Spiders

11 Interesting 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 its home its own, there’s no denying that spiders are an important part of our ecosystem. We hope to shed light on spiders and share some interesting spider facts you may not be aware of! That way, you may have a better appreciation for the creepy-crawly 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.

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
• 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 tripwires, 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 wonderfully crazy!

However, if you’ve got spiders around your home and want them gone, we can help. Schedule a pest control service with us today!