound, or wash the wound with potassium permanganate solution, which can relieve and eliminate the symptoms, or use 250 grams of the Chinese herb Qinjiao (largeleaf gentian root), decocted in water and taken frequently as tea. If the symptoms are very serious, it is best to go to the hospital for medical treatment.

That is all for now about spiders. As for more interesting facts about spiders, friends will still need to discover them on their own.