In general, people freak out when they see a spider. Their first instinct is to grab a flip flop and smash them as quickly as possible, but spiders are a natural part of the world and serve their purpose in the “great circle of life.” So, the question remains, what is so special about spiders?
Where Do You Find Spiders?
Spiders are clean — as far as insects go — and generally speaking you’ll rarely find them in your food. Spiders eat the bugs — like ants and flies — that get into your food. Perhaps, if you let those spiders live to see another day, you might see a decrease of nasty bugs you find in your home!
Finding a Spider in Your Home
Even if you find spiders to be scary, or if they creep you out, the common spider isn’t something you need to be afraid of. You’ve heard it all before though, “they’re more afraid of you than you are of them” but it’s true! The fact is: the worst a house spider can do is make an itchy red bump on your skin. The best they can do is eat flies, other spiders, and bugs that can cause serious harm. Spiders will try to avoid you at all costs. In most cases, you pose a greater threat to their lives than they do to your life.
There are only two kinds of spiders in North America that are harmful to humans–the brown recluse and the black widow. With these spiders, you’re encouraged to rid yourself of them. However, the rest are usually just eating other scary insects that can carry deadly diseases.
Should I Be Worried?
With spiders present in your home, you’ll see approximately 2,000 fewer bugs per spider each year. In your garden, spiders eat the insects that can cause irreparable damage to your plants. Spiders love to eat mosquitoes and flies which can carry malaria or cholera. Spiders are highly unlikely to bite you and often sometimes get blamed for bites caused by mites, fleas or bedbugs.
