Actually I like spiders: Spiders are creepy. There’s no denying that. They’ve got way too many legs and eyes, disproportionately large mandibles, and many are hairy, too. On top of it...

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

Spiders are creepy. There’s no denying that. They’ve got way too many legs and eyes, disproportionately large mandibles, and many are hairy, too. On top of it all, they’re jittery and are nearly all venomous. So it may sound a little counterintuitive when we tell you: if you see a spider in your home, you should probably just leave it alone, and here is why.
1. Spiders don’t harm humans
Spiders: tarantula on hand

All spiders are predators. To put it another way, no spider is parasitic, and so spiders rely on a diet of animal they can k**l and eat. Humans aren’t on that list. While almost all spiders are venomous, many can’t pierce human skin, to begin with, and their venom isn’t potent enough to be a concern for people who aren’t allergic.
But here’s the thing; even in the case of potentially-dangerous spiders, such as the black widow or brown recluse, spiders have absolutely no reason to bite humans, except in self-defense. Spiders will very rarely get into your bed, because there’s very little for them to do there, and they can’t bite you if you roll over them, on account of the fact that they’re being crushed, and they can’t bite upward. So unless you’re actively and vigorously trying to k**l a spider, the chances it'll bite you are about zero.
2. Spiders don’t muck around our food

While many insects, such as flies and ants, would like nothing more than free access to our food, spiders couldn’t care less about our bread and sugar. Your flowering plants, too, don’t interest them as a food source. Again, this goes back to spiders’ natural diet: other critters. So, if you’re worried about your food getting infested, spiders shouldn’t be your main concern, in fact…

3. Spiders are terrific pest-control
Spiders: spider hunting

What cats are to mice, spiders are to nearly every other pest in your house. Spiders are highly sk**lful h****rs that feed on many insects you want to keep out of your house, including flies, ants, moths, cockroaches and potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes. Having a spider in your house means pest populations will be in check.
4. Fear of spiders is literally irrational
Spiders: arachnophobia

No phobias are rational in a strict sense, but many are believed to have evolved in us to keep us safe. Cockroaches may not be an immediate threat to humans, but the diseases they carry can place us at risk. Claustrophobia, the fear of cramped spaces, stems from our tendency to always be on the lookout for means of escape. Meanwhile, arachnophobia doesn’t appear to serve any such evolutionary purpose.
Rather, it seems that we fear spiders because they just appear wrong to us. As mentioned, they have too many eyes and legs, oversized fangs, and their movements are too abrupt, triggering a defense mechanism in us, even when spiders don’t bear any ill will towards us.
Now, all of this is not to say that you should grow spiders as pets (unless you really, really want to), but that you shouldn’t freak out about them being around, and maybe consider just letting them be.

SWMBO

Hug

Good Post

moldyoldy

I'm freaked out just reading this.

peg w

I don't k**l spiders, I figure they are hunting bugs I don't see

bahmer

no propaganda please wrote:

Spiders are creepy. There’s no denying that. They’ve got way too many legs and eyes, disproportionately large mandibles, and many are hairy, too. On top of it all, they’re jittery and are nearly all venomous. So it may sound a little counterintuitive when we tell you: if you see a spider in your home, you should probably just leave it alone, and here is why.
1. Spiders don’t harm humans
Spiders: tarantula on hand

All spiders are predators. To put it another way, no spider is parasitic, and so spiders rely on a diet of animal they can k**l and eat. Humans aren’t on that list. While almost all spiders are venomous, many can’t pierce human skin, to begin with, and their venom isn’t potent enough to be a concern for people who aren’t allergic.
But here’s the thing; even in the case of potentially-dangerous spiders, such as the black widow or brown recluse, spiders have absolutely no reason to bite humans, except in self-defense. Spiders will very rarely get into your bed, because there’s very little for them to do there, and they can’t bite you if you roll over them, on account of the fact that they’re being crushed, and they can’t bite upward. So unless you’re actively and vigorously trying to k**l a spider, the chances it'll bite you are about zero.
2. Spiders don’t muck around our food

While many insects, such as flies and ants, would like nothing more than free access to our food, spiders couldn’t care less about our bread and sugar. Your flowering plants, too, don’t interest them as a food source. Again, this goes back to spiders’ natural diet: other critters. So, if you’re worried about your food getting infested, spiders shouldn’t be your main concern, in fact…

3. Spiders are terrific pest-control
Spiders: spider hunting

What cats are to mice, spiders are to nearly every other pest in your house. Spiders are highly sk**lful h****rs that feed on many insects you want to keep out of your house, including flies, ants, moths, cockroaches and potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes. Having a spider in your house means pest populations will be in check.
4. Fear of spiders is literally irrational
Spiders: arachnophobia

No phobias are rational in a strict sense, but many are believed to have evolved in us to keep us safe. Cockroaches may not be an immediate threat to humans, but the diseases they carry can place us at risk. Claustrophobia, the fear of cramped spaces, stems from our tendency to always be on the lookout for means of escape. Meanwhile, arachnophobia doesn’t appear to serve any such evolutionary purpose.
Rather, it seems that we fear spiders because they just appear wrong to us. As mentioned, they have too many eyes and legs, oversized fangs, and their movements are too abrupt, triggering a defense mechanism in us, even when spiders don’t bear any ill will towards us.
Now, all of this is not to say that you should grow spiders as pets (unless you really, really want to), but that you shouldn’t freak out about them being around, and maybe consider just letting them be.

SWMBO

Spiders are creepy. There’s no denying that. They’... (show quote)

Great post there SWMBO thanks for all of that info.

debeda

no propaganda please wrote:

Spiders are creepy. There’s no denying that. They’ve got way too many legs and eyes, disproportionately large mandibles, and many are hairy, too. On top of it all, they’re jittery and are nearly all venomous. So it may sound a little counterintuitive when we tell you: if you see a spider in your home, you should probably just leave it alone, and here is why.
1. Spiders don’t harm humans
Spiders: tarantula on hand

All spiders are predators. To put it another way, no spider is parasitic, and so spiders rely on a diet of animal they can k**l and eat. Humans aren’t on that list. While almost all spiders are venomous, many can’t pierce human skin, to begin with, and their venom isn’t potent enough to be a concern for people who aren’t allergic.
But here’s the thing; even in the case of potentially-dangerous spiders, such as the black widow or brown recluse, spiders have absolutely no reason to bite humans, except in self-defense. Spiders will very rarely get into your bed, because there’s very little for them to do there, and they can’t bite you if you roll over them, on account of the fact that they’re being crushed, and they can’t bite upward. So unless you’re actively and vigorously trying to k**l a spider, the chances it'll bite you are about zero.
2. Spiders don’t muck around our food

While many insects, such as flies and ants, would like nothing more than free access to our food, spiders couldn’t care less about our bread and sugar. Your flowering plants, too, don’t interest them as a food source. Again, this goes back to spiders’ natural diet: other critters. So, if you’re worried about your food getting infested, spiders shouldn’t be your main concern, in fact…

3. Spiders are terrific pest-control
Spiders: spider hunting

What cats are to mice, spiders are to nearly every other pest in your house. Spiders are highly sk**lful h****rs that feed on many insects you want to keep out of your house, including flies, ants, moths, cockroaches and potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes. Having a spider in your house means pest populations will be in check.
4. Fear of spiders is literally irrational
Spiders: arachnophobia

No phobias are rational in a strict sense, but many are believed to have evolved in us to keep us safe. Cockroaches may not be an immediate threat to humans, but the diseases they carry can place us at risk. Claustrophobia, the fear of cramped spaces, stems from our tendency to always be on the lookout for means of escape. Meanwhile, arachnophobia doesn’t appear to serve any such evolutionary purpose.
Rather, it seems that we fear spiders because they just appear wrong to us. As mentioned, they have too many eyes and legs, oversized fangs, and their movements are too abrupt, triggering a defense mechanism in us, even when spiders don’t bear any ill will towards us.
Now, all of this is not to say that you should grow spiders as pets (unless you really, really want to), but that you shouldn’t freak out about them being around, and maybe consider just letting them be.

SWMBO

Spiders are creepy. There’s no denying that. They’... (show quote)

Good info. But you're right, spiders are just WRONG, and I, for one, have a visceral fear of them. AND big centipedes, who are ALSO wrong. Ugh "full body shudder"

debeda

moldyoldy wrote:

I'm freaked out just reading this.

Kinda right there with you, moldy!

billy a Loc: South Florida

Hug wrote:

Good Post

You are spot-on about "they just appear wrong to us"...years ago I read (in a BOOK!) that the spider is the most feared critter because they look so UN-like humans. That's arguable ( octopi , snakes , hillary ) but you get the point.
Interesting post. Thanks.

debeda

billy a wrote:

You are spot-on about "they just appear wrong to us"...years ago I read (in a BOOK!) that the spider is the most feared critter because they look so UN-like humans. That's arguable ( octopi , snakes , hillary ) but you get the point.
Interesting post. Thanks.

sisboombaa

billy a wrote:

You are spot-on about "they just appear wrong to us"...years ago I read (in a BOOK!) that the spider is the most feared critter because they look so UN-like humans. That's arguable ( octopi , snakes , hillary ) but you get the point.
Interesting post. Thanks.

Are you saying Hillary reminds you of a black widow or that big hairy spider creature? I guess there is at least one "Billy" that should know. I once feared snakes so a friend suggested I study snakes. I did and he was right. Not only did I lose my fear of snakes but now feel sorry for them. I then tried the same approach on Hillary. Didn't work. She still scares the heck out of me. But I did learn to feel sorry for her Bill.

moldyoldy

Isn’t this supposed to be non political?

sisboombaa

moldyoldy wrote:

Isn’t this supposed to be non political?

Oh gosh dang it. Please forgive me sir. I failed again. Will I ever learn?

moldyoldy

sisboombaa wrote:

Oh gosh dang it. Please forgive me sir. I failed again. Will I ever learn?

It is probably related to the need to have that sisboombaa moment.

EN Submarine Qualified Loc: Wisconsin East coast

no propaganda please wrote:

Spiders are creepy. There’s no denying that. They’ve got way too many legs and eyes, disproportionately large mandibles, and many are hairy, too. On top of it all, they’re jittery and are nearly all venomous. So it may sound a little counterintuitive when we tell you: if you see a spider in your home, you should probably just leave it alone, and here is why.
1. Spiders don’t harm humans
Spiders: tarantula on hand

All spiders are predators. To put it another way, no spider is parasitic, and so spiders rely on a diet of animal they can k**l and eat. Humans aren’t on that list. While almost all spiders are venomous, many can’t pierce human skin, to begin with, and their venom isn’t potent enough to be a concern for people who aren’t allergic.
But here’s the thing; even in the case of potentially-dangerous spiders, such as the black widow or brown recluse, spiders have absolutely no reason to bite humans, except in self-defense. Spiders will very rarely get into your bed, because there’s very little for them to do there, and they can’t bite you if you roll over them, on account of the fact that they’re being crushed, and they can’t bite upward. So unless you’re actively and vigorously trying to k**l a spider, the chances it'll bite you are about zero.
2. Spiders don’t muck around our food

While many insects, such as flies and ants, would like nothing more than free access to our food, spiders couldn’t care less about our bread and sugar. Your flowering plants, too, don’t interest them as a food source. Again, this goes back to spiders’ natural diet: other critters. So, if you’re worried about your food getting infested, spiders shouldn’t be your main concern, in fact…

3. Spiders are terrific pest-control
Spiders: spider hunting

What cats are to mice, spiders are to nearly every other pest in your house. Spiders are highly sk**lful h****rs that feed on many insects you want to keep out of your house, including flies, ants, moths, cockroaches and potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes. Having a spider in your house means pest populations will be in check.
4. Fear of spiders is literally irrational
Spiders: arachnophobia

No phobias are rational in a strict sense, but many are believed to have evolved in us to keep us safe. Cockroaches may not be an immediate threat to humans, but the diseases they carry can place us at risk. Claustrophobia, the fear of cramped spaces, stems from our tendency to always be on the lookout for means of escape. Meanwhile, arachnophobia doesn’t appear to serve any such evolutionary purpose.
Rather, it seems that we fear spiders because they just appear wrong to us. As mentioned, they have too many eyes and legs, oversized fangs, and their movements are too abrupt, triggering a defense mechanism in us, even when spiders don’t bear any ill will towards us.
Now, all of this is not to say that you should grow spiders as pets (unless you really, really want to), but that you shouldn’t freak out about them being around, and maybe consider just letting them be.

SWMBO

Spiders are creepy. There’s no denying that. They’... (show quote)

Thank you!! I believe you and I have k**led my last spider intentionally. Should I k**l one, it will be accidental.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

sisboombaa wrote:

Are you saying Hillary reminds you of a black widow or that big hairy spider creature? I guess there is at least one "Billy" that should know. I once feared snakes so a friend suggested I study snakes. I did and he was right. Not only did I lose my fear of snakes but now feel sorry for them. I then tried the same approach on Hillary. Didn't work. She still scares the heck out of me. But I did learn to feel sorry for her Bill.

Hillary is more like one of the creatures in "Eight Legged Freaks"