Throughout your life you have probably heard many statements about the different insects and pests that are found in the United States. People love to talk about spiders, bees, rats, scorpions, and other insects and pests and share their stories about their interactions with them. Many times those stories are about spiders. So how do you know if their conversation is fact or fiction?
Myth #1 – Swallowing Spiders in Our Sleep?
You may have heard that the average person swallows eight spiders each year during their sleep. This myth has been popular since an article was written in 1993 for a computing magazine with many outlandish “facts.” The columnist who wrote the article was trying to show the people will believe everything they read online, so she simply made up some of her own ridiculous facts. People do NOT swallow eight spiders a year in their sleep, it is actually highly unlikely that you will swallow even one spider a year when sleeping.
Myth #2 – Are Spiders All Dangerous?
Another myth about spiders is that they are all dangerous. In fact, only the widow spiders and recluse spiders pose a health threat to people living in the United States. All spiders do have a venomous bite, but they do not pose medical threats to humans. Spiders actually provide benefits to the environment. Spiders feed mainly on insects, so they actually help reduce the amount of pests in homes and gardens.
Myth #3 – How Far Are You from a Spider?
In 1995 Norman Platnick, an arachnologist, wrote “wherever you sit as your read these lines, a spider is probably no more than a few yards away.” This statement has led people to believe that you are never more than three feet away from a spider. Even though there are more than 35,000 species of spiders worldwide that does not mean that you are always three feet away from a spider.
Myth #4 – Do All Spiders Spin Webs?
Many people believe that all spiders spin webs. This is another myth! Some species of spiders spin webs to catch their prey, but others do not. The species of spiders that do not spin webs use other methods for catching their prey. For example, the wolf spider hunts their food. Some spiders have the ability to jump and will pounce on their prey to catch it.
Myth #5 – Are All Eight Legged Pests Spiders?
Our fifth myth is that all eight legged pests are spiders. Spiders are arachnids. All arachnids have four pairs of legs. Scorpions, harvestmen, and ticks are just a few examples of other insects that have eight legs.
Myth #6 – Are All Spiders Aggressive?
Spiders are aggressive is yet another myth that people believe without questioning the validity of the statement. Spiders do not seek out humans just to bite them, nor do they bite them every time that they have the opportunity to do so. In fact, spiders typically only bite when they are threatened or surprised.
Spider Control
It has been said that knowledge is power. We hope that knowing more of the facts about spiders will help you be less scared the next time that you see one. If you do have spiders in your home give Stewart Termite and Pest Control a call. We can come out and assess your pest control needs and rid your property of your unwanted spiders. Contact us today!