Spiders

[Curiosity]

Is is safe to feed praying mantises spiders? We have way too many spiders around our house and feeding them to Christina (my one permanently staying adult mantis at the moment) seemed like a good way to tamp down their numbers. (I'm not squeamish about/scared of spiders. There are just way too many of them.) The spiders are brown with bodies about the size of a fly and very long legs. Christina could take them in a fight easy. I'm mostly worried about her ingesting their venom and getting hurt that way. 

Or is there just too much of a chance that the spiders are carrying disease from what they're eating? I haven't tried this yet; I don't dare. 

 

[MrGhostMantis]

No. If the mantis is bit it’s all over. Just put them outside. Not worth the risk.

 

[hibiscusmile]

I feed  my house spiders, called cellar spiders is what it seems you have to them. 

 

[Mystymantis]

I simply wouldn't risk feeding spiders.

 

[Introvertebrate]

Don’t you think mantids eat spiders in the wild?  They know enough to avoid the fangs.  Centuries of evolution have taught them that.

 

[CannedSwank]

I put 3 spiders in the tank and they quickly spun webs all over the place - my mantis went to molt and got all tangled up and it messed up its wings, they were all crumbly and never flattened out... and if I didn't untangle it, the mantis would have hung to death.... and it wasn't easy getting all the spider webs detached either....  so I would say if you feed spiders make sure it eats them promptly

 

[Curiosity]

@CannedSwank WOW. Thanks for the warning!