How Long Do Spiders Live? (Discover the Truth)

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How long do spiders live? It can vary depending on the spider species. With 38,000 spider species, many of them have varying breeding habits and life spans.

The average lifespan of house spiders is between a few months and one and two years. Female wolf spiders can live for several years. Whether you are considering pest control or are simply curious, you’ll want to know more about the lifespan and habits of the spiders who share your home.

In this guide, we’ll look at spider lifespans, lifecycles, and spider facts, as well as effective extermination methods to remove arachnids.

Let’s jump right in!

Spider Lifespan: A Brief Overview

Though the common house spider lives only one to two years, there is differences in the lifespan of spiders. The oldest spider in Australia was proven to live 43 years. It was a female trapdoor spider. Specifically, there are a number of factors that can influence whether a spider lives one or several years, including:

• Region

Unless you’re in Australia, likely, you don’t have to worry about a four-decade-old spider problem. In fact, most regions (including the U.S.) see most spiders lifespans top out around the two-year mark.

• Available Resources

The number of available resources can greatly affect how long spiders live. A lack of food to eat and proper nutrients leads to early death.

It’s true most spiders live a couple of months without food if there is a water source, and some spiders live years without a meal; most can’t go long without. These arachnids don’t need to eat food often.

• Breed and Mating Style

House spiders’ lifespan also depends on the mating style of the spider. While brown recluse spiders tend to live between one and two years, for instance, black widows live between one and two years longer—but only if they’re female and avoid predators like the parasitic wasp. Trapdoor spiders can pass forty years.

Spider Life cycle

Understanding the spider life cycle: Whether a spider lives one year or up to twenty years (pet tarantulas), they follow common lifecycle patterns. All will undergo three lifecycle stages: eggs, spiderlings, and adulthood. Let’s take a look at each to see how spiders live:

• Eggs

You may have seen tiny, cotton-like spider eggs, which are actually made of silk, in the dark places of your house before. These eggs are often laid during mating season in the fall.

Female spiders lay eggs in dark places, like under furniture, in basements and attics, and anywhere else that affords security. Spiderlings hatch, or (baby spiders) out of spider egg sacs in just a few weeks. A single spider egg sac can contain hundreds of spiderlings. However, the Giant house spider only hatches fifty eggs. It still makes the risk of an infestation high.

• Spiderlings

These baby spiders look like adults—only smaller, with eight legs; how many eyes do they have? Eight eyes and slimmer abdomens.

• Adult Spiders

Spiders, particularly females, tend to spend most of their lives as adults. During this stage, a female spider will focus on reproducing and propagating the species. Female spiders tend to live longer than male spiders because female spiders eat and kill them.

Some species of males will die after they have mated. Adult spiders are carnivores feeding on moths, ants, flies, other insects, and other spiders. They spend much of their time waiting to catch prey in their webs. They prefer live or recently killed prey.

Common Lifespans

Let’s look at spiders that appear in your home and their individual lifespans. Remember: though the life cycle of various species is the same, different species have different individual lifespans. Read below to find out the answer to the question, “How long do spiders live?”

• Wolf Spiders

Image credit: gailhampshire

The most common house spider is the wolf spider they are also some of the scariest looking. Large and hairy, they do not build webs but hunt on the ground. This is more time crawling through your house.

The good news is most species of wolf spider aren’t dangerous—or even harmful—to humans. A wolf spider bite may cause some discomfort. This species typically only live for about a year, with females typically surviving just over a year and their male counterparts dying just under that milestone.

• Black Widows

Black widows are something to be worried about in close proximity, particularly if you have small children; these widows are typically found in the American South and Southwest and can do some damage if they attack (including muscle cramps, pain, and even death).

Female black widows can survive for three years, making them one of the longest-living spiders around. It’s easy to tell what they look like due to their distinctive black coloring and signature red dot on the underside of their abdomens.

• Domestic Spider (Barn Funnel Weaver)

When it comes to long-living, however, few can top the domestic spider or barn funnel weaver. One of the most common anywhere in the world, this species can live up to five to seven years. Barn funnel weavers are typically found in windowsills or related areas, where they spin funnel-shaped webs to trap their prey.

Image credit: gailhampshire

• Brown Recluse

Another hated spider, brown recluse spiders, can cause necrosis of the tissue, swelling, and pain if they attack. Females generally live for a couple of years, with some living longer. Like widows, these spiders are typically found in the American South.

How to Get Rid of House Spiders

Remember that it’s virtually impossible to eliminate spiders entirely from your home. Still, following the upcoming tips can help you and your family stay safe in your home:

• Clean

Sometimes, the solution to our biggest problems is also the simplest. Spiders love clutter, meaning you are more likely to find them indoors if your house is messy. For this reason, make sure to keep your home clean, free of clutter, and devoid of cobwebs and egg sacs.

• Sticky Traps

Whether you buy them at the store or make them yourself, sticky traps are a great way to stop spiders right in their tracks. Place them in dark areas, under furniture and cupboards.

• Essential Oils

Consider combining rosemary, peppermint, and other essential oils for a nice, fresh smell that you will like and your spiders will hate. These strong scents can drive them outdoors. Note that it also works with garlic.

Vacuuming

You can make life even easier with consistent vacuuming. You can vacuum them away for good. Vacuuming is also a great way to remove eggs before they hatch.

And finally,

Some spiders can live a long time. Depending on the species, region, and particular mating habits, they can live up to three years, with most dying around the two-year mark.

Starting from egg sacs, progressing to spiderlings, and finally resulting in adults, the spider life cycle is generally consistent among species and gives you a good idea of how spiders live.