Spiders are perhaps one of the most feared creatures on earth. Stories of arachnids abound and the fantastic tales grow each time they are told. From the spider who lived in a woman’s hair for years to the lore of the arachnid actually stalking people whom they would kill and wrap up in huge tombs of web. In reality spiders are almost a non factor when it comes to human activity. Sure you may see them frequently on a orb up by the gutter or have one scamper across the kitchen floor from time to time but the mere fact that there are untold numbers of this beneficial creature living amongst us and so few encounters ever end up with a problem is fact enough that this loathsome being is nothing to be feared.
The truth of the matter is that a very small percentage of spiders could even be a a problem if they wanted to. Most spider fangs aren’t even powerful enough to penetrate the human skin if they even dared get close enough to you in the first place. Then for those that are, a good number can’t bite through clothing so again the odds of a horrific spider confrontation is really just based on our fears built from years of misunderstandings and wrong information. There are no spiders that seek out humans or larger mammals for food even though some may bear ominous sounding names. Wolf spiders or aggressive hobo spider are monikers that give the false impression of a vicious harmful beast. While it is true that some spiders defend themselves when confronted, bite when disturbed and take on posturing that looks ferocious. Most if not all spiders would prefer to leave you well enough alone rather than face such a huge and dangerous foe.
Spiders are found throughout the world from the tallest mountains to the lowest valleys. They hunt everything from fish to other spiders
and can survive even in the most extreme environments. The worse thing for most folks is they are very common in our homes. People can genuinely be very afraid at the mere sight of any spider regardless of how harmless it really is. Changing someone’s mind about our 8 legged friends is not an easy task and I dare say impossible for some. If however we can learn to appreciate the spider for all the good it does and force back the rumors we’ve come to accept as fact, maybe we can at least have a healthy respect.
