Ok. They are ugly. They can move seriously fast, and those eight little legs are as intimidating as the horror stories we read about spiders. Black Widows can kill, apparently we swallow almost eight spiders during our lifetimes and Rain Spiders, now that is just fear incarnate.
We doom them, we hunt them with shoes, we smash them with any near and available object, but spiders are perhaps a bit more useful than simply starring in our nightmares.
It’s all well said, but research shows this, and because I am dreadfully afraid of these things (don’t tell anyone), irrationally so; well, the logic of research may help to alleviate this bangbroekery.
Spiders keep insect numbers under control
Spiders are effective predators. They feed on flies, mosquitoes, moths and other insects we also don’t want around us.
Environmental researchers said that this natural predation reduces the need for chemical pesticides in gardens and agriculture, limiting insect populations before they reach nuisance levels. Ok, ten points to the crawlies. Zero to me.
Spiders cull critters that spread disease
Many of the insects spiders eat are the same ones linked to disease transmission. Fewer mosquitoes and flies mean fewer opportunities for bacteria and parasites to circulate between animals and humans. It’s a constant intervention courtesy of arachnids. But walking into a web late at night is still creepy, no matter what the experts say. Let’s scare the scorecard here.
Spiders are like Pac Man, with insects
Globally, spiders eat hundreds of millions of tonnes of insects each year. Researchers at the One Earth organisation said this is one of the planet’s most effective forms of population control. Without it, insect numbers would rise sharply, with knock-on effects for crops, food security and of course, human comfort.
Eaters and the eaten
Spiders don’t just eat insects; they are food, too. Birds, reptiles and small mammals enjoy the eight-legged snacks. Ecologists have noted that when spider populations decline, as when we kill too many of them, ecosystems don’t just compensate for the loss of arachnids. Imbalances tend to appear down the line, often as plant damage or habitat stress.
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Check them out
Jumping spiders, for example, rely on vision. They are not web-based and are deliberate, as if they have thought about their “what’s next”. These little thingamabobs often pause as if assessing their surroundings and even checking you out.
Researchers have noted that this behaviour, combined with their forward-facing eyes, often changes people’s perceptions once they spend time watching them rather than shoe-stopping them.
Also, apparently, spiders are interesting to watch while they hunt.
WATCH: The Peacock Spider mating dance
They ask for very little in return
Spiders, apparently, really just want to be left alone to do, well, spidering.
So when they occupy corners, window frames, hide behind curtains and roam in gardens, we are supposed to leave them to it.
Easier said than done, but it’s not like anyone has to leave out a snack, feed them or put in any effort into the relationship, bar perhaps stopping to kill them.
They ask nothing from us, it seems, but give a lot in return.
They say spiders are low-risk neighbours
Apart from once seeing my cat right with a giant rain spider, experts on the subject said that, in actual fact, few spiders are dangerous to humans.
Research by One Earth noted that most spiders are non-aggressive and avoid contact with people entirely, retreating rather than biting when disturbed.
Bites are rare and typically occur only when a spider is trapped against the skin or when it is handled. In everyday settings, they are far more interested in staying out of sight than interacting with us.
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