Fascinating Facts About Spiders

To most of us, spiders are a worst nightmare as they are considered scary, potentially venomous insects that do more harm than good.

To most of us, spiders are a worst nightmare as they are considered scary, potentially venomous insects that do more harm than good. However, they serve a purpose in the ecosystem and are helpful to the environment.

Let’s unveil some fantastic facts about spiders and determine whether they are as dangerous as we think.

They are ancient

Spiders are among the most ancient animals on planet Earth as they have been around for 400 million years, having evolved from their thick-waisted arachnid ancestors. The first spider fossil, which dates back to 380 million years ago, was called Attercopus fimbriunguis. It was the first type of spider with abdominal segmentation and silk-producing spinnerets, which lived in the age before the dinosaurs.

Prevented famine

Mankind could become extinct within five years due to famine without the existence of spiders on Earth. Spiders play a vital role in the terrestrial food chain in agriculture because these carnivorous creatures consume approximately 105,000 pounds of insects annually. Hence, they help reduce the number of insects that are harmful to crops, contributing to ecological balance.

Used in medicine

Aside from protecting crops, spiders are the secret weapon behind various revolutionary discoveries regarding medication and industrial components. For example, scientists at Yale have analyzed the chemical compounds in the Australian funnel-web spiders’ venom to be utilized as a pain-control medication enhancement.

Rarely life-threatening to humans

Spiders are less life-threatening than sharks, snakes, and even bees. Some speculate that four to six people die yearly in the U.S. from spider bites, far fewer than dog bites or insect stings resulting in anaphylaxis.

Although there are more than 40,000 kinds of spiders worldwide, the U.S. hosts only a few fatal spider species. In the U.S., black widow and brown recluse spiders are the most dangerous to humans.

Food source for other creatures

Spiders are a nutritious food source for many other species, including mammals, birds, and even wasps. Wasps lay eggs on spiders’ abdomens and wait for the larva to hatch and feed on the spider’s outsides starting from the spider’s pedicel.

Spiders migrate in two ways called ‘ballooning’ and Angel Hair. Baby spiders use ballooning to move around. They climb on top of vegetation and release their steamer of silk, which catches the breeze and brings them up high in the air, resulting in a “spider rain.” The other technique is called angel hair, used by adult spiders after heavy rain or floods as they migrate off the ground to avoid drowning. Spiders throw silk lines overhead and haul themselves up to escape the water.

As scary as spiders might seem, these facts prove that spiders are not simply harmful and terrifying. Without this insect, we would starve through severe crop destruction, and the ecosystem would become unbalanced. Furthermore, learning about this pest may equip people with invaluable knowledge to help them deal with spiders.

However, having a professional pest control service to assist when facing a spider infestation is the best advice since pest specialists are more experienced and professionally trained to handle even the worst infestations.

Kinder Safe Pest Solutions offers 17 years of experience in commercial and residential pest control serving Manatee and Sarasota counties. Call (941)254-2180 today!