Successful Jumping Spider Relocation With Eggsac

[coolnweird]

Hi all! Just wanted to share a success story. A little jumper took up residence in our mailbox a few days ago, and within 24 hours had laid eggs and attached them to the floor inside the box. Obviously not a suitable location, our mail carrier has been careful but it would only be a matter of time before they met an unfortunate fate. So I armed myself with a small plastic vial, bamboo tongs, and a paintbrush, and carefully detached the eggsac. Once both mom and eggs were in the vial, I found a spot in my yard to securely wedge the vial. Mom has returned to guarding her eggs, and has begun to build a new web hammock inside the container. I'm very hopeful that she will continue tending the eggs and that they'll hatch out successfully!

 

[viper69]

The problem here is you receive mail-
having trees cut down at a rapid pace, ie deforestation, forcing the little woman to use substandard housing!

Nice work man!!

 

[coolnweird]

Just went out to check on mama and got a picture of her little nest! Hopefully in a little while I'll have baby photos to share with you guys.

 

[coolnweird]

I have an unfortunate update and a couple of questions for people experienced in the breeding habits of jumpers!

Yesterday afternoon I noticed that mama was absent from the vial, and she's still missing when I looked this morning. The webbing is intact as well as the eggsac so I don't think something picked her out of the vial. It was my understanding that jumpers weren't interested in food or water while tending to their eggs, so it seems unlikely that she would be out hunting.

If she doesn't come back, is there any hope for the eggsac? It still looks viable, eggs are golden yellow through the webbing. Is there something I need to do to help them along, or will they hatch on their own without mom? Thanks in advance, I'm really hoping we can hatch these babies still!

 

[SpookySpooder]

Kudos on the rescue.

Mom might have been disturbed by the area in which you placed her. Initially she selected an enclosed and dark area protected from the elements. You placed her right in the open.

That's the only reason I can think of. Just my 2 cents.

If mom has not returned within 48 hours, I would move them inside your house into another container to hatch them out. Or you can return them to a dark and sheltered place and let them to take their chances with nature but without mother's protection.

If you choose to hatch them out, not much is needed. You don't need to build an incubator for them IME these egg sacs hatch on their own without much interference. Poke a few holes for air exchange. You can keep it slightly humid by providing a wrung-out wet paper towel. MAKE SURE THERE IS NO CONDENSATION FROM EXCESS HUMIDITY! You only need a TINY bit of moisture to keep them from drying.

Last one is optional: place it near a source of passive heat, like the top of your fridge or next to a computer.

Do not place it directly on the heat source.

Warmth helps them develop faster.

 

[coolnweird]

Kudos on the rescue.

Mom might have been disturbed by the area in which you placed her. Initially she selected an enclosed and dark area protected from the elements. You placed her right in the open.

That's the only reason I can think of. Just my 2 cents.

If mom has not returned within 48 hours, I would move them inside your house into another container to hatch them out. Or you can return them to a dark and sheltered place and let them to take their chances with nature but without mother's protection.

If you choose to hatch them out, not much is needed. You don't need to build an incubator for them IME these egg sacs hatch on their own without much interference. Poke a few holes for air exchange. You can keep it slightly humid by providing a wrung-out wet paper towel. MAKE SURE THERE IS NO CONDENSATION FROM EXCESS HUMIDITY! You only need a TINY bit of moisture to keep them from drying.

Last one is optional: place it near a source of passive heat, like the top of your fridge or next to a computer.

Do not place it directly on the heat source.

Warmth helps them develop faster.

Thank you for your advice, I hadn't even considered the differences between her selected nesting area and my placement of the vial! That definitely could have played a part. It's possible she decided to abandon this sac and try again, but I would have expected her to eat it and recover some energy.

Just to clarify, if I were to try and hatch them inside with my assistance, I would just need need a small enclosure with good ventilation and a bit of moisture?

 

[SpookySpooder]

You don't need great ventilation like for an Avic. Just enough to exchange stale air with new air. Just poke until you feel like you can breathe through the container I guess, try to use a dart or something similar as the slings will be tiny and can escape through big holes.

Alternatively you can skip the holes if you regularly pop the top regularly.

The dampness of the paper towel is more important. It cannot be too wet, if condensation forms on the sides, it is too wet. Squeeze it until you cannot get another drop out, and then moisten as it dries out. This will keep the air inside the container from dessicating the eggs. If you make them too wet it could ruin the sac.

Heat source is not necessary, but keeping the eggs around 70-75° will help them develop faster. If you choose to use heat, do not place them directly on top of the heat source.

(I know I mentioned top of fridge but I meant beside it, or in a cabinet above it. You don't want direct heat on the paper towel as this will cause too much humidity in the environment)

I always find various egg sacs behind my fridge attached to the radiator.

 

[coolnweird]

Back with great news! After 72 hours, mama spider has returned. Glad I waited it out and didn't bring the sac in right away. She's back to guarding and tending to them

 

[SpookySpooder]

Nice! Good thing you waited. I wonder what she went off to do, maybe grab a snack?

 

[coolnweird]

Today the first baby is out and exploring the webbing. No more have hatched since I first noticed it, and mom is M.I.A. again!