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Orb-weaver. She's been with me since spring of this year, hanging out in the kitchen near the recycling bin where many flying insects have been attracted, so she has been well fed. Now that the winter is here though I worry that there won't be enough. I soak a Kleenex in water nearby to hydrate her. Any suggestions on how and what to feed her?
- Submitted by:
- Submitted: Nov 29, 2018
- Photographed: Nov 29, 2018
- Spider: Araneus diadematus (Cross Orb-weaver)
- Sex:
- Maturity:Adult
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Spotted Indoors: Other
- Found in web?: Yes
- Attributes: Ventral
Nov 14, 2023
Nov 14, 2023
Plymouth, 
That’s really sweet! I have spiders that realized that my compost bin is an awesome place to live. Now, the hard part. Her genetic lifespan is one year (autumn to autumn). Her metabolism is partially temperature based, like that of the insects she preys on. In cold temperatures they become slow. You may notice honeybees laying alive,but unable to fly, on the ground when it starts to get cold. Freezing air temperatures will bring her metabolism to a stop and she will die. If she were to live she would be unable to move or find food or water and… Read more »
Well it’s almost Christmas 2018 and my Charlotte is still alive and kicking so I continue to feed her crickets from the reptile shop and I’ll continue as long as she eats. So much for your prediction that her life span would be October to October. Comments??
Congratulations on keeping her alive! October to October is their NATURAL life-span, without human assistance in North America. In the way that the genetic human life-span is to about age 35, but we’ve found ways to work around that. Spritzing her web with water on days the temp is above freezing will give her extra hydration. A theory about why orbweavers eat their web every day is that they get hydration from the condensation on the web. Orbweavers also drink from very shallow water on rainsoaked asphalt in Autumn. So, if you have a way to replicate that, it would… Read more »
Well happy Newyear to all. I have been enjoying the presence of Charlotte the orb-weaver in 2019. As long as she continues to eat the crickets I give her I will keep feeding her and misting her web. She is a fascinating creature to observe . So well designed for her role in nature.
Happy 2019 to you and Charlotte too!
Cross Orb-weaver, Araneus diadematus