Spider Myths and Truths

Arachnophobia is one of the most common and widely known phobias today. The fear of spiders is shared by many people, and one survey suggests up to 50% of women acknowledge this fear. There are a lot of misconceptions, false reports and real facts about spiders that might surprise you. In this blog, we will address a few of those myths and truths.

You swallow spiders in your sleep

FALSE! A popular urban legend is that you swallow a certain amount of spiders in your sleep unknowingly throughout your lifetime. According to Snopes.com, this rumor was started in a chain e-mail. A columnist made up her own list of dubious facts and passed them on to friends. Those facts were passed on and on, and somehow interrupted as truth. This is one of the biggest myths about spiders today.

All spiders are harmful or dangerous

FALSE! Most people are scared of spiders but, in fact, you want some around your home. Spiders feed on other insects (especially mosquitoes) which is beneficial to you and your family. Only a few spiders are actually dangerous to humans in our part of the world: black widows and brown recluse. Did you know our EnviroPest solution covers these spiders? That is TRUE! Another myth is that Daddy Longlegs and Wolf spiders are dangerous, but that’s also incorrect.

Spiders can get “drunk” like humans

TRUE! A group of NASA scientists tested various drugs on spiders to see the effect it made on their webs. They used caffeine, marijuana, “speed”, and chloral hyrate (a common date rape drug). The results were very interesting! Compared to webs made with no drugs in their system, the “drugged” webs were drastically different and sporadic. The drug that seemed to effect the spiders the most was caffeine. Spiders can behave just like us sometimes!

I have a red, irritated bump. It’s probably a spider bite FALSE! In a recent LiveScience article, bites you see are more likely caused by other insects like ticks or fleas. According to arachnologist Chris Buddle, it’s hard to be bitten by a spider! “Spiders tend to avoid people, and have no reason to bite humans because they aren’t bloodsuckers and don’t feed on humans. They are far more afraid of us than we are of them. They’re not offensive.”

Spiders can rain down from the sky TRUE! Well, it’s sort of true. This year in Australia, people were shocked when it looked like it was raining spiders! Turns out it was a spider called Anelsoimus Eximius, a social spider that builds large, blanket-like webs. The spiders were building these massive webs between trees and power lines, making it seem like they were floating and falling from the sky! Check out the pictures!

Not too concerned with the myths and truths, you don’t want any spiders around? No problem, our EnviroPest solution can help! Call us for a free estimate! 1-866-WAYNES1.