Humans often mistake Spiders for insects, but on the contrary, they are arachnids. They are two different types of pests that humans usually don’t identify as different types. Under the category of Arachnids, there are Scorpions and Spiders. And under insects, just about any other pest you may see roaming around.

How many different species of spider are there?

There are an estimated 40,000 species of spider in this world. Each spider has a different look and a variety of bite. One spider mimics an insect, the Ant mimicking Spider. But, there are several different cousins related to this spider that also mimic the ant.

What are their webs like? Isn’t that how they collect food?

Their webs are thick and sticky strings strung together to make a pattern that will trap insects in it. For some spiders, they use their web to gather food but for others they will hunt for it. A species that is very common that uses a web is the Black Widow spider, as soon as something is caught in it’s web, the spider crawls over and jabs the insect with it’s fangs which will kill it. But some other spiders like the Brown Recluse, Tarantulas and Jumping Spiders hunt rather than use a web to catch prey.

Spiders create their webs out of sticky silk and they weave it into different shapes and forms. Some is visible to the eye, and some are not. The Black Widow spider creates a thick easy to see web that is unorganized and all over the place. While others hide it more well so insects cant see it as well.

How do they reproduce?

Spiders lay eggs on their web and the spiders will eventually hatch. They will then climb aboard the mother’s back and after molting they will leave the mother’s back and find life on their own. Similar to Scorpions, some female Spiders will cannibalize on the male Spider after mating to feed the eggs while they are growing. That’s because most female spiders are larger than male spiders. More info at Bulwark Pest Control

How can I identify a spider?

Spiders have 8 legs and 8 eyes. They come in colors of, light brown to dark brown, black, gray, green, and yellow. The world’s biggest spider was as large around as a China glass plate, and some are so small you can barely see them. The World’s Largest species of spider are the Goliath Bird Eating Spider, which can be found in South America. Some are coated with fur, and some are hairless, some have thick legs and some have scrawny thin long legs. They are usually lurking around or sitting on a web. And if you disturb a spider on their web, they will surely attack. Spiders have a two-part body. Some spiders will have distinctive patterns on their underbelly or back. For instance, the Black Widow Spider. The Black Widow Spider has a red hourglass shape on its underbelly. Another example is the Brown recluse; on its back there is a small pattern that looks just like a violin shape on its back. That is why the Brown Recluse is also referred to as the violin spider. The World’s largest spider was reported at the size of body 90 mm long, leg span 250 mm.

Where are Spiders most common?

Spiders are common in attics and basements. They like places like storage boxes and closets. Spiders like making their webs in windowsills, corners or in between two objects. Spiders don’t like to be out in the open, they will place their webs somewhere only other insects can reach. Some other common places to make a web in are behind out house toilets, under logs and rocks. In fact, most people are bitten by Black widows from under rocks and logs when they didn’t know the spider was there.

More info at Wikipedia.com

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Spider Venom

Why do Spiders have venom? Most people mistake spiders’ purpose for venom. The reason for their poisonous bite is not to kill the prey or to hurt humans; it’s to digest the Spider’s food externally. In more depth, Spiders do not consume their prey like scorpions do. Spiders use their venom to decompose the body outside of the Spider’s stomach. Spider’s have too small of a mouth to consume their prey like Scorpions. So when they bite the trapped insect, what it does is it will begin to decompose it and then the spider will suck up the juices and leave the dried out body to rot. That’s why the Brown Recluse bite creates such a gap in human tissue; the venom is designed to eat muscle tissue so they can then drink the juices from the insect. Black widows, on the other hand, have a smaller mouth and their venom is designed to paralyze their pray. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the most venomous spider in the world is the Brazilian Wandering Spider. Its venom is so powerful, that just 0.006 mg of venom can kill a mouse.

How can I avoid Contact with Spiders?

The first thing that I highly recommend is to slam the bottom of your shoes against the ground. Hit them as hard as you can on the floor to make any spiders hiding at the tip of your shoe to drop. That is how most Spider bites and Scorpion stings occur. Another thing you can do is picking up piles of wood or go through boxes in a garage with gloves on. Spiders will bite if you interrupt them while they are living in their “home”. If you see a spider web, don’t destroy it and contact a spider control specialist immediately. If you have a spider in your home or on the floor stepping on it would be a good solution. Of course with shoes on!