12 Interesting (And Potentially Unknown) Spider Facts
Just the thought of spiders is likely to send a shiver up your spine. These eight legged arachnids send many running in fear—but spiders aren’t always something to be afraid of! Like so many others in the pest community, spiders are often misunderstood. But don’t misunderstand us, spiders can be dangerous as well!
While no one wants a spider making their home its own, there’s no denying that spiders are an important part of our ecosystem. In this blog, we hope to shed light on spiders and share some interesting spider facts you may not be aware of! That way, you might think twice before pulling out the spider poison (or running out of your home screaming) the next time you spot a spider.
Fact #1: Spiders Are Arachnids
Spiders are not insects. While you may think that the terms insects and bugs are interchangeable, they aren’t. A spider is considered a bug, but is not an insect.
Spiders are arachnids, similar to scorpions and ticks. This means that they have eight legs and only two sections of their body: the head and the abdomen. Insects, on the other hand, have three body parts, a head, thorax and abdomen, and only six legs, like ants.
Plus, insects can have wings while arachnids cannot. Let’s all take a moment to be thankful spiders and scorpions can’t fly!
Fact #2: Spiders Aren’t Far Away
Interestingly (or creepily) enough, studies show that you’re never more than 10 feet away from a spider. They are literally everywhere! But no worries, they’re likely hiding in a corner somewhere minding their own business.
Fact #3: There Are Thousands of Spider Species
Scientists have named 35,000 species of spiders worldwide, 3,000 of which live in North America. However, they are confident there are thousands of species yet to be discovered!
Fact #4: Not All Spider Bites Are Deadly
The majority of spiders aren’t likely to bite humans. And even if they do, their venom isn’t strong enough to kill you. It may just leave behind a painful welt!
Some spiders, however, are known for being extremely venomous. Black widow and brown recluse spiders are known to deliver a threatening bite, and they’re native to the Carolinas.
Fact #5: Female Spiders Are Known To Eat Their Mate
The black widow isn’t called widow for nothing! Female black widows, among other female spider species, are known to be hungrier than their male counterparts. So much so, in fact, that they will eat their mate before, during or after copulating. Talk about killing the mood!
Fact #6: Spider Silk is Super Strong
Spider silk—which is actually a liquid that hardens when it hits the air—doesn’t get enough credit. While it may not seem strong, it may just surprise you.
A single strand of spider silk is five times stronger than a strand of steel of the same thickness. It’s even rumored that a spider web with the thickness of a pencil could actually stop an airplane in flight.
True or False? You will eat eight spiders in your sleep during your lifetime.
FALSE! While you probably have a spider hiding out somewhere in your home, it’s not likely to crawl into your mouth while you’re sleeping. This is a common myth about spiders that too many people believe to be true!
Ready for more spider facts? Here are six more you should know!
Fact #7: Spider Blood is Blue
Unlike human blood, the oxygen in spider blood binds to copper, making their blood blue. The oxygen in human blood, on the other hand, binds to iron which makes our blood red.
Fact #8: Spider Muscles Work Differently
Have you ever wondered why a spider’s legs curl up when they die? There’s a reason for that!
Spiders can only pull the muscles in their legs inward, not outward. In the event their legs begin to curl in, spiders are able to pump a watery liquid through their lugs to push them back out again. So when a spider dies, it can’t push the fluid through its legs, causing its legs to stay curled up. This is one of the more unusual spider facts to say the least!
Fact #9: Spiders Produce Various Types of Silk
We already know that spider silk is super strong and starts in a liquid form. But did you know that a single spider can produce up to seven different types of silk?
Spiders use different types of silk to:
- Wrap and immobilize their prey
- Create their webs
- Support their weight while creating a web—this is called dragline silk
- Parachuting their young to find a food source (picture that scene in Charlotte’s Web)
- Create a shelter or nest
- Protect their egg sacs
- Mate
Fact #10: Spiders Are Nearsighted
Like some humans, spiders are nearsighted, too! Too bad there aren’t tiny glasses with eight lenses for spiders though.
Spiders typically have a main set of eyes that create images, while the other eyes only detect light and shadows. Spiders can’t see far into the distance, but it doesn’t seem to cause much of an issue for them! These arachnids use their silk as trip wires, alerting them to potential danger so they can safely escape—good vision or not!
Fact #11: Female Spiders Can Lay Thousands of Eggs at Once
Female spiders can lay up to 3,000 eggs at one time. While this probably didn’t make you feel any better about the spider in your home, it’s undeniably one of the most interesting spider facts to know!
Fact #12: Jumping Spiders Can Jump Up To 50x Their Own Length
While hunting or escaping a predator, jumping spiders can alter the pressure of the fluids in their legs to propel them forward. This allows them to jump up to 50 times their own length!
Fun Spider Facts: Male jumping spiders dance to attract their mates. In fact, they tap their legs so quickly on the ground that it can’t be seen by the human eye!
Spiders are creepy, there’s no denying that! But without them, our ecosystem would look a lot different. Spiders play an important role in our environment, and they are usually nothing to fear.
Yes, some spiders are dangerous and should not be around your home. Most spiders aren’t out to hurt you though, and are simply seeking shelter and a food source. If you find a spider in your home, there are ways to remove it from your home peacefully without having to use poisons—like this Critter Catcher on Amazon!
However, if you’ve got spiders around your home and want them gone, we can help. Schedule a pest control service with us today!
