Spider Fact or Fiction From the Sacramento Pest Control Experts

There are plenty of myths spread around about spiders. People warn that they are dangerous and aggressive and that you should avoid them. When in fact, unless you’re an insect that gets caught in their web, spiders are not aggressive and only attack humans when they feel threatened. 

In this blog post, we are going to discuss whether some of the most common things said about spiders are fact or fiction. Continue reading to learn more and if you have spiders in your home, contact the Sacramento pest control experts at Earthwise Pest Management today. 

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Fiction: Spiders Are Aggressive

Spiders are not aggressive animals. While they do catch their prey in their webs or hunt for it depending upon the species, spiders are not aggressive animals towards humans. If you’ve ever heard of someone describing an animal as more afraid of you than you are of it, that is the category that spiders fall under. Most spider bites are merely a means of defense when a spider feels threatened. 

Fiction: You Swallow Spiders in Your Sleep

We have no clue where this particular myth came from, but spiders are not crawling into your mouth as you sleep. Spiders do not actively seek out humans for any reason. Spiders tend to hide in dark places and avoid humans. Would you crawl into the mouth of an animal that is astronomically larger than you while they sleep? Yeah, neither would a spider. 

Fiction: Black Widows Are Aggressive and Dangerous

Spiders are not aggressive, but instead are usually acting in self-defense especially when it comes to interactions with humans. Black widows, although they do product dangerous venom, typically release enough venom per bite to kill a fly or other small insect. While some people do have adverse reactions to black widow bites, the majority of cases are minor. Black widows are not actively seeking you out to attack. If you come across a black widow, the best thing you can do is leave it alone. Scaring the spider will only provoke it to defend itself.  

Fiction: Daddy Long Legs Are Extremely Poisonous

We’ve all heard this myth growing up. Daddy long legs are the most poisonous spider alive, but their mouths are too small to bite a human. This is completely false and just another story passed along on the school bus and playground. Depending on where you are from, there are actually a few different insects that you might refer to as a daddy long leg. The typical daddy long leg spider that enjoys cool dark basements, do in fact have venom and their fangs could pierce human skin, but they only release enough venom to kill a small insect, so you’d most likely be left with a small red bump at the site of the bite. 

Fact: Spider Bites Can Be Dangerous

While spiders are not aggressive and most are not dangerous, black widow spiders and brown recluse spiders can in fact cause harm to a human. Most cases of spider bites, even from these renowned species cause only mild reactions. However, in some special cases, especially if a person’s immune system is weakened, bites from these spiders can cause serious symptoms and even death in extremely rare cases. So, while most spiders and their bites are not a threat to humans, in certain cases, spider bites can be dangerous. 

Fiction: All Spiders Spin Webs

While some species of spiders do in fact spin webs like those seen in movies, many species don’t. Some create the cobwebs we find in the corners of our home or on our porch, while others don’t make webs at all. It’s a common misperception that a spider’s web is it’s home, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Webs are a means to catch food. They are kind of like a snare or bear trap. Spiders make their webs and then wait for an unassuming insect to get stuck. So, yes some spiders use a web to catch their food, but other species simply hide in wait and hunt their prey. 

Contact the Sacramento Pest Control Experts

If you have noticed spiders in your home, the pest control experts at Earthwise Pest Management can help. Whether you have house spiders, black widows, brown recluse, or any other kind of spider making a home in your house, we can handle it. Contact the Sacramento pest control experts today at Earthwise Pest Management.