It’s natural to fear spiders, especially when they enter your home. Various studies on the shape of their legs and the way they move speak of this arachnophobia, a fairly widespread irrational terror. It even exists among certain entomologists, those biologists who study insects and spiders.
However, this fear of spiders must be overcome without having to get rid of these little beasts. We explain why!
What are the reasons not to kill the spiders you find in your house?
A spider in the bed – Source: spm
If you still want to get rid of your spiders by killing them, Matt Bertone, an entomologist and professor at North Carolina State University, explains why you shouldn’t continue this practice and offers an alternative.
There may be various insects in your home and even spiders may get there by accident. The specialist, in a study that he carried out in 50 homes where there were spiders of all types, indicated that these beings play an important role not only in nature, but also in the interior ecosystem of the house.
The expert explains that there are many types of spiders and to a greater extent they prefer to be outdoors where they reproduce. Therefore, those usually found inside homes are not usually at risk. Inside a home, arachnids can play a crucial role by acting as predators to many pests.
The entomologist adds that most spiders are predators and eat everything they catch, so they generally feed on annoying parasites or other insects that can transmit diseases. An example of this is certain arachnids that ingest mosquitoes in certain areas.
“So killing a spider not only kills it, but it also means you get rid of a large predator from your home. These arachnids build spider webs in which they wait and capture their prey,” the expert writes in his article.
What other alternative to not kill spiders?
A spider in the house – Source: spm
Matt Bertone offers an alternative for people who can’t stand seeing spiders at home. Instead of crushing them , it is better to capture them and release them outside the house.
“If you can’t stand spiders in your house or garage, instead of killing them, try picking them up and moving them outside. They will find somewhere else to go. But if you can live with these beings, having spiders in your house is a good thing. It is even normal,” explains the specialist.
How dangerous are spiders?
Spiders are animals that use venom to hunt their prey. However, those that are considered very dangerous are the black widow spider and the brown recluse due to their high level of toxicity in their venom, so they can be harmful to humans.
Thus, it is best to never kill the spiders you find in your home, but rather capture them and release them outdoors in their natural environment.