Spiders are one of many creatures who have many surprises up their hairy legs. All spiders are different and unique in their way. Why are spiders so interesting? Why are they valuable to our environment? I grew up in Arizona and lived in a small house. I know a thing or two about having spiders and their webs all around the house.
As spring comes around the corner and Arizona gets hotter, Mosquitoes come out to feast. Living in a low-income household, we live with windows and doors open to let the wind fan us. Then our house soon becomes home to unwelcome mosquitoes. Spiders are good because they feast on those who “bug” us. Spiders eat pests such as Mosquitoes, Flies, and Clothes Moths.
Not only are spiders good for our defense, but they also support decreasing the overpopulation of bugs. You can say they are like home-style pest control.
Keeping spiders in your garden can benefit most bugs invading plants. A bug infestation can affect plants with no natural solution except spiders. Ladybugs can also get the job done, but it would be fast and more accessible for a spider to catch aphids in their web.
Everyone afraid of spiders is primarily scared of their venom and multiple legs, also caused by evolution. The good thing about spiders is that not all are venomous, and those who are being triggered are due to fear. Any human would activate their fight or flight just like a spider would. When using their flight instinct, they use their long legs to escape; this is why we shouldn’t be afraid of their survival habits.
There are many myths like spiders crawling in your mouth while you sleep and sipping their webs, but spiders are cold-blooded. Cold-blooded animals would not want to live near your warm body; they prefer being in a cold corner where they will not be disturbed.
If you are a feminist like me, you know women do not need men. Female spiders are the definition of powerful women. A female spider is more robust and more significant than a male spider. Once they mate, the female spider will soon kill and eat the male spider. Killing the male spider is primarily due to adulthood. Nothing says we don’t need men than killing one; for legal reasons, this is a joke.
A spider is considered a good mom for all the moms who would do anything for their child(ren). Spider is regarded as a good mom, in my opinion. Even if a spider is a virgin, birth will take place. Once the babies are born, sometimes a mother will sacrifice herself for the babies to feast on her. This is good because she would not let her newborns starve right out of the nest.
Since some spiders are venomous, this is somewhat a good thing about them. Scientists have found their venom is helpful because it is used in medicine. Different venom is used in different ways. This is a strange way of using deadly self-defense, but it sounds practical and useful.
The silk web a spider produces has inspired many humans and their creativity. Engineers are inspired by webs and their shapes. Spiders have also inspired creators like E.B. White, the author of Charlotte’s Web.
Even if you are not convinced spiders are good, spiders are suitable for other animals. Spiders are good because they serve as a food source for birds, fish, and lizards. Other animals get their protein from eating spiders.
One last and best reason why they are good is that spiders were the inspiration for the superhero Spider-Man. A teenager who a spider bit became the best superhero in New York. A fantastic plot, origin story, and superpower!
Author: Karla Ramirez-Tunales – Arizona State University-Tempe