There are possibly hundreds of bugs living in your house at the moment, even if you probably don’t want to consider it. According to a 2016 PeerJ study, which examined the types of arthropods present in 554 rooms across 50 residences in North Carolina, practically every room was teeming with a wide variety of species. Animals classified as arthropods—which include insects, spiders, and crustaceans—have segmented bodies, jointed limbs, and an exoskeleton.Along with flies, beetles, and ants, several kinds of spiders were among the most often observed in the residences in the study.
Regarding those spiders, what is your initial thought when you see that an eight-legged creature has entered the room with you? Do you chase after a shoe to eliminate the arachnid? Do you pick up a tissue and squirt it between your fingers without hesitation? Or do you just ignore it? It’s possible that those who let the animal live in peace in their house are benefiting themselves more than they realized. In addition to saving you from having to scrub splattered messes off your walls or floors, saving spiders has some important advantages.
Spiders consume bugs.
The primary advantage of making friends with these eight-legged friends is that spiders consume insects such as flies, moths, beetles, ants, and mosquitoes that you do not want in your home. Spiders use their teeth to inject their victims with an enzyme that kills them. This creates a liquid inside the bugs, which they suck out and consume. Although this procedure may sound repulsive, it may also be the reason why the majority of irritating bugs are no longer present in your house. For instance, if you find empty exoskeletons of arthropods in your house, you can be certain that a spider has been eating there lately. Spiders can capture insects in one of two ways: by hunting them down or by entangling them in their web. The majority of domestic arachnids frequently use webs, hence
Insects such as flies and mosquitoes can be very bothersome, particularly if they buzz or fly all over your head. More gravely, some can also harbor illnesses like malaria and Lyme. Spiders can be particularly helpful in eliminating malaria-carrying mosquitoes, according to a 2018 study published in the International Journal of Mosquito Research. Naturally, humans would greatly benefit from this.
The majority of spiders are harmless.
Unlike the large poisonous spiders you may have seen in movies, almost all of the species that live in the U.S. are harmless to humans. In fact, if you believe that you’ve been bitten by a spider in the past, you may want to think again. According to arachnologist Chris Buddle, what many believe to be spider bites are actually either reactions from chemicals or bites from insects like fleas. The expert explains that spider bites aren’t common. “I’ve been handling spiders for almost 20 years, and I’ve never been bitten,” he said in an interview with Live Science. “You really have to work to get bitten by a spider, because they don’t want to bite you.”
Arachnid bites only happen when the critter is afraid or startled, for example, if you quickly place your hand inside a crevice they’re hiding in then you might get bit. Leave them alone and they should leave you alone, too. Additionally, there are only two species that could be dangerous here in the U.S., which include the widow and recluse groups. Seek medical attention if you believe you have been bitten by a widow or recluse spider; all other types shouldn’t be a cause for concern.
Safely removing spiders is simple
Those with a fear of spiders, also called arachnophobia, may still want these eight-legged creatures out of their home. If this is the case for you, your first line of defense could be to use ingredients you may already have on hand. According to a 2018 study published by the Journal of Economic Entomology, mint oil and chestnuts can be powerful repellents. Placing one or both of these near your windows and doors could keep spiders from entering your house.
On the other hand, if you come across an arachnid already residing in your abode, you (or the friend you call to come deal with spiders) could release it outside with the help of a cup and a piece of paper. Just place the cup over the critter, slide the piece of paper underneath, and transport it outside. If spiders prove to be a common concern, you could invest in a manual catcher or grabber, which has a long neck and soft bristles that are controlled by a trigger. The bristles will contain the spider until you can safely release it in your yard. Another option is an insect vacuum, which will suck the creature up into a clear tube, over which you can place a safety stopper while transporting it.
ADVERTISEMENTYou can effectively control spider population in and around your home
Spiders have mastered the art of manipulating the fissures in your walls. Plus, they take advantage of any hole or gap they can fit their bodies through. This means your plumbing, air vents, chimney windows, windowsills, and doors are all fair game. So, it can seem difficult to control their population. But don’t worry. An integrated approach, combining prevention tactics and exclusion of current eight-legged residents will go a long way in controlling spider populations in and around your home.
The first order of business is to identify and seal all gaps and caulk crevices in your walls, windows, and doors to stop offering arachnids easy access to your home. If you don’t want to keep your windows shut 24 hours a day, install screens over them to limit a spider’s entry points. Moreover, do away with common mistakes that might be attracting spiders to your home, like leaving on the outdoor lights at night. However, if that’s not viable, replace the current bulbs with sodium vapor or yellow lights since they’re not as alluring. You also want to keep your property clean. This means clutter in (including attic, basement, and garage) and around your house is a big no-no. Additionally, make it a point to vacuum any spider webs you come across.
Spider bites are generally harmless
Spiders can look scary, especially to people who have a phobia, instilling a healthy dose of fear into most individuals. However, what most people don’t know is that a majority of these eight-legged creatures lack the ability to bite human beings. Better yet, they tend to ignore us mortals and only bite as a defense mechanism. Fortunately, an arachnid’s venom is generally harmless to humans, barring two species — black widow and brown recluse. Few species might induce pain similar to a mellow bee sting, but that’s about it.
Nevertheless, don’t take any chances and instantly apply an ice pack over a spider bite or clean the area with alcohol to reduce pain and minimize swelling. That being said, seek immediate medical attention if you’re bitten by a brown recluse or black widow spider. If you aren’t sure of the spider type, check if the bite features two distinct piercings or is your skin taking the form of a white lesion. The former is a calling card of black widows, while the latter is caused by brown recluses. Another differentiation is a black widow’s neurotoxin will cause you pain and might lead to dizziness and headache. But the bite’s symptoms will neutralize in a week. Contrastingly, blisters from a brown recluse’s bite takes 24 to 36 hours to develop and require six weeks to two months to heal completely. Wear long-sleeved clothes and protective gloves to minimize biting instances when thrusting your hand in arachnid-infested areas.