Learning to Like Spiders (or at least appreciate them)

(Page 4 of 4)

April/May 2005
By Terry Krautwurst 
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Most spider species are venomous, but in North America only a few — primarily the brown recluse, the black widow and the hobo spider of the Pacific Northwest — have the potential to inflict serious harm on humans. (Also, the yellow sac spider — a recently introduced species from Europe that’s becoming increasingly common in the eastern United States — can inflict a painful “hornetlike” bite that can be serious.) Meanwhile, billions of harmless spiders consume vast quantities of insects — serving as one of our planet’s most important pest controls. Still, poisonous spider bites are no laughing matter. Fortunately, they’re also easy to avoid. Just follow these common-sense rules:

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• Be especially wary in little-used, undisturbed places such as basements, outbuildings, brush piles, crawl spaces, attics and closets. Look carefully before you reach into the back of that old dresser drawer!

• Shake blankets and towels that have been stored or piled for awhile. The same is true for rags, laundry, shoes or old clothing.

• Wear gloves, long pants and long sleeves when raking leaves, cleaning out a shed or basement, or fetching firewood from a woodpile. Knock one log against another before picking it up, and watch for any spider activity.

• Remove any litter or clutter in basements, attics, garages and sheds that might provide shelter for spiders.

If you think a spider has bitten you, apply an ice pack to the area for 15 to 20 minutes every hour for four to six hours to reduce the pain and itching. Over-the-counter anti-itch medications can help ease the symptoms, too. If you suspect you’ve been bitten by a poisonous spider, seek immediate medical attention.

But regardless of what level of arachnophobia you might or might not feel, you may as well go ahead and get to know the spiders that live all around you, especially those that share your home. Grab a field guide and poke around that habitat of yours. Once you start to look, every day is a nature-study day.

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  • Frank 9/15/2009 8:22:06 AM

    I appreciate arachnids for the enormous amount of insect pests that they control. Matter of fact, when I find a spider in the house I carefully move him to a safe outside environment and I have never been bitten- old testament paranoia as with highly beneficial snakes.

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