Why You Should Never Kill A Spider At Home
Your irrational fear of spiders may well make you think that kicking hard at the right time is the best way to keep your house safe. However, these little creatures are more useful to your environment than you think. You might want to take a closer look at them. Before killing a spider at home, read beforehand why it is important to protect it.
The importance of the spider to your home ecosystem
Many people think of their home as a kind of sterile soap bubble that exists separate and isolated from the outside world. Nobody can enter without your consent! Still, there are many species that find our living spaces attractive. They live in perfect symbiosis with us, even if we may not be aware of it.
A spider catches flies, mosquitoes and other insects that “harm” us. The best thing is that this little lodger loves to do the dirty work. For example, there is a type of jumping spider whose life’s mission is to catch mosquitoes that are potentially harmful to African diseases.
The majority of the spiders that you will encounter in your life are not dangerous. They do not pose a threat to their environment. Unless of course you live in Australia, things are different. A team of scientists from North Carolina conducted a study. Fifty houses were searched to classify the various arthropods that make up a normal household.
The most abundant species of spider found in these homes belonged to the family of trembling spiders (Pholcidae) and crested web spiders ( Teridiidae). Both species build nets and then patiently wait for their victim to fall into their trap. They usually do not move away from their webs unless they are hunting another spider.
Why we should ignore our fear and let the spiders live
It is normal to be afraid of a spider. Especially when you consider that many of them bite and the bite can sometimes even be fatal. However, as the aforementioned science team has shown, the majority of spiders you can find around the house are harmless. They can even help you remove unwanted insects.
Most spiders prefer to avoid contact with humans. There are some spiders, such as the black widow or the tarantula, that are better avoided for health reasons. The rest, however, are harmless and deserve to exist in peace in the corner of your room or garage.
If the presence of a spider in your living space bothers you so much, then pick it up carefully and release it into nature. After getting over the initial shock, she’ll be grateful to you for not just kicking her.