Don’t hug spiders!
Here’s how to be nice to spiders safely.
Spiders are our friends. They keep pests at bay. They mainly stay out of our way. When you see one in your home, chances are it’s some man-spider out looking for a mate.
But no matter how much you want to, don’t hug them. Spiders are fragile and do not understand.
This time of year, you might see lots of spider decorations for Halloween. But did you know October is when many real spiders in Western Washington reach maturity, and those spider-folks are interested in finding a home or a spider friend.
According to Rod Crawford, a curator at the Burke Museum in Seattle who runs the website Spider Myths, there are 71 spider species common in Western Washington. More than 50 of them reach maturity in October. Maturity is when you’re most likely to see them wandering around.
In general, Crawford writes, outside spiders remain outside and inside spiders remain inside. Inside spiders won’t thank you for putting them outside. And there are “10–30 different species of spiders living in the average human home” in Washington.
Think twice before using pesticides on spiders. Exposure to pesticides can harm people, animals, and the environment more than a bite can. The risk of health effects to people depends on several things, including:
- Type or “chemical class” of pesticide.
- Amount and concentration of the pesticide.
- Length of exposure.
- Route of exposures (eye, mouth, skin, or lungs).
- Exposed person’s individual susceptibility.
Illness or injury may result from a single pesticide exposure.
Crawford’s website busts a lot of spider myths he’s seen over his 40-plus year career as an arachnologist, someone who studies spiders and other arachnids.
One of the myths Crawford busts is hobo spiders are aggressive. The spiders common in the Northwest are not aggressive, though some people call them “aggressive house spiders.”
“We have spent the past 10 years or so negating the myth that hobo spiders are a risk for bites. There is no evidence that hobo spider venom has caused skin necrosis or necrotic wounds in people,” said Dr. Liz Dykstra, public health entomologist for the Department of Health. Necrosis is a medical term for when living body tissue dies.
To learn more about spiders common in Washington, check out our website on spiders.
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More Information
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