Got spiders? Leave them alone.
That's advice from North Carolina State University entomologist Matt Bertone and his fellow researchers who recently conducted a visual survey of 50 North Carolina homes to study the arthropods living under their roofs. His team found spiders, typically cobweb or cellar spiders, inside every single home.
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"I know it may be hard to convince you, but let me try: Don't kill the next spider you see in your home," Bertone wrote in an academic article for The Conversation earlier this month.
According to the scientist, who specializes in insect identification and systematics, the arachnids are rarely aggressive or dangerous. In fact, humans are much more threatening to spiders than vice versa.
And the creatures may even be helping you out by eating pests or other spiders.
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“Killing a spider doesn’t just cost the arachnid its life, it may take an important predator out of your home,” Bertone said, citing the fact that one species of jumping spider devours blood-filled mosquitoes in African homes for dinner.
According to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, spider bites are quite rare, too. Bites typically occur because a spider is trapped or unintentionally contacted, as a defense mechanism.
Furthermore, a 2016 review published in the journal Toxicon showed that 78 percent of 134 medical cases of apparent spider bites didn't meet the required criteria for a verified spider bite.
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Those bites, Bertone said, rarely cause serious issues.
In the U.S., the black widow and brown recluse are known to be the most common venomous spider species.
"If you truly can't stand that spider in your house, apartment, garage, or wherever, instead of smashing it, try to capture it and release it outside," Bertone recommends. "It'll find somewhere else to go, and both parties will be happier with the outcome."
In the end, however, it’s not a big deal if you have spiders in your home.
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Here’s how you can prevent spider bites, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration:
- Clear cutter
- Wear a long-sleeved shirt, hat, gloves and boots when handling firewood, boxes, lumber, rocks, etc.
- Use insect repellants, such as DEET or Picaridin, on clothing and footwear.
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