Arachnophilia - The Love of Spiders

Last week we talked about Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders. The opposite is Arachnophilia, the love of spiders. There are fewer people who fall into this particular designation, which is odd to us, since spiders, on the whole, are much more helpful than harmful. 

Give us a chance and let’s see if we can convince you to love spiders – or at least tolerate them a little more.

Let's Start With a Review

Spiders are not insects. Insects have three segments to their bodies: head, thorax, and  abdomen, and six legs. Almost all adult insects have antennae and many of them sport wings. Spiders have no antennae, no wings, eight legs and two body segments: cephalothorax and abdomen. 

Spiders are arachnids. They’re in the same family as scorpions, mites, and ticks. They have three pairs of eyes and get their sense of “touch” from the fine hairs all over their bodies and legs. We have archaeological evidence that proves spiders have lived on the earth for more than 380 million years. Most spiders produce a neurotoxin or venom, but they use it for capturing their prey. Only a handful of spiders are dangerous to humans. 

In fact, the majority of spiders are not only helpful, but essential to our human lives.

Spiders Are Good

For starters, a single spider can eat about 2,000 insects a year. That’s millions of insects who could be doing us or our crops harm, except for the fact that spiders are eating them. You might say – and we have – that spiders provide natural pest control. 

In that same vein, spiders are nature’s CDC, protecting us from disease and viruses. We know that mosquitoes spread Zika virus, dengue fever, malaria and more. Flies and cockroaches spread all manner of gross things just by walking over them. Spiders eat all of these insects before they can share their deadly droppings. They also eat silverfish, moths, ticks and fleas. Oh, and other spiders! Did we mention the pest control thing? If more people let spiders live in their houses, we might be out of a job! 

Of the 3500-4000 species of spiders found in the United States, only two are considered a threat to humans - brown recluses and black widows. Both are found in Florida, but getting bites from these spiders is rare. Unlike humans who sometimes get aggressive with no warning, spiders really only attack when they feel threatened, trapped, and surprised. So don’t sneak up on a spider and you’re highly unlikely to get bit. 

Spiders add balance to our local ecosystems. Not only do they help control pests, both inside your home and around your garden, they also serve as a food supply for birds and lizards. They also make valuable contributions to science. No, there aren’t any spider researchers at Universities, but their venom is used to develop medicines and new pain relievers. Spider silk is nearly as strong as steel and as elastic as rubber. In fact, earlier this year, scientists discovered stretching spider silk makes it stronger, a breakthrough in developing better body armor.

Cultural Arachnophilia

In ancient Chinese cultures, spiders are referred to as happy insects or 'ximu.' They’re considered good luck and harbingers of good news. In Hindu circles, we read that Indira’s Net – a spider web – stretches above the gods’ palace, signifying the interconnectedness of all things. 

Native American myths across several tribes make note of the wisdom keeper, a spider woman who may have helped create the animals. The African god Anansi is also considered a wise creator and the keeper of the stories. Unfortunately, he’s a little too creative at times, considered to be a trickster god.

Spinning a Web

We know we probably didn’t convince you to live and let live with spiders. All it takes is to be startled by one, or unexpectedly walk though their web while exploring the woods, to freak most people out. But hopefully, we’ve at least made it easier for you to appreciate spiders and all the good they do for us. 

But we understand. Just remember, you can always say thank you – to the spider or God – for the good that they do, then shoo them out the door. As always, our Go Green Perimeter Plus solution does evacuate spiders from your home, along with ants, cockroaches, silverfish and several other creepy crawlies. For more details, or to schedule your first treatment, please give us a call!