Jumping Spider Slings -- Help?

[goonius]

We ordered 3 new spiders the other day and the seller said he was going to send us some freebies, including a few jumping spiders (P regius & P ostiosus). Well, they arrive and its essentially a full eggsac of P regius and a handful of P ostiosus. We'd done a little reading and thought we'd be prepared for a handful of jumping spiders but we were nowhere near prepared for 30 slings. We scrambled to get together a number of small enclosures (they were all shipped together in one container per species). We put a little of the excelsior that had been in the container and used to pack them in with each individual and first tried misting fine drops of water so they could have a drink. Despite the fineness of the mist a few got stuck immediately so we discarded that idea, q-tipped the water out, and put slightly dampened cotton wool balls in with each instead. We gave each a couple of springtails last night, and woke to find one spider dead. We went out today to get some flightless fruit flies thinking this would be a better meal for them, and returned to feed them to find another 7 inexplicably dead.

We've been keeping tarantulas and a vinegaroon for a couple of years with (knock on wood) no losses. We've kept a couple of wild jumping spiders who lived a few months to a year. Not knowing their ages, they may have simply died of old age. But these guys seem to be dropping like... well, frankly the fruit flies seem hardier. I'm wondering if we are doing something wrong or if this is typical?

It's really sad. If there's something I can do to improve the outcome for the rest of them, I'd love to know

 

[SalticusScenicusStar]

There has been a case where a fruit fly was too big or there was too many for the slings and overwhelmed them. Try offering them injured fruit flies.

 

[goonius]

Thanks. I can do that in the future (tho I did see one catch a fruit fly tonight, so I don't think the size is necessarily an issue?)

Also, the springtails offered last night, of course, were much smaller and wouldn't have contributed to the spate of deaths. Any thoughts on why they might be dying en masse? How do you keep your jumping spider slings?

 

[SalticusScenicusStar]

I started with one that was one molt after going out of the nest, however, I have read a lot of care books and information about these things and even noticed it happening. I usually feed them after taking the wings and few feet off the fruit fly. (I know it's cruel, but it's so that the sling won't get injured.) Also, were the fruit flies the same size of the slings or bigger? If it's bigger, that could be the problem.

 

[goonius]

I started with one that was one molt after going out of the nest, however, I have read a lot of care books and information about these things and even noticed it happening. I usually feed them after taking the wings and few feet off the fruit fly. (I know it's cruel, but it's so that the sling won't get injured.) Also, were the fruit flies the same size of the slings or bigger? If it's bigger, that could be the problem.

They died BEFORE the fruit flies. So that is DEFINITELY not the problem. Or at least not the primary one.

 

[Nicole C G]

How’s the humidity?

 

[goonius]

How’s the humidity?

These are (I believe) 2nd instar slings. They are in vials with approx a 2cm ball of slightly moistened cotton wool and a few threads of excelsior to climb on. There are about 20 vent holes in the tops of each -- small ones because the slings are miniscule. I'd estimate not dry but probably not stuffy. No substrate.

I am wondering if perhaps the seller shouldn't have even shipped them at this age. Maybe the time in shipment without moisture or food was enough to kill them? In the case of the P regius, the seller literally just threw the egg sac with the emerging slings into a vial and shipped it that way. Of course, I guess they could have cannibalized each other if they were hungry, so maybe they should have been fine nonetheless? We have had two more die since I first posted this.


I've seen one eat. I've seen a couple where the springtails I put in the first night before were missing the next day. A few have made little web pockets -- maybe they intend to molt? If they survive that long?

Some seemed to arrive sort of defunct, like a couple had stuck molts. More info than you asked for, I know. I really wish he hadn't sent them like that. It has cast such a dark shadow on what what should have been a happy experience. We haven't really been able to enjoy the spiders we ordered (2 Sphodros and 1 Cyclocosmia) for fretting over these jumper slings.

 

[ForTW]

Can be normal. We had sacs with now losses and some with high losses.
Fruitflies double their size is no issue.

So something inbetween normal and you need more airholes, mist twice a week.

I1-I3 is Hardy, after that the losses should stop.

Regards

 

[coolnweird]

I'm sorry this got dumped on you, a full eggsac is not what I would expect for "a couple freebies"

 

[goonius]

Can be normal. We had sacs with now losses and some with high losses.
Fruitflies double their size is no issue.

So something inbetween normal and you need more airholes, mist twice a week.

I1-I3 is Hardy, after that the losses should stop.

Regards

Thanks. The deaths do seem to be slowing down. Most of them happened within the first 24 hours after they arrived. Hopefully we are past the worst of the losses.

I'm sorry this got dumped on you, a full eggsac is not what I would expect for "a couple freebies"

That was our thought too. My daughter was in tears as they were all dropping dead one after another last night. We are not used to losses like this, and we felt so helpless to stop it. Next time someone offers freebies I think we will be turning that offer down.

 

[coolnweird]

Thanks. The deaths do seem to be slowing down. Most of them happened within the first 24 hours after they arrived. Hopefully we are past the worst of the losses.




That was our thought too. My daughter was in tears as they were all dropping dead one after another last night. We are not used to losses like this, and we felt so helpless to stop it. Next time someone offers freebies I think we will be turning that offer down.

Geez, I'm so sorry. Please know that their deaths are absolutely not a result of anything you or your family has done. I can't tell you how sad it makes me that this seller has turned something that should be a happy occasion into this mess. Please be aware that the VAST majority of sellers do include legitimate freebies, usually just one per order, and some even let you pick your freebie! It's so upsetting to me that this has happened to you, hobbies are supposed to reduce stress, not be the source of it. I hope with all my heart that you guys stay in the hobby and go on to have much better experiences!

 

[Nicole C G]

They really should have asked if you wanted it before sending an entire egg sack!

 

[goonius]

Appreciate the support. We will definitely stay in the hobby. We love our animals so much. When things slowed down a bit today we were able to enjoy our first feeding of our new Sphodros who are doing really well, adapting to their new habitats and have built their purse webs surprisingly fast. That brought some joy, and I plan to make a thread on that in a bit, especially since we really had a lot of trouble locating care info for this genus.

Here's doping the rest of the jumpers can hold on. We are down to 12.