SPIDERS: A FEW INTERESTING AND FUNNY FACTS

Fall can’t come soon enough for Houstonians who have been suffering through the scorching Texas summer. The shifting of the leaves, the cooler but not chilly weather, pumpkin spice everything, and, of course, chilli season are all reasons to rejoice. Still, fall also offers few people outside Houston pest control experts to enjoy spiders!

Yes, those eight-legged causes of many phobias (brown recluse anyone?) return every fall to begin their mating ritual, which might very well be an ABC show similar to the bachelor.

Male spiders leave their dank and decorated nests around the beginning of fall to seek out the fairest of the species in search of a girlfriend (hopefully, they got the BOLO about that Black Widow chick.) According to the [ahem] “webs,” female spiders are at ease in our houses, and therefore male spiders make their way into yours in the hopes of making a love connection.

Even though this commonly feared species of arachnid can be a paralysing nightmare for people who have arachnophobia, spiders are incredibly fascinating. They have several peculiarities that may make you want to pick one up and cuddle with it. We may have gone a little too far, to be honest, but you get the idea—spiders are fascinating! You still don’t believe us? After all, we’re Houston pest control professionals, so listen to us and learn some interesting facts about spiders.

Spiders Can Be Found Almost Anywhere!

Stop reading now, arachnophobes.

It may also frighten the rest of you, but keep your cool; it’s not as horrible as it sounds. According to major scientific studies on spider behaviour and migration patterns, humans are always within 10 feet of a spider. We believe it because we are Houston pest control professionals with decades of experience.

You don’t always see them, which is difficult to believe, should be enough to keep you calm. Most of the time, the spiders, as mentioned above, are tucked away in hidden crevices, minding their own thing while waiting for a spider-sized dinner. That human-eating spider you see on the SyFy channel at 2 a.m. just after Sharknado is a farce. As you probably know, spiders don’t want anything to do with humans quite as much. They devour troublesome insects such as bed bugs, mosquitoes, flies, and various other pests. So, dare we say it, spiders might be the best roommates ever? No? Okay, but you’ll have to spend $17 to see Spiderman on a 70-foot IMAX screen—but that’s beside the point. Remember, that creepy-crawly feeling on your back while sleeping isn’t a spider trying to bite you—you’re simply a bridge to the crevice behind your bed in the baseboard. We’ll be up until the wee hours of the morning with a flashlight after finishing this., so sleep tight and have nice dreams. Oh, the things our Champions writers do for our clients!

This is fantastic news! Not all spiders are poisonous.

Sure, some spiders have extremely potent venom that can cause serious harm to your body—but A small percentage of spiders are like that. The vast majority of spiders, contrary to popular belief, will not attack or harm humans, and even if they do, they are extremely rare; their venom, if it exists, causes little more harm than a mosquito bite. You won’t be shooting webs from your wrist after a minor bite from these innocuous arthropods, no matter how nasty the spider seems, even if it’s blue and red.

Female spiders have a voracious appetite.

As a result, this is not good news for naive young men. Female spiders will eat male spiders before, during, and after mating in some circumstances and depending on the species. There isn’t a breakup song written by Taylor Swift that can compare to that!

Some male spiders believe they have Jagger-like moves.

Okay, you’re probably thinking we’re up at 3 a.m. writing this on our fourth Mountain Dew—and you’re right! But don’t allow our lack of sleep and caffeine-fueled writings to blind you to the fact that certain male spiders dance, specifically disco.

For fellow science geeks, the male peacock spider, or Maratus Volans, does a little dance to spread a little love in the hopes of getting down with female spiders. The dance they execute is comically reminiscent of the Village People’s YMCA routine. The brightly colourful markings on their abdomen add to the show, but there is a severe risk associated.

If the spider has two or four left feet and fails to dance correctly, the female may attack and possibly kill or consume him. We’re Houston pest control professionals, not America’s Got Talent judges, but we think a simple Simon-esque “that was horrible” will suffice.