Unless you’re some type of spider enthusiast, most of us don’t want them crawling around our homes. Admittedly, many people have at least a mild form of arachnophobia. For some, having them around is a complete nightmare, and for others, it’s just an inconvenience. Whatever the reason, people will usually kill the spiders in their homes as a quick way to get rid of them.
Although commonplace, this practice of killing your uninvited, arachnid guests is not the best solution. Here’s why you shouldn’t kill spiders in your home, according to entomologists.
How Spiders Enter Your Home
Most of us believe that a well-insulated house with closed windows and doors is impenetrable to spiders. This, however, is false. There are many ways that these creatures can enter your home, most of which are unavoidable.
Spiders can enter your property through even the smallest crack. It may be accidental, or it could be that they were searching for warmth, but they will find a way to get in.
They can also easily “hitchhike” into your home. This means that they could land on your possessions, perhaps a coat, backpack, or garden chair, and then be brought inside with the item. To avoid this, try checking your belongings before bringing them inside, however, it’s likely that you’ll still miss one every so often.
Why We Fear Spiders
In many parts of the world, large, poisonous spiders roam freely, searching or waiting for their pray. It’s obvious then why these creatures would be terrifying to us. Most of the spiders that enter our homes, however, are completely harmless.
Arachnophobia most likely stems from a primitive survival instinct. We immediately view spiders as a threat that must be eliminated before they can harm us. This would explain why we are so quick to kill them when we see them in our homes.
A contributing factor could be that the fear of spiders has become so normal that we are taught to fear them from a very young age. Researchers believe that more exposure to spiders and education on the subject from childhood will help to reduce the widespread fear of these creatures.
Why You Shouldn’t Kill Them
Although they’re arguably unappealing, spiders play an important role in the ecosystem of our homes. Leaving them alone can actually be extremely beneficial for you and your family.
We all know that spiders create webs to catch their prey, but most of us never stop to think about what this could mean for our homes. They rid your property of many unwanted pests, such as flies, mosquitoes, and, in some cases, other spiders.
Spiders can even help to eliminate dangerous predators from your home. For example, there are spiders in East-Africa who prey on blood-filled mosquitoes. This can potentially save many people from the dangerous diseases which are often carried by mosquitoes.
Don’t Be Afraid
Most of the spiders that you will encounter are completely harmless unless you happen to live in the middle of a remote jungle. Although if you do live in a jungle, bites from spiders are still extremely rare, even in places where people live close to dangerous ones.
If you really cannot stand having them dwell inside your home, then consider moving them outside instead of killing them. They still play an important role in the outdoors that shouldn’t be disrupted.
It can be easy to succumb to the fear of spiders. Killing them may seem like the easiest option, but in most cases, it’s not the best choice that you can make. Leaving spiders alone can be a great asset to your household, even if they make you feel a bit uncomfortable at times. You’ll get used our eight-legged friends after a while.
Share this post with your friends and family so that they can learn the great benefits that spiders could have in their homes.
