SPIDERS
When I first started in the bug business almost 40 years ago, I have a morbid fear of spiders. I don’t know if it was “arachnophobia”, but I certainly didn’t want to be around them. When I was in Southeast Asia during that war, I was more afraid of the spiders than I was of the enemy. Oddly enough I had no fear of the snakes over there. When I was about six years old I watched as my father killed a garter snake. When I asked him why he killed it, he said because it was a snake! That rationale stuck with me for years and when I got to high school I decided to get as many library books as I could on snakes so I could find out why they were so evil. Of course they aren’t. My father had an irrational fear of them and he killed them because of that fear. I don’t know why I maintained a fear of spiders for so long, but I had to overcome it when I got in this business.
Arachnophobia comes from the Greek words, "arachne", meaning "spider", and "phobos", meaning "a fear". The fear of spiders may have had its roots in Europe during the Middle Ages. Spiders were considered a source of contamination and any food that came into contact with them was considered poisoned. If they fell into the water it was thought to be undrinkable. Spiders were originally thought to spread the plague (Black Death) by biting people. Fear of the plague clouded people’s perceptions of the spiders and they were blamed for all sorts of illnesses and epidemics simply because they were present.
The fear of spiders has persisted in our society for a long time and it is actually encouraged by the pesticide industry. Many companies want to “control” spiders by spraying your home with pesticides. They are actually preying on your natural fear of the arachnid.
I am not a psychologist and will not try to tell you how to overcome your fear of spiders if you have such a fear. I will tell you what worked for me. When I got into the bug business in 1969, I didn’t know a cockroach from a caterpillar and I was deathly afraid of spiders. The first time I had to crawl under a house I was paralyzed with fear. I decided then and there if I was going to be successful, I would have to overcome the fear. I started by reading all the literature I could about spiders, I watched them spin their webs and stalk their prey. Finally after several weeks I let one crawl on me. Oddly enough it didn’t bite me and I didn’t have a heart attack. I went under houses and crawled through their webs. It was a bit disconcerting at first, but soon I had no fear of them at all. That is when I decided I needed to know them better.
Although most spiders possess venom glands, most are too small to break the skin with their fangs and have no desire to do so. All spiders will bite in self defense if they are handled carelessly, such as being squeezed. Most bites occur when people roll over in bed on one and get bitten or when they put on their clothes and a spider inside the clothing bites when it is pressed against the skin. I am not saying all spiders are harmless. Black widows are certainly capable of producing a serious bite and any such bite by this spider should be considered a major medical emergency. The brown recluse is also dangerously venomous. Sac spiders and wolf spiders can give serious, though not fatal bites, particularly if you are allergic to any of the components of the venom. Daddy longlegs (aka harvestmen) are not at all dangerous despite their reputation to the contrary. Jumping spiders are interesting to watch but are not dangerous although a large one can bite if mishandled. Most of the small hunting spiders, such as ground spiders are incapable of hurting anyone. Let's look at a few of the common spiders.
Tarantulas are very large hunting spiders. You often see the males crossing the road after a rain. They are looking for females to mate with. The one in my profile picture was looking for a female when he got tangled in my glasses :). Although they are fearsome looking, they are not at all dangerous. A large one can deliver a painful bite if molested, but they are not lethal.
The pillbug spider is a sinister looking arachnid. It is reddish in color with a gray abdomen and is often found under boards in damp areas. They feed exclusively on pillbugs and have long fangs to enable it to pierce their body. They can deliver a painful bite if mishandled but they are not dangerous.
Pholcid or cellar spiders frequently cause the cobwebs you see in the corners of your rooms. These long-legged spiders are harmless.
Comb-footed spiders (family Theridiidae) are a complex group of mostly harmless spiders, but this family does contain the black widow. Even black widows are overrated in their danger level. Bites by these spiders are extremely painful (I was bitten on the stomach by one under a house in Farmington, NM) and can be serious. However, bites are also extremely rare. There are probably more black widows in most urban areas than there are people, yet bites are almost unheard of.
Orb-weavers (family Araneidae) are large spiders that make distinct orb-like webs. The pumpkin spider, which is very common in parts of the country, is in this family. These spiders are harmless.
Funnel-weavers (family Agelenidae) make funnel-like webs in yards, in garages, in crawlspaces and other areas. The spider hangs out at the end of the funnel waiting for prey. Most of these spiders are harmless although they can bite. One species, the hobo spider, can produce a serious bite. That species is found in the Pacific Northwest.
Wolf spiders (family Lycosidae) are hunting spiders. There are numerous species in NM, ranging in size from very small to very large. We have an enormous wolf spider living in our garage and another in our barn. They do a good job of keeping the crickets and flies down. Large wolf spiders can produce a painful bite if mishandled.
Ground spiders (family Gnaphosidae) are very common and are frequently found indoors. They are also hunting spiders and are completely harmless. One species, the parson spider, can give a painful, but not a dangerous bite.
Sac spiders (several families) can be considered dangerous as they possess venom that will leave severe scars. One species, the yellow sac spider, is rare in the state but does have a particularly nasty bite.
Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) are hunting spiders that are frequently found on porches or the sides of buildings stalking flies.
There are many other less common spiders and the vast majority of them are not at all dangerous. Spiders should be considered beneficial organisms because they feed on insects and other arthropods that can be considered pests.
